DISPENSING JOY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 148, 19 December 1929, Page 11

DISPENSING JOY

C.T. CHRISTMAS BOXES

FOR ORPHANAGES AND HOMES

Father Christmas,;about this time' of year, adopts many, guises, and' is extraordinarily übiquitous. Undoubtedly one of his most, popular peregrinations iff when, every "year about".'a week beforo Christmas, he adopts the disguise of a Wellington' commercial traveller in order to" distribute the funds which the commercial traveller's have collected from, a-generous public. Keindecr and a sleigh - being too slow, a means of progress in these days, let alone the fact that Wellington does not have the requisite snow at this tim.o. of. year (althoughvthe temperature this morning seemed to be veering towards the snow .point in spite of the fact that it is nominally summer, "and not far off the longest day), hcahd his satellites did their annual Tound this morning in ■•o-to-date motor-cars.

Possibly the children would have preferred to see an orthodox red-robed Father Christinas come down.the- chimney in the time-honoured fashion, accompanied by a bevy of fairies, but the half-dozen or so stalwart commercial travellers in ordinary business attire made splendid substitutes (even if somewhat substantial ones as regards the fairies), and their more prosaic entrances through the doorways were equally welcome, seeing that they brought with them substantial cheques. These, when wisely expended by those in charge of each institution, will make sure that those boys and girls to whom perhaps- tho world has not been too kind, -enjoy as many of the delights of tho festive season as fall to the lot of their more fortunate brothers and sisters.

This year's round was not such- a formidable affair as those of past years. The number of institutions on the list has grown.to such dimensions that a personal visit to each has become too big an undertaking, so to the majority cheques have been posted, but will be none the less welcome for that. Visits were paid this morning only to tho Levin Memorial Home, the Home of Compassion, and the Wellington Hospital. A littlo bird must havo got wind of the affair and whispered it abroad, for thevisits to these- places did not seem altogether unexpected. A hearty wclcoino was given to the visitors at each. Mr.-W. Hustler-Smith, in the absence through illness of Mr. A. Jacobs, in a neat speech, briefly "explained the object of tho visit. This being done and the cheque having been handed over, the callers were only too pleased to make "an inspection of the institution. After tho tour there were no two minds about the' tender and generous caro lavished upon the children in Wellington's homes and -institutions. Tiny tots and children of more advanced years, both: boys "and girls, all looked the picture of health, and were obviously in the best of spirits, and the tour of Father Christmas finished with the: feeling in all the.participants that it had been a most pleasurable experiences. Certainly the recipients of the commercial travellers' generosity thought so, for the potent' pieces of paper left bphind solved many a pressing problem as to how the "children should be entertained at this season of joy." ....

The proceeds of the recently held "joy night" were what the commercial travellers distributed this morning and amounted1 to £675. In allotting this money an alteration has been made. ' It has been the aim this year to allot the money available on a more equitable basis than, heretofore, the populations of the various institutions being- taken into account as far as.possible. The following is the list of all the institutions which receiveda share of the £675, £200 of which .was donated to the Blind Soldiers' and Sailors' Fund:—- . '

Wellington Boys' Institute;- Presbyterian Orphanages,. St. Thomas's School, :INax. Nai; Anglican Boys-Home, Lower Hutt; Salvation Army Boys? Home;: St Jeter's Mission; St.: Barnabas Babies' Home, Khandallah; St.: Marys-Home Karon; Levin Memo-rial Home- Porirua Mental Hospital; Child Welfare Branch, Education Department; Residential Nursery;. St. Joseph's Orphanage; Upper Hutt; Home of Compassion; Salvation, Army Girls; Mount Cook School (defective children); Citizens' Day Nursery; District Nursing GuildConvent of Mercy; Maearthy Home' and Wellington Hospital Board