OKAIAWA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 30 October 1917, Page 4

OKAIAWA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

GARDEN PARTY

The garden party organised by the. Women s .Patriotic Oommittee on Wednesday was a most pronounced success. There was a large attendance, and tne weather was perfect. Visitors came from as far away as liivenea, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon's outing, me garuen at tioiiy Bank was looKing extremely well, being neat and tiay, and tne numerous foliage plants, flowering snrubs, etc.,. were much admired. L»uring tne afternoon there were cham-stepping competitions for ladies and genuemen, and nail-driving for ladies. Tne entries, were so numerous that other competitions had to be abandoned. The excellent afternoon tea provided by tne committee called forth many expressions of approval from, the visitors. Th© sweets stall did good business, and at the close of the proceedings was cleared right out. A small orchestra of lour instruments (Mrs G. Betts piano, Miss Putt 'cello, Miss Betts and Mr Mitchell violins) gave several selections, and added materially to tne pleasure of the afternoon. The lady members of the j committee worked well, and thoroughI ly deserved the great success attending their efforts, iney desire to.gratefully acknowledge tne valuable assistance given by a number of gentlemen, and. also donations of cash and goods for the sweets stall from several local residents. The takings for the day amounted to £11 9s lid.

A handsome cushion, presented to the committee by Mrs W. Betts, to be disposed of in aid of the funds, was. won by Mrs D. Edwards. The sum of £15 5s was subscribed by the settlers of the district for comforts for the boys in the trenches on the gift day held here recently by the Women's Patriotic Committee. AN APPRECIATION.

The secretary of the Women's Patriotic Committee has received the following appreciative letters from Mrs Waters, hon. organiser and secretary of the Naval Dependents' Relief SubCommittee Ladies' Auxiliary of th« Navy League, Wellington: " Very many thanks for your kind letter and the case of excellent clothing to hand to-day. I shall enclose a type-written note in the cas,e in which your things are packed, hoping you may receive a reply in due course. I. may say we have thirty boxes of clothing at sea at present on their way to the Motherland, so we feel that by the end of the period for which we opened we shall have accomplished that for which we started out. Of course this has only been done through the kindnees of the country districts, particularly Taranaki and Waverley. Their support has been nothing short of magnificent," '• It was very nice of you to write me such a nice letter. One of the great pleasures in this work has been the very kind manner in which everyone has helped. The charming letters I have received, too, are additional pleasures. Both this work for naval dependents and the canvass conducted last year show that the navy—the British Navy—is not at all forgotten, by our Dominion. Your case arrived safely, every article in perfect order. How I have wished that one or two «f the larger districts could see those good, sensible articles. We haver packed 37 boxes, 30 of which are on. their way to England. Twelve to fifteen more will see our work completed. Thanks to inland towns this showing is not a bad one for three to four months' work. Clothes, lam told are in England worth three times what they are here, simply because nobody has timeto sew. All are working for the life of our nation. When one of our transports reached its English destination there were 250 women in dungarees ready to unload. They got to> work immediately, and the officer in command tells the tale of his never having 6een men work like them, so methodical were they. I only heard, this to-day, and think it worth repeating. Really the work done to-day by women in England and France ia truly wonderful. Now I must draw to. a close by thanking you and your committee for the splendid help you have forwarded, enabling us to do in a short time that which would have been quite impossible without help from the inland townships.".

PERSONAL. Mr E. 0. Chivers has recently received letters from his son Frank, who> is an engineer on one of the patrol i boats of the British Navy. Frank was. ashore when one of the Zeppelins was. brought down, and had the privilege of witnessing this most stirring spectacle! On their next trip the boat ran into a minefield, one of its duties being to shoot the mines off. Frank was shortly afterwards injured through the engine backfiring, and was sent to hospital, but is now quite recovered. He sends greetings to all old friends in Okaiawa. _ BAZAAR. The Presbyterian bazaar held here on Friday was a great financial success,, the sum of £40 being taken during the afternoon and evening. A good portion, of this sum was netted as the result of competitions—nail driving, skittleß, chain-stepping and a shooting gallery.. At closing time there was practically nothing left on the stalls.