POPULAR POSTMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 172, 24 July 1933, Page 3

POPULAR POSTMEN.

GIFTS FOR CHARITY.

RESPONSE IN WELLINGTON

FIFTEEN THOUSAND PARCELS

(By Telegraph.--Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day

Wellington postmen devoted their usual Saturday half-holiday to a charity drive in emulation of their Christchiuoh colleagues. Seventy men braved a howling southerly and heavy rain to make a collection throughout the city and suburbs of any articles which will be of value in relieving poverty. The "Smith Family" and the inter-church relief committees will make distribution. The public response ';tiite overwhelmed the postmen, who were obliged to leave piles of goods in suburbs cached for a later opportunity of bringing them to the central depot, where already there are 15,000 separate parcels. The variety of gifts is extraordinary. Besides home-made preserves and other foodstuffs, the postmen brought in clothing, bedsteads, mattresses, perambulators, gas cookers and sewing machines. The postmen, who made free with their shrill whistles, laughed at the adverse weather, explaining not only that they were quite used to it, but also that it was keeping people at home. Collecting boxes provided an alternative to gift parcels, and a preliminary survey shows that over £100 in essli was collected. The success of the drive is regarded by postmen as a further indication of their good relations with the public.