UP BY £20,000

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1940, Page 13

UP BY £20,000

PATRrOTIC APPEAL

ORGANISER'S REPORT

THE WEEK'S RETURNS

Latest returns from four of the provincial councils — Auckland, Otago, East Coast, and Marlborough —were not available yesterday afternoon, but, even so, Major ..J. Abel, honorary Dominion organiser of the £1,000,000 all-purposes. patriotic appeal, was able to report an increase of £20,000 since the end of last week, the Dominion total, on the figures to hand, being £387,440. As the date for the conclusion of the first phase of the campaign had now passed, it was only natural to expect a falling-off in the rate, of increase, said Major Abel. The campaign, however, had been planned in two parts so as not to interfere with Christmas and New Year trade. The various provinces would take up the appeal again at varying times in the New Year, according to their requirements and local conditions. Nelson would be early in the field with a big carnival commencing with the New Year holidays. The Wellington metropolitan area, Major Abel continued, was now planning for a big queen carnival, to be held possibly late in January or early in February, in which probably up to six queens would be taking part. Auckland's major activity was also planned for the New Year. It would be appreciated, therefore, that the returns were likely to remain fairly stationary for at least a month, when they should commence to rise again. Major Abel added that he hoped the ultimate goal of £1,000,000 would be reached by April or May, which would be within the time originally allowed. PROVINCIAL, RETURNS. The latest available provincial returns are as follows: — £ Auckland 103,000 Canterbury 72,000 Otago 61,000 Wellington 55,340 Hawke's Bay 35,000 East Coast 23,000 Southland 14,000 Nelson 9,100 Taranaki 6,800 Westland 4,700 Marlborough . 3,500 Total £387,440 The Wellington provincial figures are made up as follows: —London relief, £16,665; Wellington province general purposes (including the Wellington metropolitan area but excluding Palmerston North-Kairanga, Wanganui, and Wairarapa), £10,340; Palmerston North-Kairanga, £13,000; Wairarapa, £10,100; Wanganui, £5235. Among the outstanding events of the week, said Major Abel, was the conclusion of the queen carnival conducted in the Christchurch metropolitan area and its environs and which in four weeks raised approximately £24.000. The winning queen reprel sented the commercial interests. QUOTA WELL PASSED. A still finer effort in Major Abel's opinion, having- regard to the smaller population, was that registered by the southern Hawke's Bay zone, which includes Dannevirke, Woodville, and the surrounding districts. With a view to stimulating interest in this zone, a competition was arranged between the Dannevirke and Woodville districts in the form of a queen carnival.. The Dannevirke district raised £8468 .and the Woodville district £3540, the approximate total being £12,008. This was 50 per cent, over the quota for the zone. Major Abel said he considered that the amount raised in the Wo.odville district was amazing. According to the information supplied to him, although not a single donation exceeded I £25, the average per head of the population raised in the district was £1 6s, and on a household basis the total represented over £6 for each household. The population of Woodville, town and I district, was only 2550. In this ease also | the carnival had not been held for a i long period, between one and two months. It was also worthy of note that the central Hawke's Bay zone (Waipukurau and Waipawa) already had raised over 90 per cent, of its quota of £6500. In Wellington the major feature of the week undoubtedly had been the wonderful result achieved by the Wellington Musical Comedy Company, which produced for patriotic purposes the musical comedy "Rio Rita." The attendances had been remarkably good during the whole season, and the house had been full on the last two nights. Those who had taken part in the production and others associated with it had put in an enormous amount of time and effort gratuitously and had made an outstanding contribution to the patriotic cause. The public had shown their appreciation by their attendance, and the net result would be | that the patriotic appeal would benefit by several hundred pounds. Major Abel said he had no doubt that when the queen carnival was under way in the New Year it would account for a quickening of interest in the Wellington area.