SICK AND WOUNDED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 137, 11 June 1940, Page 6

SICK AND WOUNDED

FUND STILL RISING

QUOTAS EXCEEDED

There is ample evidence that the attainment of the quarter-million pounds in the Sick, Wounded, and Distress Fund appeal has not induced a slackening off in public effort on beVialf of this greatest of all charities. The money is still pouring into the fund at the headquarters of the Joint Council of -the New Zealand Red Cross and Order of St. John, and the £300,000 is now well in sight. Appreciative comment is made by those concerned upon the spontaneity of the effort. Reports from provincial centres show that local fund-raising campaigns are still in operation, e and that quotas originally promised have been exceeded by large amounts. •A splendid response to the appeal by commercial firms was reported today by Mr. J. Abel, hon. Dominion organiser. He had just received a donation of £500 from Dalgety and Co., Ltd., to be credited in equal amounts to the funds of the Auckland, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill committees, and a donation of £125 from Abraham and Williams, Ltd., to be credited to the Palmerston North and Taumarunui committees. He had also received advice from th directors of Wright, Stephenson, and Co., Ltd., to the effect that they were contributing £500, to be divided equally among the eleven committees of the appeal. SIR JAMES ELLIOTT PRAISES RESPONSE. "A magnificent achievement" is how the response to the appeal was described by Sir James Elliott, chairman of the Wellington provincial committee of the Joint Council of the New Zealand Red Cross Society and the Order lof St. John, yesterday. It showed, what the people of New Zealand could do for a worthy cause when they were shown the way, he said. "I can only say that the response simply beggars us of thanks," said Sir James. "The Wellington Province proudly tops the list with a. contribution at present over £70,000. "The claims of the sick, the wounded, and the captive appealed to any heart that is not petrified. It gave everyone an opportunity to d something, however trivial, for the defence forces of this country. Those who could not fight could only give. "The fund also made a special appeal to women and right nobly did they respond. It is almost incredible that the St. John Women's War Committee* could have made more than £2000 in a shop in two or three weeks. Various women's organisations, philanthropic and social, co-operated. Th: Chamber of Commerce, the Business Men's Committee, the Commercial Travellers' Club, and the Rotary Club all gave great assistance in raising the large sum collected in Wellington City. In connection with the work of the organisations mentioned there are many names worthy of i mention. Among these are Messrs. R. H. Nimmo, Charles Todd, E. E. Brooking, Aunand-Smith, C. Meachen, and Miss Lissington." YOUTHS' EFFORT. Examples of youthful efforts are still coming to hand. One of the latest instances is reported from Karqri, where two boys, John Akers and John Wright, aged ten years and eight years respectively, combined in a ten days' drive which culminated in a youthful' "bring-and-buy" sale on Saturday last in a parent's garage. A large part of the stock sold comprised toys, comic papers, and .other possessions dear to youth, but willingly sacrificed. That a successful publicity campaign had been carried out in the district through various juvenile channels is shown by the fact that, as a reward for their enterprise and effort, the two organisers are the proud possessors of a receipt from the Red Cross authorities for £2 2s, the entire proceeds of the drive. RETURNS FROM CENTRES. Returns from centres within the Wellington Province are acknowledged as follows: — Amount previously acknowledged, £58,392 4s Id; Masterton, £416 0s 4d; Pahiatua, £302 5s 4d; Karori, £116 13s; Kelburn, £88 Is 2d; Paremata, £56 19s lOd; Eketahuna, £47 0s 6d; Newtown, £45 0s lid; Wellington, £37 2s; Berhampore, £34 Is lOd; Miramar, £28 6s 7d; Khandallah, £21 13s 2d; Seatoun, £18 4s Id. Total to date, £59,603 12s lOd. • . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Amounts of £25 and more are acknowledged as follows: —Masterton Stock Drive, Dalgety and Co., Ltd., £233 13s 6d; Masterton stock drive, New Zealand Farmers' Co-op. Co., Ltd., £122 17s; Eketahuna, Ernest E. Darlington, £25; Pahiatua sale fat wethers, per N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Co., Ltd., £40 10s; Pahiatua Tui Brewery Co., Ltd., £50; Karori Shop Day, per Misses Jack, Millar, and Martin, £106 Is. COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS. The Wellington Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association announces that its fund now totals £926 10s, including a donation of £26 10s from Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Home and staff of the Pier Hotel.