RED CROSS SOCIETY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 94, 19 April 1916, Page 4

RED CROSS SOCIETY.

OPERATIONS TO BE EXTENDED. NEW COMMITTEE SET UP. Yesterday afternoon a meeting was hold in the Taihape Town Hall for the purpose of considering the question of forming a larger branch of the Eed Cross Society. There were between 30 and 40 present, and His Worship the Mayor (Mr. A. L. Arrowsmith) presided.

The Mayor stated that the object of the meeting was to consider whether it was advisable to extend the branch of the British Bed Cross Society, and i so, to get it put in working order. The result of the cards at Chaplain Blamires ’ meeting was so spontaneous that there was every hope that it only wanted starting to be a great success. They wanted to do something that would be a little more worthy than what had been done. He wished to exclude from these remarks a small body of women who had formed a club in Taihape and had done excellent work. If the branch were extended in Taihape the object would b e to get all the country districts to form sub-branches, and when ail these people were working in their houses they would get the material from the Taihape branch. Then they would have from all round the country little streams trickling in till the output from Taihape would flow in like a big river. They could say (he was referring to the Women’s Working Club) that the few women deserved every possible credit, but they wanted to do something that would be a credit to the whole district. He did not know of any one single thing in connection with the war that was more deserving than the Eed Cross work. Most of our efforts in New Zealand, and perhaps quite rightly, had been done in looking after New Zealanders. Still, we really owed something to th e Old Country. If it was not for her, where would we be? It was that larger sympathy which the Eed Cross was serving. Mr. J. F. Studholm.o said he would like to say a few words in connection with the Women's Working Club, because they were Ifie first people to take up Eed Cross work in Taihape. They had done splendid work and given a lot of time and money, they had worked so unostentatiously that very few had known how much they were doing. The district was deeply indebted to the ladies for the .good work they had done and he thought the Club should have full credit. They were here not to form a new club but really to carry on and further the work already being done; to extend their operations. He was very glad to say that there were ladies on the committee of the' Club who would go on the committee of the stronger body and give the new committee the benefit of their knowledge and organisation. They would also have a secretary who could give a great deal of time to the work. They' intended to form sub-branches in all the small localities in the district. People in those districts would give both money and time and if they were able to interest people in this good work, ther e ought to be ten times as much produced as hitherto without any trouble. If people showed enthusiasm such as had been shown by the small number forming the Taihape Women’s Working Club, the output would be enormous. He was very sorry to see in the editorial columns of the paper last evening that there were misguided statements made. The editor evidently did not know the work the Club had done; his remarks were not aimed at the members of the Club but at the district, and he (the speaker) hoped the ladies belonging to the Club would not take the editorial as a hit at them. He had talked to tha editor previously on Eed Cross matters and he had shown great approval of th e work done by the Taihape Women ’s Working Club.

Continuing, the speaker, stated that the Red Cross Society had full control of the ambulances and stretchers and hospitals at the front. The Red Cross men had to do their work under very trying conditions and their work was indeed noble. It was necessary that we should see that our men had sufficient attention and all could help in that. If a person did not give up time. Mien he could give money. It Avas not a question of how little avo. could give, but of lioav much A\e could giA r e, so that avc could aftenvards say, “We haA r e done our maimum of Avork. It Avas a national affair and all should help in the cause. Xo one Avas going to get anything out of it. He was A - ery much struck when he Avas in Christchurch, Avhcrc the most complete' branch of the Red Cross Society in the Southern Hemisphere avds located, to see hoAA* Avell organised the Avork Avas. They were all Indies in that organisation and everything Aveut like elockAvork. There Avals no clashing, and he did not see why Taihape should not bo able to show Christchurch something. Ho would like the secretary of the Women’s Working Club to road the report and balance-sheet. The report and balance-sheet,! which will be published in full in to-morroAv’s issue, was then read. Mr. Studholnve said that it must be

admitted that the Club had been most energetic and successful. The paper did not refer to the action of the Women’s Working Club, and referred to the people of Taihape generally. It did not matter what was in the paper, the report and balance-sheet was a complete refutation. Wonderful work had been done. The President and Secretary and Treasurer deserved special praise. He would like to the editor of the paper had some excellent articles in favour of Eed Cross work.

After some informal dienssion, Mrs. Shute, President of the existing branch, said it was thought that it. would be much better to keep the Women’s Working Club separate. If that was the wish of the meeting they were prepared to do so.

This was agreed upon and the following officers were elected for. tho Eed Cross branch: —President, Mrs. J. F. Btndholme; Vice-Presidents, Mesdaiuos Arrowsmith and Shute'; Committee, Mesdames Miller, Turnbull, Knox, McLennan, senr., Bason, Garrick, Bcrtenshaw, Powell, Thurston, Neagh-. Collinson. Aldridge, Carpenter, H. D. Bennett, Emerson, De Latour,

Boyd, Shan ley, Timbs, Pitt, Bray, Loughnan, Peyton, Stent, Misses Smith, and Messrs. Arrowsmith, O’Callaghan, .1. Smith, Daws, J. P. StmJholme, Drs. Boyd. Macdiarmid, and Sinclair, and the clergymen of tho

various denominations; Secretary, Trooper Miller; Treasurer, Mr. Emerson; Hon. Auditor. Mr. A. M. Evan. A meeting of the new Committee was afterwards held, and it yeas decided to proceed at once to organise the country districts, and delegates’ were appointed to work up each district.