"FIGHTING MEN FIRST"

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 63, 15 March 1916, Page 2

"FIGHTING MEN FIRST"

THE LADY LIVERPOOL FUND.

CAXTEKIH'RY

MILITARY

Dis»Ti«cr

A VISIT TO THE DEPOT.

] l*p ;ill a ii*\x days ngo thi". Christ - 1 clum-ii t!op<u of the Lady Liverpool llmjj-hI. v»it:ch is ?He headquarters lor liv" OiJi'orbury nuSitary district i<wliiri» iiK-hnlcs Marl borough) \\;k< j hid'irn :«v.;iy in a back street, and the S -..ns !■. ;'i providing, com torts for tho j jj e:i 'n lh« ireiithcs was in cou>~e- ' i.iemv toijsidenibhr hindered. Last j «\(H>k. hn-.vovor. the Count«\ss of Liver-|-,c«l ojx-nod the new- premises which liaiv !ns*n j-ecured—64J Colombo Street—where an effective window display catches the eye of the pn.sseri«y, and (what is of much greater importance) where tho. ladies who are giving ikeir time and energy to the ji eparation, packing, and despatch of p.ilf«r. ior the fighting men can move nhowt Jroety ?nd perform their duties in comfort.

-The <le]Ktt during working hours presents » busy >^ene. Downstairs the work of "icceiving goods and i:ackin|r the various parcels is carried out. while upst-urs is the sewing loom, the principal output of which is "housrwi*-«?s" .-.ml holdalls. These arc not all made on the promises; a laiiie quantity of material is distributed among the various branches. and the finished article is returned to the depot. Every month 750 "'housewives" an-1 750 holdalls are •tent from ihe Canterbury military district :o Trcncham for distribution among: the men before they leave on netive service.

The Government iia*. placed a contrr.ct for the supply of "housewives-," but ihe Jirticio is much inferior to thiil iurmxl out by the Lady Liverpool Fund, so the Government pays the Fund a subsidy of sixpence per •"hcusowife"' to recoup it for the loss incurred on each one made. Tho Indies of the Fund want the men to kire iho best that can be .supplied iliein.

A diauge in the method of forwaiding parcels of <romforts to tbo front has recently been made. In-j-tead of sending 'them in bulic tliey ?.rc now despatched singly, in order to ensure that every man will receive i:is share. A "Dominion parcel" now jroes forward to every man at the front every ir.cuth—that is to say, e:icli poldier receives n pair of socks, a pair oi bootlaces, a packet of toilet paper, writing materials, a tin of condensed milk, and a tin of preserved meat, the whole being wrapped in a

strong handkerchief. Sometimes other foodstuffs are included, but these enumerated above form the staple contents. Four thousand of thetse "Dominion parcels" are sent

from the Canterbury -area monthly, Marlborougli's quota being 300. In this connection the .suggestion was made by one of the ladies at the depot to an KxniKSS representative who visited it last week that n slip of paper bearing the printed inscription "Presented by the Lady Liverpool Fmui, Marl borough," should bo inserted in each parcel sent horn Blenheim, in order to identify it- to this province.

That the goods despatched by the Lady Liverpool Fund are reaching the .soldiers is uroved by the fact that letters have been received at the depot, written on notepnper contained in the- parcels. That the gifts are appreciated i.s fully proved by the toner of the letters. Surgeon-Colonel Parkes, -vritiiig from Pont de Koub-l-eii, acknowledging the receipt of five caws oi * "comfreris" for his men, states:'' This practical evidence of the continued interest of the people of New Zealand in the sick and wounded is much appreciated, and I shall be fjjad if you will convey to the Lady Liverpool Committee my best thanks for this gift.' Another letter on •'Lady 7!#ive'rpool" writing paper, dated Isiuailm, h'.nuary 10th, bears the following:—''Captain Hitchcock .sends his thanks tp the committee for socles, handkerchiefs, soap, and other comforts. All these things are much appreciated by the men at the front. Captain W. *G. Wratt, of the 10th v N Telson) Squadron, C.M.R., writes ti;at the parcels arrived in perfect condition, and had all been distributed among the troops. Another letter mentioned that the Christmas gifts hsid not reached the men until alter that dale, owing to the withdrawal from Gallipoli having disorganised the arrangements, but they were distributed later. The following is an extract from a. letter from a soldier now in Egypt to show hotv' gifts from friends are appreciated when away iro'm home:—"lsmailia, Egypt,. 14th January, 1916.—1. take this opportunity oi thanking you for \o:ir Christmas present, which I was lucky enough To pick out of several ' hundred others. You can only form I a hazy idea of what a little. present like that means to us. Although, we are not in the trenches, yet this place has its disadvantages, and things like those, we received are practically nonexistent herei and therefore doubly appreciated by us. "Wishing the Lady Liverpool Committee all sorts of good luck, and a thousand thanks, I am, yours sincerely, Private T. M. O'Leary, 13th Platoon, 13th Co., N.Z.E.F."

It is .only by a. visit io the depot that one can form any idea of the magniMi'da of the work -n which the Mayoress of Christehnrch (Mrs Holland) and i;er band of willing helpers are engaged in their endeavors to provide the men at the. front with comforts .'tnd a few luxuriesl. The ladies extend a cordial invitation to Marlborough residents who may be in Christt-hurch to visit 644 Colombo Street and see for themselves how the

motto of the Fund—"Look after the lighting men"—is being acted up to.