COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2838, 1 August 1916, Page 6

COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS

A WELLINGTON COMPLAINT. "I have myself proved this afternoon that thero are over thirty returned soldiers at Victoria Ward in the Wellington Hospital," begah Dr. Thacker, in a question addressed to the Minister of Defenco in tho House last evening. "These men," ho went on, "are supposed to have got from the patriotic . peoplo gifts- of cigarettes, etc., car rides, and other things: At the. opening of tho Returned Soldiers' Club this afternoon these men proved to.mo that they have not had one single attentiou given to them in any way. They have their one or two shillings a day to pay for their comforts, and so forth, and I want to know from tho Minister of Defence why these men have not had their due." The Hon. J. Allen suggested that Mr. Russell, in charge of hospitals, should answer tho question. The did not deal with extra comforts to the c sick and wounded. That was entirely a matter for the local people themselves. Tho Government sent money for these comforts to England and elsewhore, but it was left to the local people here to give the sick and wounded extra comforts. He understood tho Patriotic Society was doing it in Wellington. Dr. Thacker: Well,.they have not done it. The men say they have not had one single comfort. Tho Hon. fi. W. Russell emphasised tho point that voluntary patriotic effort was being directed to the assistance of the sick and wounded. At Rotorua a special socioty had been formed to or->-ganiso extra comforts. Tho Government could not do it becauso the soldiers wore mixed in wards, and it would bo impossible for tho Government to discriminate between one ' patient and another. There was no possible objection to tho Patriotic Society, of Wellington taking the' matter in hand and/ giving tho sol. diers extra comforts. Mr. T, M. Wilford said that tho Minister's remark about tho Wellington Patriotic Society should be applied to tho War Relief Funds Association. Tho Patriotic. Society' merely collected for the Relief Funds Association', which distributed tho funds.