N.Z. WAR CONTINGENT ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2907, 20 October 1916, Page 3

N.Z. WAR CONTINGENT ASSOCIATION

DISBURSAL OF, MONEYS

The following letter lias been received by tho committee of the 2\ r .Z. Red Cross and Order of St; John (Wellington Branch) from the New Zealand War Contingent Association in London, in regard to certain remittances which have been forwarded to tho association for the benefit of the N.Z. soldiers ill tho differed hospitals at Home. These remittances were received through tho High Commissioner as follow:—

June 22, 1916, British Bed Cross, Wellington, comforts, sick and wounded, £1000; July 21, 1916, for N.Z. War Contingent Association for lied Cross purposes, £1000. 'l'ho writer, states: —

"No further particulars wero given in the cablegram of aclvice.

• "Firstly, I am desired by my committee to convey to your society its very hearty thanks for this liberal and useful contribution to our funds. ,We quite understand that Red Cross funds must be,expended solely on Red Cross purposes, i.e., on the care of sick and wounded members of the Now Zealand Expeditionary Force, and we shall see that your remittance is devoted to that purpose exclusively. You ask mo to give you a general idea of tho manner in which these funds have been expended. 11 gives me mucli pleasure to send you the following particulars:

"All moneys received for .the benefit of sick aud wounded are placed to the credit of 'general fund account,' and your remittance will be placed to the credit that account. . I say 'will be,' because the money has not yet reached us, the arrangement being that the High Commissioner holds remittances until required, when we requisition him, and ho "hands over the amount requisitioned for. The money sent to us for sick and wounded is expended on comforts for, aiid entertainment of, sick and wounded New Zealanders in tills '.country. I presume that wo should be justified in utilising part of it for New Zealand sick and wounded in Franco, but wo have, not done so up to the present. Now Zealanders in England are scattered in hospitals throughout the Kingdom. At tho time of writing theer are about 2600 sick and wounded here, somo in tho Now Zealand Government hospitals at Walton and Brockenhiai'st, others in military hospitals from Dundee to Southampton. 'At all theso places wo have local- visitors, usually Now Zealand ladies, or New Zealand. Our visitors see the men, ascertain their requirements, which are at once supplied. Tho main asked for. are: —(l) Shaving kits, including razors, strops, soap, tooth-brushes, and other toilet requisites; (2)_ shirts and underwear; (3) tobacco, pipes, aud cigarettes; (4) handkerchiefs, writing materials, stamps,etc.; (5) New Zealand newspapers; (6) 'fruit, and delicacies for men who •need somo auditions to ordinary hospitals diet. .

"Acxt, we havo tho provision of comforts for men returning to New Zealand invalided. AVo put ou board ilio ship "by which they travel, various articles, such as Bovril, nialtod milk, biscuits, ginger nuts, chocolato, sweets, games, books, deck chairs, 1 cigarettes, and tobaco, and so on; and wher9 there is no canteen, a quantity of assorted mineral waters. Wo also supplement tho kit by such things as shirts, socks, mufflors, cardigans, etc. I think you will agree with me that our funds aro usefully employed, and I am suro that they add greatly to-tho comfort and happiness of our soldiers., Wo havo only one object in view, viz., that our men should bo properly looked after, and should bo ablo. to feel that our association is a littlo pieco of New Zealand transplanted to England, where they may como and bo mado to feel at-home. Wo shall bo delighted to supply any further information your society may wish to have." "P.S.—I havo only dealt with tho quostion of assistance ■■ to sick and wounded, but we have many other brancnes of activity in connection with New Zealand soldiers."