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MG 1 vol 2124 number 117a

HALIFAX DISASTER RECORD OFFICE
Archibald MacMechan, F.R.S.C.
Director
Halifax, N.S.

home fixing things up. On Saturday she went to the Y.M.C.A. and was given charge of the kitchen for a time to relieve the other ladies who had been working there. Worked very hard there. On Sunday she began work with the Relief people and has been with them ever since. Helped with the registration of sufferers at first and began visiting as soon as the Committee could get things going.
Miss Bell feels that the great need at that time and since was for trained workers. Many local workers went at the thing enthusiastically and with a keen desire to help, but she feels that, [inspit] in spite of the antagonism which exists in Halifax towards trained social service workers, if a strong corps of such men and women, say three times as many as there were, had been available, much of the trouble that arose would have been avoided. Miss B. says a high tribute is due to the visiting workers. She worked with them for five months at the least and she never saw one of them lose their temper or become inefficient through [fa] fatigue, as many of the local helpers did. “No one who has not worked for a long time with those wonderful women can realize how invaluable they were.”
“Things would have been better with a strong central executive and a sufficient number of trained social service workers”.

MG 1 vol 2124 number 117a [written at top of page]