£1105 RAISED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 16

£llOs RAISED

ROTARY CLUB'S APPEAL GENEROUS RESPONSE OF PUBLIC PREPARING TO DISTRIBUTE HAMPERS The generosity of the people of Christchurch was again demonstrated yesterday by the response to 'he street appeal of the Rotary Club for funds to provide Christmas hampers for needy families. In all £770 was taken through the collection boxes, and the grand total of Ihe funds so far received— including the subscriptions and donations sent to the office of the club, and the taking of the concerts already held—amounts to £llOs 10s Id. The takings in the streets fell short by £215 of the takings last year, and the grand total was £270 less than last year's. However, the band concert in the Hospital grounds on Sunday afternoon is expected to augment the funds considerably, although at least £IOO more is needed if the club is not to be out of pocket for the 1158 hampers it has already ordered. The Club's Thanks The president of the club, Mr J. Mawson Stewart, said last evening that the smaller response to the Street appeal arose probably from the belief that distress was not so great as it had been. The club was very well satisfied with the result of the effort, and it proposed to deliver 1158 hampers at an average cost of 20s, including meat and bread. In its distribution it particularly endeavoured to help families in which either the father or the mother was ill. The public was to be thanked for its generosity. The following table compares the money received this year -from the different sources with the amounts received last year:—

1933. 1934. £ £ Street collection .. 985 770 Subscriptions from members and others .. 325 280 Concerts .. 65 55 Totals .. 1375 1105 For a full comparison the amount taken at the band concert will have to be added to this year's total. Collectors at Work From an early hour collectors were in the streets, the iirst shift—from 7.45 a.m. to 9 a.m.—being imcd to catch those who went earliest to work. This first shift included 75 collectors, and thereafter for each of the two-hour periods of duty the numbers on the streets were 61, 64, 49, 51, 30, and 27, making a total for the whole day of 357 collectors. The average contents of the boxes was £2 4s. The box containing the largest sum was returned by Mrs .T. S. Kelly, with £l9 10s. Though to some of the collectors it appeared that many persons were jiving smaller amounts than last year, the indicator in front of the tent in the Cathedral grounds mounted rapidly, and at 2 p.m. showed £SOO. This amount swelled to £750 by 3 p.m., including the subscriptions and donations.

Multitude of Coins Some might have said that not much was to be done after 6 p.m., but the continuation of the collection after that hour was thoroughly justified. Many people came into the city for the first time in the evening, and the Friday night shopping throng was generous. A touch of gaiety was given the proceedings by a concert from the balcony of the United Service Hotel by members of the Commercial Travellers' Association choir, who were dressed as nigger minstrels.

In the Harbour Board's office voluntary tellers and other officials kept a check on the takings. The following table compares the number of coins of different denominations received in the boxes:—

1933. 1934. Halfpennies .. 1,934 2,400 Pennies .. 10,932 7,200 Threepences .. 12,185 8,700 Sixpences .. 10.280 8,200 Shillings .. 3,210 3,400 Florins .. 1,300 800 Half-crowns .. 816 500 Ten-shilling notes 50 29 w ound notes .. 35 28 Five-pound notes 6 1

Packing the Hampers

The hampers will be packed this afternoon by members of the Rotary Club at the packing depot established in Lichfield street. As packers the Rotarians of Christchurch have established a name for themselves, and each year the chain system they use becomes more and more efficient. On Monday morning the hampers will be delivered, cars and lorries lent for the occasion being used for this purpose. Each delivery agent—a member or friend of the club—is required to have the hampers signed for, and when he returns to the depot there is a complete check-up to ensure that no family is overlooked, and that none receives a double issue.

At the conclusion of the counting last evening Mr Stewart expressed the thanks of the club to all who had assisted in the appeal.

DEPARTURE FROM GISBORNE (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) GISBORNE, December 21. The Duke of Gloucester departed from Gisborne for Opotiki and Rotorua at 10 a.m., receiving a rousing farewell from a large crowd. After the Maori reception at Rotorua on Saturday, the Duke will return to the Grand Hotel and proceed to the civic reception and thence to the model Maori village. The afternoon will be free. On Sunday, after going to church service, his Royal Highness will lunch at the Wairakei Hotel and visit the Geyser Valley and the Kerapiti blowhole. From 4 p.m. onward he will fish in the Waikato river.