CHRISTMAS CHEER

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 70, 15 December 1928, Page 29

CHRISTMAS CHEER

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS PLAY SANTA CLAUS ROUND THE ORPHANAGES For the past eight years the Wellington Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen’s Association have made special appeals to the citizens to brighten the lives of the children in hospitals and orphanages, and this year they have been at work as usual. Yesterday a party from the associa tion, comprising Messrs. A. Jacobs (president), R. Berry, L. McKelvie, and i J. Bradshaw, made a round of the following orphanages, and distributed cheques for Christmas cheer as follow :—Salvation Army Girls’ Home, £4O; Salvation Army Boys’ Home, £4O; Presbyterian Girls’ Home, £4O; Presbyterian Boys’ Home, £4O; Children’s Hospital, £5O; Home of Compassion, £5O; Levin Memorial Home, £l5; Anglican Girls’ Home, £35; Anglican Boys' Home, £35; St. Joseph’s Orphanage, £25; “Stop Out” Club, £35; Citizens’ Day Nursery, £10; District Nursing Guild of St. John, £l5; Residential Nursery’, £10; St. Barnabas Home, £l5 ; Porirua Mental Hospital, £l5; Convent of Mercy, £5; Child Welfare Branch, Education Department, £10; Boys’ Institute, £5; Mount Cook Infants’ School, £10; Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Blind Soldiers’ and Sailors Fund, £2OO. Stop Out Club. The first institution called at was the Stop Out Club, run by the Rev. T. Fielden Taylor as part of the activities of St. Peter’s Mission. Here he was found in the midst of his youthful charges (he has as many as 400 boys under him), and he explained to the president of the Commercial Travellers’ Club that he intended to take his young charges into camp at Otaki during the Christmas holidays. Home of Compassion. The visitors were received at the Home of Compassion by the Rev. Mother Cecilia and Sister Clothilde, .who thanked the travellers for once again having remembered the home. An inspection of the institution revealed what a splendid service for humanity tbc Home of Compassion is rendering. The nursery was a picture. There were literally baskets of the healthiest-looking babies. A pair of twins, brother and sister, as like as two peas, ■ shared a basket with two other chubby cherubins. Tiny mites, twentyfive in all, had neat little beds all to themselves, and all appeared the very picture of health. There were 33 girls, from tw’o to 14 years of age, and 30 boys, ranging in years from two to twelve. In the incurable wards were found thirteen girls and the same number of boys, whose Jot were being blessed by the tender care of the sisters. The same could be said of the ward for women suffering from chronic complaints. the oldest member of this community being 84. In the surgical ward were seventeen beds.

Presbyterian Boys’ Home. The next place visited was the Presbyterian Boys’ Home at Berhampore. Here Mr. F. K. Martin was in charge, but the majority of his boys were at school. Mr. Martin explained that he had 39 boys under him at the senior home and 22 in the junior home, the ages ranging from four to 18.

Levin Memorial Home. The Levin Memorial Home at Berhanr

pore, founded in 1893 by a grant of £142 from the trustees of the Levin Estate, was the next institution called at. Tbe matron (Miss M. Wilson) is at present on sick leave, and Miss Howell received the visitors and conducted them over the institution. Twenty-six girls, well nourished and cared for, were found to be very happy in their pleasant surroundings. Salvation Army Girls’ Home. Ensign Porter received the callers at the Salvation Army Girls’ Home, in Arne Street, at Newtown, and proudly displayed her 44 young charges, all of whom were splendidly developed, and appeared as if they were nourished on physical culture. The senior girls sang for the visitors, and excellent harmony they showed, too. Mr. Jacobs, in addition to the cheque he handed over to Ensign Porter for the Girls’ Home, asked that officer to forward a cheque for a similar amount to Colonel Simpson, officer in charge of tbe Salvation Army Boys’ Home, which has been shifted out to Wallace ville. Children’s Hospital. The Commercial Travellers’ delegation was received at the Wellington Hospital by the new Lady Superintendent (Matron Cookson), who thanked her visitors for the kindly interest they had for so long taken in the welfare of the little folk. A visit to the various children's wards followed, and revealed the system and thoroughness of modern hospital management. Eight girls and nine boys were found in' the children’s ward, including Dicky, a little Moriori, from the Chatham Islands. Twenty boys and six girls were discovered in the surgical ward, and a number in the infantile paralysis department. Tjie feature of the nursery were healthy triplets, who grew in beauty side by side. The nursery is run on Plunket lines, each baby having its own bottle, and each infant having the exact strength of milk prepared for its particular needs. Day Nursery. The last call of the day was made at the Residential Day Nursery, in Kent Terrace, where Mrs. Ivory was found in charge of thirty boys and girls of all sorts and sizes. The youngsters have all to be washed and put to sleep during some part of the day, and with only one nurse to assist her, the matron explained that this was no light task. . it each of the institutions visited, Mr. Jacobs explained that the Commercial Travellers’ Association were hopetui ol establishing permanent funds for Christmas cheer for the orphanages. At present they had to rely upon the public, but were hopeful that a sufficient number of people would agree to subscribe a definite sum each year, which would enable larger cheques to be handed over to the institutions.