SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 24 September 1918, Page 3

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Thorndon Red Cross Committee Meet- ; 'ing. ' .''....,.;' A meeting of tho Thorndon Day Hed Cross Committee and workers, calJcd by Mrs. W. F. Massoy, was held in iiho Sydney Street Schoolroom yesterday afternoon, ilrs. ■Massoy presiding. A. statomont of receipts and expenditure in connection with the recent Tiiorn- ' don Day at the Wellington Red Cross •; Shop was presented, and those present at the meeting were invited to examine .'■ the balance-sheet. . • Mrß. Massey thanked'the committee .and workors for tho splondid way in wbioh thoy had worked for their day, ' and also oyeryoue who had assisted in any way to secure so successful an issue to-their'labours, it had been a most successful day, and that isuccess was very largely owing to tho efforts that had beon made for the cause and to the interest and help.of the outside public. ' , . A. discussion followed in regard to the request that had been received from the "Our Day" Flag Drive Committee, in which the Thorndon corumit- ■' tee had been asked if it would undertake the canvassing of its district in connection with the_ flag drive. Tho •meeting announced. its readiness _ to undertake this work, and the various ! streets in whioh tho committee has ■ operated were allotted to those ladies willing to undertake thorn.

The "Cheer-oh, Girls" of Wellington, 'assisted ty the CI Camp orchestra, gave an entertainment in the Masterton Opera House on Saturday evening, a large and appreciative audience being present.' The of Miss Alice Guiin, Miss Beatrice Price, and Miss Agnes Richardson met with much applause, as did the recitations of Miss Rose.Carte, while the "all together" Items by the party were .also much appreciated, encores being very frequent. The entertainment was thoroughly successful.

The Women's National Reserve monthly reunion for the mothers of fighting men will take place on September 25, in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, as the Town Hall will be engaged. As it is impossible to get a complete' list of mothers to send personal invitations, all mothers of soldiers and sailors will be heartily welcomed. Colonel J. G. Hughes, D.5.0., •will speak.

Lack of Hospital Needs. ".'"At the meeting" of the Joint Committee of the Red Cross held in Auckland last week an indignant protest was entered by Miss Murray, matron of the depot, about the lack of arrangements made for the comfort and pleasure of tho returned soldiorß quartered nt Rotorua. Miss Murray spent a holiday there recently, and not only talkerl with the men themselves, but used her eyes. In her report to the Joint Committee idle stated that the whole state of affairs was absolutely deplorable.' She spoke to men who had been there for two years, and thero was no provision made at all for their entertainment. If the men came in wet they had to ha no; their wet g;irmonts over their beds. The. provision made in King George's Hospital, reported the speaker,' was a scandal. No .provision was made for their social life. Only a visitor who looked into things could realise-what these men bad to put up with. There wore 200 men i" King George's Hospital, and 90 in the Sanatorium, and the only attempt made t<v interest them was a small Salvation Army but. There was no rest room, no library, and the. billiard taWe was unplayable. An authority told her that nest year there would be over a thousand men at Rotorua, as at the present time, there were 5000 in the hospitals in England, and these had to be repatriated because of overcrowding. Another speaker said that money would ho required for some years for the needs of tho men returned to New Zealand, aud they were not getting the attention thoy should at the present time. She thought it was very unwise to send all the money away to England, as was being done at present. A committee was set up consisting of Mr. Gunson, Miss Murray, Mrs. Buckleton, Mr. •Spragg, and Mr. Robertson, to meet the Patriotic League and confer with them about supplying materials for the amusement of the soldiers at the Cambridge Hospital, over which the discussion arose.