RED CROSS SOCIETIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 231, 18 June 1918, Page 6

RED CROSS SOCIETIES

• #—i— WORK'OF"THE FUTURE SPEECH BY GOVERNOR-GENERAL. A brief outline of the activities to which it is proposed to direct the ener?les of the joint organisation of (he Britv „ Cross arid Order of St. John in Aew Zealand was given by His Excelloncy tho Governor-General at the annual meeting of the Auckland contro of the ot. John Ambulance Association. His Excellency said that ho had intended to tell them of a good many events connected with tho work of tiie association which were about to tako place, but he wished to defer making a complete statement until he and the Countess of Liverpool met the Joint Committee of the Order and British Bed Cross. Ho could, however, give them an outline of what was proposed. A few days ago an appeal had been made from Britain by His Tioyal Highness tho Duke of Connaught, Lord Lansdowne, and Lord Plymouth on behalf of tho joint organisation. His Koyal Highness had made a special appeal in aid of the parent societies of Great Britain to assist them in carrying on the work until tho end of the war, and probably beyond it. Tho question had been raised as to what kind of work should bo taken up when tho men came back from the war. The answer received was to the effect that the ona work they ought to undertake was tho orthopaedic or functional treatment of soldiers on their arrival,

f Thay had already done a grcai deal in J this direction in each of tho four centres, J each of which had its own sphere of influence. Wellington already had tho Victoria Ward and a convalescent homo; Dunedin was going to open its own convalescent homo in a fortnight, which would bo practically devoted to soldiers requiring orthopaedic treatment; Christ- ' church had undertaken the orthopaedic treatment nt Hanmer, and ho believed ' that Chrislchurch was going to bo asked , to undertako n larger amount of Iho ' work because the authorities at Home were going to send out io New Zealand a complete orthopaedic unit, comprising live medical officers and a certain nuin- ' ber of non-commissioned officers who had been specially trained in tho work. ' Auckland would bo asked to undertake the management of the largest orthopaedic centre in the Dominion—Rotorua. His Excellency said he was in sympathy with tho "Our Day" appeal, but at the samo time ho knew it was tho wish of tho parent societies' that they should leavo nothing undone with regard to tho men when they came back. 1 It was generally agreed, he thought, that this was a work that devolved upon each of the joint organisations in the four centres, so that no link in tho work should'be missed. He thought it should ' be run on business lines, and if they could, do the work, and at tho same time contribute to tho funds of the' joint organisations in London, New Zesiland' would have dono a great work.. He wished to congratulate New Zealand on the way in which it had met the demands made upon it by the parent societies. Ho knew New Zealand's work was greatly appreciated. He was sure that? in this year of stress, and in 1919, which would probably prove a sMI greater year of stress, they would not bo behindhand in carrying on the work. They had now fused in such a degree in Auckland that complete harmony existed between the two bodies. He could heartily congratulate the joint organisation on the work done to date, and trusted it would continue that work until tho war ended, and after if necessary.