POPPY DAY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 176, 20 April 1940, Page 12

POPPY DAY

Record Collection In Wellington £lBOO SO FAR Seven Returns Still To Be Counted . In the midst of the second major war of the present century, and in spite of the calls on the public purse for patriotic purposes, there is no lessening of interest in the welfare of the Anzacs of 1914-18 judged by the magnificent response to the L’oppy Day appeal in Wellington yesterday. With seven returns outstanding when the count ceased last night it was clear that yesterday's collection would set a new record. By midnight more than £ 1800 was in hand compared with a total collection ia-i year of 788/3/94, which was the highest amount collected up to that period. It is expected that the outstanding returns will bring the total to approximately £2OOO.

At nearly all stands there were increases on tile previous figures. The largest sum. and a record for one stand, was £3OO/2/5 gathered tit tiie intersection of Manners Street, and Cuba Street, which wtis staffed by aide collectors tinder Miss B. Patton. Substantial increases- were also recorded tit tiie following stands: Y.W.G.A., Courtenay Place, railway station, Bank of New 'Zealand. Lambton Quay and Miramar.

Though tiie weatiter was only moderately suitable for a street day, nearly all tiie 66.000 Howers that had been provided had been sold, and in tiie later part of tiie day there were few coats or frocks in the city without bright red poppies, worn for remembrance and to assist tiie Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association to help distressed comrades. The following (tilde shows lite recepits at each stand and by suburban collectors and the corresponding

IN THE PROVINCES

Palmerston North Figures A Record Reports from the provincial districts indicate that, increased Poppy Day sales were general. Sales in Palmerston North were a record —£338, compared with £2IH last year. The secretary of the Ret arm'd Soldiers' Association, Mr. J. W. Ruthi®furd, said last night that the people had responded wonderfully well, and his association wished to express its thanks, not only to those who contributed, but to the army of helpers who had imide such a splendid result possible. Sellers of poppies in Masterton met a phenomenal demand, and by 3 p.m. all available supplies had been sold. The total realized was £lB5/12/-. "The demand has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said the secretary of the Wairarapa branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr. A. E. Prentice. "Had we had another 1060 poppies we could have sold them easily in Mastertoil alone. We bad an idea that sales might prove a little ditlieult because of the number of other calls on the public purse for patriotic purposes, but these forebodings have not been realized. The public rushed them, and they did not coniine themselves to paying I/- for their poppies either. One purchaser, who prefers to remain anonymous, paid £5 for his poppy, ami another paid £l.” Willi several country collections still to come in, the amount raised bv the Poppy Day appeal in Pahiatua is approximately £4O. This sum exceeds lasi year's collection. In Eketahuna sales ' were a fifth better than last year. The total raised was in the vicinity of £26. DUNEDIN COLLECTION (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, April 19. 'l'he annual Poppy Day collection in Dunedin realized £1542/9/8, an increase of £9B/13/6 over the record amount collected last year. There are still several amounts to come to hand. AUCKLAND RETURNS <By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. April 19. Returned soldiers’ funds will benefit by more than £2224 as the result of the Poppy Day appeal. With four returns to come. last, year’s record total of £2229 will be exceeded. <

figures last year:— 19-10. iii.'it.i. Stand. ‘J s <1. s. d. Bowen Street ns -i i 115 .16 9 W.A BIS 11 9 128 »■» - 4 (I.I’.O 93 11 10 79 10 10 Kirkcaldie Stains ST I 4 70 11 Y.W.U.A 109 2 51 ,) 1 15 p Bank .X.Z., Cuba St. 300 •_» . i 2S1 19 5 A (.'uiirtenay Blare ... 101 II I 1 i:i 18 8 Kelbiiru Car 58 11 11 (». ► 15 3A Railway Station ... Bank X.Z.. Lambtoii 71 15 111 28 u 9 Quay Hill 1 11 ins 9 ( Hutt Valley 162 8 111 9 9 Porirua - 1 S 4 .10 Upper Hutt —— —•I Easi bourne 31 4 4'. • > 1 4 (> I’a ra pa ran m 11 — 11 11 (i — 10 (.1 Brooklyn 53 13 1111 1 s 10 Jia tai lai (l ,hi 0 4 •< Island Bay 21 0 1) ■'S 8 2 Karori 41 7 1 1 o' Kiiblrnie U6 7 60 11 J Johnsonville ...... IS 1. U 13 14 •TA Mira ma r 30 1 3 IS is .X'gaio 27 13 1 (' A 20 1 * 9 Seaioiin 211 . > 10 _•> 16 11 Rosi'iiealh 17 19 s.. IS 17 10 Xgaio 27 13 liH 20 9 (Mlicc 1 .12 0 i 4 Business firms .... —. 127 11 4 Schools and Colleges —. 29 10 0 Upper Hutt — • 10