ALL-TIME RECORD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 91, 17 April 1943, Page 6

ALL-TIME RECORD

POPPY DAY APPEAL

OVER £4000 COLLECTED

The Poppy Day collection in Auckland and its environs yesterday reached the all-time record figure of £4010 6/6, with two returns from Howick and Albany still to come. Their totals last year exceeded £40. The president of the Returned Services Association, Mr. J. W. Kendall, this morning expressed deep satisfaction at the public's response to the appeal. He considered that the continued and increasing support given to succeeding Poppy Days indicated the public's recognition of the fighting men of the Dominion, and also its confidence and satisfaction with the administration of: the Poppy Day funds by the Returned Services' Association in dispensing relief to ex-servicemen and their dependents and comforts to sick and wounded in hospitals. He also spoke in glowing terms of the invaluable services rendered by the different women's organisations in the city, organised by Mrs. Coakley, wife of the deputy-mayor, in view of the illness of the Mayoress, Mrs. Allum, and by the ladies committees of the ex-servicemen s social clubs in the suburbs. The collection benefited from the presence of men of the American forces and it was noticeable that a large number of them wore the crimson emblem of Poppy Day. In the collection was the sum of £7 16/9 in American money, but this does not by any means represent the total contributions by the visitors.

" In Memory of Brother " In yesterday's collection was a foolscap envelope inscribed with the words, "In loving memory of my dear brother," and containing a total of £6 in 4/ postal notes. Also in one box was a cheque for £25 on a Dunedin bank, undated and made payable to order of self. Owing to the signature not being sufficiently legible, the association is unable to thank the donor personally for this handsome donation, and the amount has not been included in the total collection pending the cheque being cleared in Dunedin.

Some of the suburban totals have increased appreciably on last year's figures, indicating the increasing interest being taken by the social clubs, who receive credits from the association in cash, after the usual overhead deductions have been made, enabling the clubs to dispense relief to the returned men and their families and comforts to the sick in their own immediate areas.

The city collection yesterday exceeded £1500 and splendid work was done by the staff of the National Bank which spent the evening counting the returns. This work was deeply appreciated by the association.

Following are the totals reported to the Returned Services' Association headquarters this morning:—•

Takapuna, £190 1/; Devonport, £195; Mount Albert. £191 15/; Ellerslie, £36 2/; Northcote, £61 12/; Birkenhead, £101 5/; Avondale, £71 4/; Mount Wellington and Panmure, £51 6/; Eden-Roskill, £413 10/; Newmarket, £255; Royal Oak, £71 10/; Brown's Bay, £46 3/9; Tamaki, £154; Remuera, £232 14/; Parnell, £175; Grey Lynn, £173 5/; City, £1587 15/9.