Feilding District Patriotic Effort

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 277, 23 November 1945, Page 2

Feilding District Patriotic Effort

OVER £IOO,OOO SUBSCRIBED BY PUBLIC. Over £IOO,OOO was subscribed by citizens and settlers of Feilding and district for Patriotic purposes during the six years of World War No. 2, according to some interesting and revealing statistics submitted to last evening’s meeting of Zone E Patriotic Committee at Feilding, by the Mayor, Mr T. L. Seddon. The meeting last evening brought together very full representation from the wide district and all present took back to their respective patriotic committees interesting information concerning the work of the Zone organisation. Over the war period some 21,506 parcels were sent overseas and these weighed a total of 70 tons. Reviewing the work Mr. Seddon said that the first appeal for funds in the Zone was the 1039 Fighting Services Welfare appeal which produced £3491. In the same year came the Sick, Wounded and Distress appeal for .which £8731 was raised. The 1939-40 Heart-to-lleart appeal provided £1964 and in 1940-41 came the Million Pounds All Purposes appeal to which the district provided £13,723. In 1942 the Zone provided £12,973 and in 1943 the sum of £22,178 was raised, followed by £17,452 in 1944 and £16,273 for the current year. To these sums had to be added the cost of parcels purchased from local funds amounting to £1734 and minor special appeals, London distress, etc., amounting to £1368, along with a sum of £864 representing cash in hand. The grand total was £100,753 9s Id. The district consistently satisfied every quota in every appeal. Dealing with the parcels Mr. Tate said that great work was rendered in this department which was responsible for the dispatch of 21,506 parcels weighing 70 tons and containing 130,000 articles. These parcels it will be recalled had to conform to size and weight specifications and were then packed in cases. Actually 2700 cases were used to send these parcels off. The comforts provided by the several women’s patriotic organisations in the district represented another major effort for which all concerned could be justly proud. Close upon 20,000 articles were supplied made up of balaclavas 4612; scarves 3628; liussifs 4470, carry-alls 117, sundries 216, pullovers 803, paybook covers 170, gloves 213, mittens 3848, socks 882.