ROTARY CLUB'S HAMPERS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19818, 4 January 1930, Page 16

ROTARY CLUB'S HAMPERS.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE PEESS. Sir,—The action of the Rotary Club in collecting funfis and in supplying hampers on Christmas Eve to the poor of our City is much to be commended, and Ft was fine to know that in all homes there was an abundance of food. It seems to me, however, that the placing of the orders ior these hampers was open to some criticism. I think you will find it a fact that, during the year the poorer of our City depend on the smaller and suburban grocer to supply their needs in this line, m most cases asking for and getting, weekly, fortnightly, and even monthly credit, as best suits the wageearner. This last year has been the leanest on record ior the small grocer, on account of the cutting of prices by Kg Cuy firms which the small grocer has been compelled to follow; yet when a chance came along for the small man to get a good cash order, he found it lianded on to the big City stores. Would it not bo fair, it, m future, the orders for those grocery hampers were placed with those .shopkeepers who, during the year, stand by these poorer people, sometimes even at a loss?— ONE 5 ' OF""' THCX<F. DISAPPOINTED. January Ist. 1930. rWhcn this complaint was brought before him, Mr Denys Iloare, Rotary' s secretarv, explained that most of the orders were placed with one firm, very largely to suit the convenience of delivery, as the whole of the packing of these" hampers had to be: undertaken bv members of the Rotary Club themselves on the Saturday preceding Christmas. The members had then to assemble again with their cars on Christmas Eve to pick up the hampers and deliver over a wide radius. If the hampers had had to be picked up at suburban storej the loss of time would have oeen considerable.]