NEARLY HALF-WAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 27, 1 February 1941, Page 13

NEARLY HALF-WAY

PATRIOTIC APPEAL

THE £1,000,000 CAMPAIGN

LATEST RETURNS

Although in the majority of the 11 patriotic provinces in New Zealand there had been a natural slackening off in collections over the Christmas and New Year period, stated Major J. Abel, honorary organiser of the £ 1,000,000 All Purposes Appeal, on the other hand some of the smaller provinces had gone ahead most actively to raise their quota, using the holiday period from Boxing Day onwards and the holiday spirit prevailing and the summer weather .as an opportunity too good to be missed. Major Abel said that the total funds in hand this week were £452,000, which was just short, lof the half-way mark. The. province totals were as follows:—Auckland, £122,000; Canterbury, £81,000; Otago, £67,000; Wellington, £65,000; Hawke's Bay, £41,000; East Coast, £22,500; Southland, £16,200; Nelson, £14,600; Taranaki, £11,000; Marlborough, £6400; Westland, £5300.

The Wellington provincial funds are [made up as follows: —Earmarked for London Relief, £16,700; Palmerston North-Kairangi zone, £14,600; Wai-rarapa-Masterton zone, £12,000; Wanganui, £9100. The balance of the funds come in from the smaller zones in the province. . STEADY WEEKLY INCREASE.

In the five weeks since the last report the national figures have gone up over £40,000, that is, at the rate of approximately £8000 every week. In the next three months, said Major Abel, when it was hoped that, with the exclusion of the Auckland Metropolitan appeal, the major appeals would conclude by the end of April, New Zealand must increase the patriotic funds fourfold to complete the raising % of £1,000,000.

Giving a brief outline of the major activities being held at the present time, Major Abel said that Wellington was well on the way with its Victory, Queen Carnival to raise its quota of £100,000 for the metropolitan area, which included all the suburbs and the Hutt Valley. TaranakL had this week initiated a moister queen carnival, and he had no doubts that the quota there would be reached. Nelson was at present conducting a queen carnival, and the authorities constantly advised him that their —objective of £12,000 would be raised by this effort. It was their Anniversary Day today and the Air Force Band was there to help them. Auckland was taking a long period to organise thoroughly a monster queen carnival, which would be run on' slightly different lines, to raise £127,000 in the metropolitan area. He was personally confident that they would achieve their quota of over £250,000 as they had practically half of it already in hand and their major effort had yet to be undertaken. This would not commence until April 1.

Palmerston .North-Kairanga, with £14,600 in hand, needed only £1400 to obtain their quota.