FOR THE WOUNDED.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1917, Page 7

FOR THE WOUNDED.

NEW ZEALAND WAT* CONTINGENT ASSOCIATION. (By a Special Correspondent.) Lndnn. Juno 29. The New Zealand War Contingent Association is constantly receiving requests from units an<" Mining eump., uir grants for the ,i welfare of men who are fit. A: lis last meeting two stieh in particular came forward, one f<>- i grant to the Sportsfund at the Con -mml depot at Codford, and another for n grant towards a regimental hand at a trftining depot. As a general rule the funds of the Association are ear-market! for the benefit of sick and wounded, and such applications as these can only <be entertained if there is money on hand not so earmarked. This was tho case as regards the sports fund to which £SO was granted, but tlip regimental band did not appear to Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson to be an essential object, and as funds which arc available for fit. men are very limited fhe application could not be granted. The opinion has been expressed ' ver and over again at the Association that a great deal of money should be available for the social welfore of fit men. Under the present arrangement the mr.n who is fortunate enough to go through the whole campaign without being wounded at all might be entirely disqualified from receiving any of the entertainment which is provided so liberally for 'wounded and convalescent. WOUNDED IN ENGLAND. The number of New Zealanders in hospital in England at the end of May was, roughly, 3000, of whom 200 were in British hospitals and the balance in New Zealand Military Hospitals. Siwe then. of course, the casualties resulting from the capture of Messines. which foitt'nately have been small compared with the object achieved, have added considerably to the numbers. RATLWAY BUFFETS.

New Zealand soldiers are very well provided for in respect to buffets and canteens at all their camps and hospitals, and this expense falls entirely on funds raised in New Zealand and sent to the New Zealand War Contingent Association, and the Y.M.O.A. Generally speaking although the charges are very low the canteens are more or less self-supporting, but there has lately been a considerable falling off, owing partly to the reduced number of men in hospitals and camps, and partly to the food restrictions. New Zealand soldiers travelling from point to point in Kngland are invariably fed free, or almost free, buffets at railway station* and other rendezvous Mo9t of the-o are. run by voluntary effort out of funds subscribed by the British public and different organisations, but oversea soldiers enjoy benefits on equal terms with British. It ha? been the policy of the New Zealand War Contingent Association, whenever an application is made on behalf of one of these buffets, to ascertain definitely to what extent the institution is made use of by New Zealand soldiers and to make a small inoney igr&nt accordingly. It is felt that,where .our men are regularly receiving benefits from institutions of this kind, the New ■Zealand public would naturally wish to recognise the tact in this way. SOLDIERS' CLUBS. The value of soldiers' clubs in NewZealand is somewhat less than it is in England, for the double reason tfyat the mm are away from home and their own people, and that the climate, in the winter is so much more inclement. This has been fully recognised both by the War Office and by the G.O.G. in the ITni+ed1 T ni+ed Kingdom (General Richardson): and the clubs committee of the New Zea land War Contingent Association has had every encouragement in this branch of its activities. The committee, which was at first under the chairmanship of Mr. J. C. N. Grigo; (Lonpboach) and is now under Mr. R. M. Macdonald (Christchurch) has erected suitable clubs at all of the principal camps and hospitals where New Zealand soldiers are stationed. This has been a very considerable undertaking, involving an expenditure on buildings of more than £IO,OOO altogether, inclusive of equipment. The principal item of expenditure was at the convalescent camp at Hornehur«h, where obviously special measures were i nccps.-taTy. Alonsnide of the War Contingent Association are tiie Y.ivlX'.A. I cluhs, so that altogether the New Zea- I land soldiers are very weli looked after. The capital expenditure, averaged over all the men who have uted and will use the clubs, is a very modest charge in view of the social advantage they receive. A certain amount of it moreover will be recouped at the end of the war by the sale of the club buildings and equipment. THEATRE TICKETS. During the last ten months the managers of London theatres have placed more tJhan 10,000 free tickets at the disposal of the New Zealand War Contingent Association for the benefit of New Zealand soldiers. Last month 759 tickets for performances were distributed by the Association to wounded men, and only 48 of these were purchased, at a cost of £3 lis. The executive, at its last meeting, passed a resolution acknowledging the generosity of the managers. TRATNTNG DISABLED MEN. At the suggestion of "Brigadier-General G. « Richardson the New Zealand War Contingent Association is going ahead with a scheme for the training of men who are disabled and who are concentrated at Oatlands Hospital awaiting equipment with artificial limbs. As a measure or preparation for the industrial war after peace, France and Belgium have thrown themselves vigorously into such training, and the results achieved have been so remarkable that South Africa and Canada have followed then; example. When the matter 'was first mooted to the New Zealand soldiers there was a certain amount of very natural misgiving as to the way in which the training would affect the granting of pensions. Some of them feared that if at this stage they learned trades which would enable them to supplement their Incomes, the scale of pension which they ■would be granted would be reduced accordingly. After several discussions, and the assurance that they would not be penalised in this way, they took a more friendly attitude, and it is now expected to start the workshops with forty men, who have formed their own local committee with chairman and secretary. Equipment and instructors will be pro/ided for the purpose of teaching shorthand, type-writing, book-keeping, saddlery carpentry, boot-making, etc., and electrical switch-board work. It is General Richardson's idea that men wlr wish for a thorough training in mechanical motor work, electricity, et« 4 >sltt' v

be attached to well-known 'works in the ■Midknds where they will get a .proper experience and grounding. This should 4»o easily possible now while Britiah industries are so busily employed, and the •great advantage of instructing men before the war ends will be that they will be ready for civil life the moment they are demobilised.