RED CROSS WORK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2745, 13 April 1916, Page 2

RED CROSS WORK

OPENING THE CENTRAL DEPOT. SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, i At the invitation of the committee of tho British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John (Wellington Branch) everyone interested in Red Cross work or willing to heeomo active members were invited to attend tho formal opening of tho Central Depot in Mercer Street, which took placo yesterday aftcrnooiij His Excellency the Governor performing tho ceremony. In the courso of his speech, His Excellency outlined all the circumstances that had led. up to the amalgamation of the various societies that had been engaged in doing Bed Cross work during the months succeeding the outbreak of war. At the beginning there was only one society doing Bed Cross work, and that waa the Order of St. John, whose stimulating influence had been responsible for a very large amount of work being done for the sick and wounded. As time went on the keenness and enthusiasm shown by women throughout New Zealand in the various associations to whioh they belonged made further developments desirable. s With this object •iii view, steps wore taken to combine these various bodies, tho first movement in. this direction being made in October, 1910. Details of the communications that passed between His Majesty the King anchHis. Excelloncy were given by Lord Liverpool, and finally tho New Zealand branch of tho British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, as authorised by His Majesty the King, was established. The very great need for co-operation among overyono was strongly emphasised by His Excellency. To make the work run "as smoothly as greased lightning," they had to try to do everything they could, even to the matter of agreeing with those with whom they did not seo eye to oye, and to co-operate so tlia-t their work might bo a New Zealand undertaking. In England an appeal had been mado by His Majesty for the co-operation of everyone in this work of caring for tho sick and wounded. They were asked to put everything on one side, to sink all individual credit, and all jfchat cach individual society might think essential in its own particular work, for ijie gopd of the groat general .cause. It was further pointed out by Lord Liverpool tliat it was not enough to co-operate, but they had to go as far as possible in soeing good in what they did not agree with. His Excellency then referred to the "rotten rumours" that were gping about, and which were somowhat worse iti Wellington than in other places. He asked; the Press to do their best to get rid of them. Among these varictis rumours that had been circulating v.as one that parcels which had been sent to

men in Egypt h(>d never reached 'tie: because they had been sold; another wr that thoy had boon lost in Egypt-, et< He had been speaking' 1 officers about this -particular matte, and he had been told that they ha arrived safely. The difficulties of ge ting stores from Egypt to Gallipoli ha without doubt been gigantic, and woul account for much delay. Only tho otlu day the rumour had been circulatin that tho 9th Reinforcements had bee annihilated. ' As a matter oHact'the were in Egypt and 1 were enjoying ei cellent health. He.appealed to llio Pre£ and to everyone to settle these rumour at . once, or .it . might be. thai we woul' later on most bitterly.' repent, as i might be the means of a good numbe of lives being lost, The lives of ou men were our tirst consideration. Details of what was being sent aya, ! to Mesopotamia and to India in answe to the appeal of tho Viceroy were given and after the Red Cross Society am i Oreler of St. John had finished wit] i' this work members were going to devot< their energies to working for our owi men. An enormous amount of Re< ■Cross goods had been''sent away fron England for troops, and the worker: there did not care inhere they went o: to-whom they went; so long as the; • were sent where they were most want ed. All differences liad been sunk. Ii Malta, Lord' Methuen allowed of no dis • tinctions to be made in regard to jgood: for the hospitals, distribution beinj made lyith the best possible results foi tho patients, whenever necessary. Some interesting figures in regard tc tho two hospital ships provided by Neil Zealand were given by His Excellency Contributions in money had amounted to £60,929 3s. (id., while the value goods ranged from £100,000 to £120,000. Tho Maheno on her first voyage had cost £16,313 10s. Id., and the Marama on lier first trip had cost £18,239 lis. 3d, In regard to this difference between the two snips, it had to bo taken into consideration that there were 340 beds on I the first ship' and 500 on the second. On her second voyage tho Maheno cost' £1960 4s. sd. There wa3 now a balance in hand of £13,373 3s. Sd. In regard to the hospitals, there had been an expenditure of £10,000 for the Mount Eelix Hospital, and for the hospitals in Egypt and Malta there had been sent away £1243 3s. Gd., as well as £500 to the stationary hospitals.. • Concluding his remarks, Lord Liverpool emphasised the .splendid work that women were doing, and of what they Vere doing in England irrespective xif all differences in organisations or anything else. It was necessary, however, just as it was in the Army, that there should bo discipline. Bickering should cease, and everyone must put ■ their ••'teeth together and see things through to such a degroe that never again will the Empire be confronted with such a frightfulnes of warfare. General Henderson was next asked to speak, and he also, in the course of interesting remarks ujjon Eed Cross work and its organisation, emphasised the value of co-operation and or the need for sending, goods through one common channel. Bv having such an organisation as the present one, where all contributions were pooled, much time saved supplying the hospitals abroad with the necessary hospital requirements. Reference was made to' tho great cfifficulties that were metiwith in regard to sending hospital equipment to Mesopotamia, on account of the shallow waters of the Tigris. He had seen a lotto)* in a newspaper asking why it was that the Maheno had not been sent there, but it had to be remember-, ed that vessels could not sail, further up the river than Busrah. Beyond that tlie.v had to gp in motor boats, light barges, and so forth, figures were given showing the enormous work which is being carried out by the British Eed Cross the Order of St. John which was described as being extraordinarily well organised. ' At the conclusion of the speeches the visitors wore invitejl to inspect the new building, which presented a very workmanlike appearance with its stores, shelves (made by members of the committee themselves out of packing-cases, whose contents were protected by curtains), and office appointments. Iler Excellency the Countess of Liverpool accompanied Lord Liverpool, and Mrs. W.P. Massey was also present affile opening ceremony. The reception' committee, which represented Red Cross workers, comprised Mr. T. Young, I chairman of executive, Mrs. Luke, Mrs. Massey, and Lady Ward (of the late Red Cross Military Hospital Guild), Miss Coates (Victoria League), Mrs. Moorbonse (District Nursing Guild of St, John), and Mr. O, P, Powlcb (St. John Ambulance Centre).