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OUR WOUNDED

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ENGLAND (From a Correspondent.) London, February 27. iSomo idea of the magnitude of the work done by the New Zealand War Contingent Association amongst tiio wounded. New Zealanders in England may be gathered from tho accounts, whioh have just been published, of receipts and expenditure from tho outbreak of war to September 30, 1916. During that period the association appears to have received £58,700, of which £21,546 came from the New Zealand Government and the Lord Liverpool Fund, specially ear-marked for the Walton Hospital (now No. 2, N.Z. General Hospital); and £23,100 was derived from English contributions and from- the War Office in respect to Walton Hospital. _ The .expenditure sido of the account is very interesting. During the whole period, the administration of the association cost in salaries and wages only £950; or about 1.6 per cent, of the whole income. Practically the whole of the office work is unpaid. The only salaries which • have been paid were £200 per annum for a short period to an official organiser, and small weekly sums to messengers and one or two clerks. The' whole of the office expenditure (including rent, stationery, post-' age, and travelling expenses) was £2840—about 6 per cent, of the income._ The maintenance of Walton Hospital arid Soldiers' Canteens and the Nurses' Rest amounted to about £19,000, and there was a capital expenditure of £25,000 on buildings and equipment. But undoubtedly tho most interesting part of the accounts to the genoral public is the expenditure on direct entertaining and comforts to wounded men in England. Of this, £2560 went in extra comforts and. entertainments (including the Christmas entertainments). The expenditure on articles of clothing'was £2590; on small items of kit (such as razors, soap, and shaving brushes), £1390; and on tho universal "smokes," £2200. Motors, launches, brakes, etc., for taking the wounded about cost something loss than £1000, and newspapers cost £424. Cheap Entertainment. The actual expenditure of the New Zealand War Contingent Association in the entertaining of soldiers in England has always been-remarkably low for the valuo received. This is partly dueto the fact that much of tha entertaining jb done in tho association's own canteens and clubs, -and that tobacco and cigarettes aro now obtained in bond iustead of being subject to duty of more than 100 per cent, (as in tho earlier months of the war). But the low average cost is chiefly due to tho generosity of English people and firms, i Although, the war has been in progress for nearly three years, it is still possible without any difficulty to find private hospitality for considerable parties of men almost any diiy in the week. The London theatres aro also remarkably generous. In January,' 1264 New Zealanders in London went to theatres on tiokets distributed by the association, and of this .number only, 80 tickets were paid for. The rest were given by the various theatres. The appointment of Miss Rosemary Rees, the well-known Now Zealand aotress, to manage the entertainment side has resulted in considerable saving in this respect owing to her wide connection amongst English theatrical people. She also arranges regular concerts at all the New Zealand hospitals and 'clubs, and the total cost of these for the month of January was only £32. The number of New Zealandors in hospital in England at the end of January was 3240. Of these 329 men and ten officers were in. British hospitals, and 3014 men and 67 officers were in tho different New Zealand hospitals. Food Production. Itt syinpathz with the general movement in tho Old Country J-ho New Zealanders here have made a. move towards increasing tho food supplies. Lous ago tho advisability of allowing tho men in Walton Hospital to cultivate some of the. land adjoining was considered, and last summer quite a considerable quantity of kitchen garden produce was raised by the men * for their own amusement. This year there is evidence that the quantity will be very much greater. Tho Hospitality Committee of the New Zealand War Contingent Association appointed Lady Hardwicke, Miss Reos, Mr. J. C. N. Grieg, Mr. H. Guthrie-Smith, and Mr. I. W. Raymond to go into the matter, and after several consultations with General Richardson a scheme was brought np and approved. _ The commanding officer of each unit is to inform headquarters what ground is available for vegetable growing and poultry keeping, and is to organise the work. General Richardson wishes everything to bo done by voluntary work, and therefore there will be no "fatigues." All the produce will belong to the military authorities, and will be -used primarily by the New Zealand hospitals and camps. Messrs. Cooper and Sons '(the Wellington seedsmen) have presented a quantity of. seed and have offered £20 for prizes. The War Contingent Association will receive monthly 'reports of the work done and the produce raised, and it will also award the prizes. The financial liability of the association will bo limited to aJ sum of, say, £300, for the purchase of fowls, and a special donation of £100 towards this liability has been received ; . from a well-wisher of the scheme. ', Weil-Behaved New Zealanders. In the report on the Soldiers' Hostel, at Russell Square, Mr. R. H. Nolan ! (the hon. secretary) remarks that the. . working accounts show a profit of about £80. During. December and January the gross takings averaged 1 about £50 per day. At the date of i the report 32,000 beds had been booked and only one man during the whole of that time had to he reproved for misconduct, "a record," says Mr. Nolan, "of which every New Zealander may bo proud." j

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170428.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3065, 28 April 1917, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
941

OUR WOUNDED Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3065, 28 April 1917, Page 3

OUR WOUNDED Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3065, 28 April 1917, Page 3

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