OUR WOUNDED.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1917, Page 7

OUR WOUNDED.

•NEW ZBALANiDERS IN ENGLAND

(From a Special Correspondent.)' London, February '27. Some idea of the Magnitude of the work done by the Now Zealand War Contingent Association amongst the wounded New Zealanders in England may be gathered from the accounts, which have just been published, of receipts and expenditure from the outbreak of the war to September 30, 1910. During that period the association appears to have received £'58,700, of which £21,a4i6 came from the New Zealand Government and the Lord 'Liverpool Fund specially ear-marked for the Walton Hospital (now No. 2, New Zealand General Hospital); and £23,1700 was derived from English contributions and from t/lie War Office in respect to the Walton Hospital. "

The expenditure side of the acMimt is very interesting. During the Tvhole period, the administration of the association cost in salaries and mages only £!)50; or about 1.0 per cent, of the whole income. Practically tlie whole of the office work is unpaid. Tlie only salaries which have been paid were £2OO per arnim for a short period to an official organiser, and small weekly sums to messengers and one or two clerks. The whole of the office expenditure (including rent, stationery, postage, and l travelling expenses) was £2B4o—ibout 5 per cent, of the income. The maintenance of Walton Hospital and Soldiers' teens and the -Nurses' Rest amounted to! about £19,000, and there was a capital expenditure of £25,000 on buildings and equipment. But undoubtedly the most interesting part of tho accounts to the general public is the expenditure on direct entertaining and comforts to wounded men in England. Of this £2660 went in extra comforts and entertainments (including the Christmas entertainments). The expenditure on articles of clothing was £2590; on small items of kit (such as razors, soap, and shaving brushes) £1<390; and on the universal "smokes" £'2Boo. Motors, launches, brakes, etc., for taking the wounded about cost something less than '£looo, and newspapers cost £424.

CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT.

The actual expenditure of the New Zealand War Contingent Association in the entertaining of soldiers in England lias always been rcmarlcaWy low for tlie value received. This is partly due to the fact that much of the entertaining is done in the Association's own canteens and clubs,, and that tobacco and cigarettes are now obtained in bond instead of being subject to duty of more than 100 .per cent, (as in the earlier months of the war)'. But the low average cost is chiefly due to the generosity of English people and firms. Although the war has been in progress for nearly three years it is still possible without any difficulty to find private hospitality for considerable parties of men ulmos't any day in the week. The London theatres are also remarkably generous. In .Tanuary 128-1 New Zealandere in London went to theatres on tickets distributed by the association, ana of this' number only 80 tickets were paid for, The rest were given by the various theatres. The appointment of Miss Rosemary Bees, the well-known New Zealand actress, to manage the entertainment side, has resulted in considerable saving in this respect owing to her wide connection amongst English theatrical people. She also arranges regular concerts at all the New Zealand hospitals and clubs, and the total cost of these for the mosth of January mas only £32.

IN THE HOSPITALS. The number of New Zealand or s in hospital in England at the end of January was 3240. Of these 320 men and 10 officers were in British hospitals, and' 3014 men and 87 officers were in the different New Zealand hospitals. H)OD PRODUCTION, In sympathy with the general movement in the Old Country, the New Zealanders have made a move towards increasing the food supplies. Long ago the advisability of allowing the men in Walton hospital to cultivate some of the land adjoining was considered', and last summer quite a considerable uantity of kitchen garden produce was raised by the men for their owm amusement. This year there is evidence that the quantity wil) be very much greater. The Hospitality Committee of the New Zealand War Contingent 'Association appointed ■Lady 'Hardwieke, Miss Rees, Mr .T. C. N. .Grigg, Mr 'H. Guthrie-Smith, and' Mr I. W. (Raymond to go into the matter and after several consultations with General Richardson a scheme was brought up and approved. The commanding officer of each unit is to inform headquarters what ground is available for vegetable growing and poultry-keeping, and is to organise the work. Geenral Richardson wishes everything to be done ;by voluntary work, and therefore there wall be no "fatigues." All the produce will belong to 'be military authorities, and will be used primarily by the New "Zealand hospitals and camps. Messrs Cooper & Sons (tilt- Wellington seedsmen) have ■presented x quantity of seed and havo offered £'2o for prizes. The War.Contingent Association wilt receive monthly reports of tho work dono and the produce raised, and it wilt also award the prizes. The financial liability of the association will be limited to a sum of, say, £3OO for the purchase of fowls, and a special doEation of £IOO towards this liability .has been' received from a wellwisher of the scheme, WELL-BEHAVED NEW ZBALANCERS In the report on the Soldiers' Hostel at Russell Square, Mr 'R. H. Nolan (the hon. secretary) remarks that the working accounts show a profit ot about '£Bo. During December and January, the gross takings averaged agout £SO per day. At tho date of the report, 32,000 beds had been booked and only one man during the whole of that time had to be reproved for misconduct, a record, say 3 Mr Nolan, "of which every New Zealander may be proud."