WOMEN’S WAR EFFORT

Evening Star, Issue 23915, 19 June 1941, Page 2

WOMEN’S WAR EFFORT

FINE WORK OF ST. KILDA GUILD GOODS FDR BOMBED AREAS “ The work of the guild shows that the community at large is still alive to the necessity for the effort and service which are part of our lives,” said Mr J. W. Dove, chairman of the Otago Hospital Board, when commenting at the Coronation Hall yesterday afternoon on the lino display of goods that had been made up by members of the St. Kilda branch of the New Zealand Lady Galway Guild from old garments or scraps of material for despatch to the bombed areas and air raid shelters in Great Britain.

The exhibition of work yesterday afternoon served a double purpose. It showed strikingly to what good purpose can be put materials and clothes, sometimes regarded as waste, and also afforded the guild the opportunity of making an urgent appeal for more'ma-

terial with which to carry on the good work it is doing. The work represents a fine voluntary effort on the part of 40 or 50 St. Kilda housewives who attend at the St. Kilda Council Chambers every Wednesday from 10 to 12 and 2 to 4, and the variety of goods that has been made up is surprising. The branch was one of the first in New Zealand to start making quilts for air raid shelters, and some fine samples were on show yesterday afternoon. Nothing is wasted. Torn patches of material which are usable are cut down and eventually joined together and made into quilts. So long as the materials are clean, the guild can make use of them. Boys’ trousers are made up from old garments, girls’ frocks, coats, and skirts ejro also prepared, and some very neat outfits to gladden the hearts of many a mother and youngster in the Old Country have been assembled. Some very dainty frocks have been made from old costumes, and girls’ knitted outfits have been made from ladies’ cardigans. Scraps which have been given by various firms have all been put to good use. An intriguing exhibit at yesterday's display was a stall stocked with toys made from various materials such as felt and cloth, skilful and clever work

being shown here. It is felt that when packages are being made up, the provision of this class of toy for youngsters should not be overlooked if possible, especially when they are made from waste materials. The president of the St. Kilda branch of the Lady Galway Guild is the Mayoress of St. Kilda (Mrs N. D. Anderson), and the secretary is Mrs A. llayner. The information was given by them to a reporter yesterday that although the work has been in operation only since last July, already 16 big cases of made-up goods have been despatched by the guild, members of which express the keenest appreciation of the facilities placed qt their disposal by the St. Kilda Borough Council. The main difficulty- experienced has been a lack of material, the principal requirement being woollen material, suitable for making down into frocks, parts of quilts, or bed mats. The Mayor of St. Kilda (Mr N. D. Anderson), at the display yesterday expressed the appreciation of the people of St. Kilda to the ladies of the guild for the work they were doing. The guild was entirely self-supporting, and he appealed for any garments or materials suitable for making into clothes. They could be left at the St. Kilda