MEN IN ACTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 197, 20 August 1943, Page 4

MEN IN ACTION

COLLECTORS IN CITY

ENCOURAGING RESPONSE

"The people with a smile—they're the ones," said a well-known business man this morning, theorising on the best givers. A moment later he was putting theory into practise. Other collectors in to-day's "It's Up to you' 'patriotic effort, had formed a quick appraisement of the public. One seventy-year-old gentleman thought the women must have some special technique. He didn't. think their past achievements would be eclipsed. It was "a bit tough" on the old fellows, he thought—different for the younger men. Other collectors were not so despondent. "Of course we'll beat them," said one emphatically.

One collector gave his enthusiastic opinion of the ideal giver. In this case, it was an elderly man making his way down Queen Street and stopping at each stall to insert a shilling, the number of white slips in his hand mounting. If only everyone were like that, he sighed. Still, the response was encouraging and the first feelings of nervousness were rapidly lost.

There was no nervousness about the University students on the Victoria Street corner. In the usual Hongi Club manner, they were attired in the most impossible finery —a suit of army-style underwear, women's dresses, and tattered overalls. On their stall were splashed such epigrams as "Grin and Bear It" and "Men Only."

It was not known at noon to-day to what extent the patriotic funds will benefit, but Mr. S E. Langstone, secretary-manager of the St. John Ambulance Association and supervisor of the appeal, said that things were going very well. Results would be known about 10 o'clock this evening when tellers in the Commercial Bank of Australia, together with their manager, will have finished their task of counting up the proceeds.