CLOTHING THE POOR

North Otago Times, Volume CI, Issue 13248, 26 April 1915, Page 6

CLOTHING THE POOR

'OVERSEAS OLVB{B SPLENDID*: .'.'" {'"";•'■ 'BtPbBT.-; ■■■■!,;,: .-i.*, 1 : * (inATKPUL ■ AOKNOWTjBDGMBNT : ."■.BVIIIOMKAUTHOWTIEB.-'O; i -'.'Wo snil'd whorpvor ship coiild sail,' • We founded ninny.'n mighty stnto; ', Vrn.V floil our grentnoss imiy not h\\ ■ Through crnven, fears of ( being great." These four .linen by Tennyson, the Overseas Club'lias; taken as its motto, mid though seldom appearing in tho liimllight of the public gnznor tho pross, tho (,'lnb is working hnrd to accomplish its aim. The nlnv-of the Club is, inter alia, "to render Individual,service t6 our Kinpire." At this timo when cvory 'llrilish subject is making some personnl sacrifice to help our Umpire- in its titanic struggle, il is pei'linps dilllcnlt to know just limv to do n'little 111010 than one has already done. ;

I'onlising llii! poverty and Imrdship which necessarily must oxhtt in Iho Homeland, (lie Oninuru "brunch of the Oversells (,'lub last year decided- upon an excellent scheme, which has alone justified the existence of Ihe branch ami shows Hint in Oaniaru many have, "ren ; dered inclivitlitu 1 service to our Empire,"

\'<\ tln< s.s. Zcnlniulic, which snilcrt I'riini these shores in December last, the local liriiueli n't' Ihe Club forwarded seven cases of clothing to tho Headfliinrlers of Ihe Club, with n request 'llull the contents should be distributed ns thought lit by Ihn authorities. The following letters, which havo just helm received by Air C. 11. Swinard, secret ary of the Oaniaru branch, sponk for themselves, and Ihoso who contributed In Ihe consignment must feel that at least I hey have done something to allevinle distress which exisls at Home.

Mr flvclyu Wrench, Ilouornr.v tSecroliiry of I lie Overseas Cluli, Loudon, urili's In Mr (!. 11. Hwinnrd, Oamnrti scerelarv, from Loudon, under date March ii'd, 1!l|5:~ "Thc enclosed statement shows how our special suh-eomitleo lins dealt: willi Hit' eases of clothing you wore good lo forward.

'"Von will see from the enclosed lelleis how much,the gift was approciiileil, ami I think yon will specially like In rend the letter which comes from Airs Moolh.

"We shall be only 100 pleased lo deal wilh any I'lirlhcr cases of clothing you may be able, to collect; and we expect I here will be a good deal of distress by iiexl winter; so perhaps our generous friends in New Zealand will' start collecting for a further consignment.

"In fnlnre il will rather simplify matters at oiirend,if a typed list of the conieiils iif each case could be sent lo us, wit It I lie case number, so that we may know in advance exactly what each case contains."

The statement rcfcrredlu shows Hint I four east's were sent to the Woniens' Social Work Headquarters, 'Jo!) Mare Street, Hackney, N.H., ami three cases In the (liven-Wilsou Institute, London Ifoad, Plaislnw, K The following letter is from Ihe Private Secretary lo JMis P.ooth, wife of (leueral P.rniuwell llooth, of the Salvation Army, and is nildrosesed lo Ihe Secretary of the Overseas l!lnb, London. "Mrs Ihmlh desires me lo thank yon must warmly for Ihe cases of clothing, which have been kindly forwarded to ns by the Overseas ('lab. I need hardly explain to yon, how grateful we are for the friends who arc so fur away, ami

tloii,;ThO(Un(lflrc|6tlifnei l)o6t*f|tid ■thofcl ■'«■ I nnil; chHtlrcn ?s^ohir^lm pnrticii- a : : larly ncccptablc ns wo hnvq, been 'mbr<i* \,i short of tlioso nrticlcs,qf cloifilng ttinu.J'' nny:othevs. They nro just/what-wo' most',-.-' needed.,. > .'■/'■••, .:■.•'•'. ,' : /. ' • '( Wo.iiKivo, alßo : givoti.((o.n)q boots ami'•;■';: .underclothing nnd fho ncwchildronV stockings," to the Belgian children, ntulV; the best of tho skirts havo been nllocfll-. 'cd to/the Belgian women..l wiah you could,lmvo seen tho Belgian childrenV delight .when; thb stnpkings were divided among them. "Then wo linvc wont Bomo clothing • to our Rcsciio Homes, Somo of .the Sor. vico Girls wliolmvopnvacd tlito'ugli thn' Homes, nnd nro now earning thoir liv-' ; ing, nro distressed.through the war, and they have Itfon specially glad of clothing. "Tho rest of thn things wo havo distributed amongst the -district nurses, who nro in touch with wounded soldiers from tho Front, and Ihe sick poor who • nro terribly affected by tho war condi-i lions.

"The cases we have made special uso of. Perhaps you nro aware that wood is very expensive, in Eagland just now, and somo of our women have beon spending'most of to-day chopping up the empty cfisos, and these are being sent up to oj\r Mothers' Hospital. Tho difficulty of getting firewood is very-great. "I do liopo that you kind friends will realiso that you havo dorjMw a thoroughly good turn by sending theso cases of clothing, for between tho refugees, and the rest of our folk who nro in special need beennso of the war, our people have been in n very tight plnc.o again and again for want of this particular help. ' "Will you pleaso convey to all those who havo participated in this gift, Mrs Booth's grateful thauks, "With every good wish, praying Qod to bless you for your kind thought of ~0 »

The -Deputy Administrator of the Given-Wilson Institute Writes as under to Mr J. E. Wrench, the London Secretary of t'ho Cliil):-

"Wo have received, through (lie great kindness of your Overseas Com-' initlop, three splendid lioxps of clothing from youi'<Oainnni Branch in New Zealand. "It'its difficult lo tell you in Ihe brief space of a letter what your gift means In the poor of this vast district; hut I can say to you that the clotinng soil is most aeceptalile, and it will all bring warmth, gladness mid comfort lo those sadly in need of those things. "It is Ihe very poor who will profit liy your gift, and in thpir i;ame we should wish to sincerely thank all t!io«, who have conlrilmted towards so vain aide n present," We arc informed by Mr Swinnrd thai Ihe Oaniaru Branch is :iow preparing another consignment, and this Ihev would like to he aide to i'orwaid so as lo reach Homo before nevt winter. A special appeal is made l>y Mm 'Branch for contributions of cast-off clothing or bonis of any description. who will assist tho Branch in so laudable a work are requested to send the goods to the secretary, and Ihe Branch will sri, it hat Ihey are packed and forwarded to' where Ihey aro needed and very niuci' appreciated. L ' " ■ Si ■■.■.. l