CORRESPONDENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1452, 12 May 1905, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE AASSCb CIATION.

I (To the Editor Gisborne Times, j Sir,—Believing as I do that very few j among your readers know anything about I fcho work and objects of the above named V Association,! should be glad if .you would [ find room for a brief explanation. It j a the ambulance department of the grand priory of the order oi the Hospital of St. I John of Jerusalem in England The pat" ron is His Masjety the pro- * sident is the Prince o£ Wales, and the committee is oomposed of many well-known | men. “t

A general centre has been established in Auckland, aod we in Gisborne work under -4 I ‘P 81 ?- work in connection with tha I society is done gratuitously ; medical men j and secretaries give their services, and the I only expenses that can be incurred are tho advertisements and the lighting, with a small charge for the oost of the certificates, -i The Association charges a modest fee for the course, but all. profits are devoted, to some good end. The motto of the Society is “ Pro militate hominum” (for the benefit of mankind).

In Auckland some few yearn ago a”' special appeal was made by the Association I to the citizens, with the resqlt that a sum of about £l2O. was raised to buy Ashford litters, for the conveyance of injured per-/-sons to the hospital. This 'sum enabled the Association to place six of these litters in convenient parts of. tho oity.

The secretary in Auckland has informed tee he has in hand, profife from pro- jV vious classes here. We shall, I think : mako a pound or two profit over our olassea this year, more especially as there is reason to hope that the local technical committee will allow us the use of the High School rooms. The price of an Ashford litter landed hero is roughly £2O. There can be no doubt that on many occasions the laok > of a suitable conveyance when a serious t accident has oocurred has been a great drawback, and I wish to appeal thbouch ' r your colums, Sir, for a little monetary

assistance to enable us to get one, if not two of these litters. If we had one at the fire brigade station, and another at tha wharf we should be 'sufficiently supplied for our present population. In the hope that the statement of the object of tha Society will appeal to some of your readers * I may say that I shall be pleased to tic ' :g donations towards the purchase of alrrrft, and with your permission to acknowledge - them in your oolumns, If wo wait till the profits of the classes reach the required amount wo shall not have these conveniences for some years. I would ask all those _ interested in tho work of the Association to attend tho mooting in the. High School rooms next Friday. Ths'sc meeting is not for intending pupils only, bat for all interested. A local committee has to be appointed, and I hopo to see some of - ’ ‘ ' - •