First Aid on the N. Z. R.
Immediate and Enthusiastic Response to Board's Proposals.
Over One Thousand Enrolments in First Month.

That New Zealand railwaymen fully realise the need for knowledge of ambulance work and the advantage of being personally qualified to render first aid, is strikingly indicated by the success attending the Board's recently announced programme for instruction in ambulance work throughout the Service.

The question whether an employee shall or shall not go through a course of instruction in this humanitarian work, is quite optional with himself. The attendance at classes must be arranged in his own time, and proficiency can be obtained only by practice and study. On the other hand the Department pays all fees, supplies instruction books free, and provides all the equipment necessary—an excellent example of co-operative effort for personal, service, and public benefit.

So immediate has the appreciation of members been that in the first month, and in spite of the fact that some of the big southern centres have not yet been touched, an enrolment of over 1,000 has been made.

Sufficient ambulance equipment (in the form of splints, bandages, text books and attendance books) has already been supplied to the classes in 19 centres to enable a start to be made. The movement is already well established at Auckland, Frankton Junction, Ohakune Junction, Palmerston North and Lyttelton where classes are actually under way. In the bigger centres it is the practice to have each lecture delivered two or three times so that every member may have the opportunity to attend.

Mr. E. F. S. Grant, the organiser, has addressed meetings at Balclutha, Palmerston, Ashburton, Clinton, Westport, Greymouth, Otira, at Maintenance Shops at Addington and Hillside, and there is every prospect of classes being established in these centres.

The movement has been so enthusiastically received and has grown to large dimensions so rapidly that the Department is experiencing considerably difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply of text books, etc., with which to equip the classes.

The success of the scheme is in no small measure due to the assistance received from the various branches of the St. John Ambulance Association in New Zealand, the officers of which have been only too pleased at any time to supply helpful information.

The thanks of the Department are also due to the District Superintendents of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas who are co-operating with the secretaries of the various Railway classes and rendering valuable assistance in placing the classes on a satisfactory footing.

As a result of Mr. Grant's organising efforts, Railway ambulance classes have already been formed or are in process of formation at the following Railway centres throughout the Dominion:—

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