POPPY DAY COLLECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 95, 22 April 1924, Page 9

POPPY DAY COLLECTION.

■■ m H C EMBLEMS INSTEAD OF POPPIES U-CFORTTJNATE MISUNDERSTANDING. An unfortunate position has arisen between the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association and the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association as a result of which the headquarters -at Wellington have refused to supply Auckland with any poppies for Poppy Day, which falls oh Thursday. The Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, explained this morning that he had telegraphed to the R.SA. headquarters in Wellington, but they declined 10. supply poppies other than on condition that the receipts were allocated in accordance with their decision, under which a substantial proportion would "be appropriated" for the pu pose of ; the Association. "This," remarked the Mayor, "the Auckland Asscciation quite properly resisted, and the City Council has approved the proposal of the Auckland R.S.A. to. allocate the proceeds of the collection on Thursday in the proportion of 5 per cent to French war widows, 25 per cent to the Veterans' Home, and 70 per cent to the relief of unemployed returned soldiers during the winter. This unfortunate position meanß that badges will be sold with the emblem of a poppy on them instead of the poppies sold in previous years, and it is hoped that all will wear their badge on Anzac Day. In future the situation that has arisen will be avoided by Auckland importing- poppies direct from France. The present misunderstanding is, however, most unfortunate, and cannot fail to impair the hitherto good relationship between the' Auckland branch of the' R.SA. and headquarters."