OTAGO WOMEN'S PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 16280, 24 November 1916, Page 6

OTAGO WOMEN'S PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

Small cases are very urgently needed for the packing of the, December Dominion Petrol cases and those a little longer in size are the most useful. There are men workers at the Early Settlers' Hall who will repair any that "may be a little damaged. Two hundred cases are required, and at tiic present time there are only about 100 in stock. Balaclavas are also needed for the December troopship kits, and the committee would he obliged if any ladies who have any finished will bring them to the hall as soon as possible. Wool is available for balaclava.-, and cutout work ready for any ladies who would like to do some work for the soldiers in their own homes. The committee would like all finished work to be returned to the hall as early in December as possible, on account, of the hall being dosed for a ■diort time during Christmas. The Ft. Glair branch (.Miss Stenhouse, lion, sec.) is making arrangements for afternoon tea at the Art Gallery next Wednesday, and donations of cakes, scones, and sweets will be gratefully received. Thanks are due to Messrs W. Scoular and Co., Rattray ami Co., and Neill and Co. for donations of cases for the Dominion parcels. Donations.—•Dominion gift parcel- fund : Miss Bagshaw, Kokonga School children (per Mrs Thomas), teacher and pupils I Findon Railway School, young ladies of Herbert, Hayn'es, and Co., Mrs YVillstone, Roxburgh branch W.P.A. Patriotic fund : Miss Bagshaw. Green Island branch W.P.A. for Belgians. The Balcluilia people have done well in the matter of the Christmas gift fund, £lO6 having J u , on rn j scc i j n the district. The Clutlia people have decided to equip and maintain a Y.M.C.A. hutment until the conclusion of the war. Kaitangata School sends us £1 Is 6d, fortnightly eontiibution to the Belgian children's fund. Owing to the heavy rain it lias been decided to postpone the. Port Chalmers Bed Cross fete for a week. The president of the North Canterbury Methodist Conference (Rev. A. ('. Lawrv) stated that probably from 80 to 90 per cent, of the. eligible young men had gone to the front, and that not less than 9 per cent, of the men who had volunteered were Methodists. Though the Government did not keep reliable records, he had made inquiries, and he found that the percentage of Methodists on seven Iran-ports averaged 9 per cent., thotugh it often happened that Methodists were entered as belonging to other churches. [The cable ii"\vs in this issue accredited to Mile Times ' has appeared in that journal, but only where expressly stated is such news the editorial opinion of ' The Times.']