EXPENDITURE OF RED CROSS FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 223, 8 June 1918, Page 3

EXPENDITURE OF RED CROSS FUNDS

TBENTHAM AND FEATHEBSTON HOSPITALS. Some of the uses to which Eed Cross funds for our soldiers in the New Zealand military hospitals are put were outlined in 'a letter received from the P.M.O.'s at Trenfliam and Featherston hospitals, and read at the meeting of the AVellington Eed Cross Executive this week. At Trentham money has been expended upon: (1) Tobacco, pipes, cigarettes, and matches for those who smoke; (2) extra papers, magazines, and periodicals have been provided for the various wards; (3) the sun rooms (.resting rooms) havo been supplied with playing cards and other games, and furnished with comfortable wicker lounges; (i) tho gramophones in the wards, which are a constaut source of amusement, have been kept in good repair; (5) little extras for the patients' Christmas dinners and refreshments served to them at the/hospital concerts, etc., have been purchased out of this fund; extra fruit has also bee.i purchased; (G) cups and saucers have been provided for serious cases in hospital; (7) two _ motor-cars ■which were lent to the hospital for use of sick patients unable to. take exercise have been kept running and in repair. These cars have been returnod to tho donors owing to the difficulty of getting repairs executed and the increasing price of benzine; (8) any comforts the medical officers consider beneficial for the really sick, and which the Government does not supply, havo always been provided out of the funds remitted.

The i\M.O. at Featherston says: "These amounts of money aro expended in purchase of gramophones, gramophone records, needles, piano music (which is bound in book form to preserve it), books (cheap editions) by leading authors for library, also bookcase to contain same, and in supplying illustrated papers, etc. Flower seeds and bulbs have also been obtained to nrovido a supply of flowers for the wards and to improvo tho surroundings of the hospital. A record of all expenditure is kept in cash book, and receipts obtained for all disbursements."