STREET COLLECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15687, 14 August 1914, Page 5

STREET COLLECTION.

GREAT SUCCESS ACHIEVED

OVER £1500 OBTAINED.

FURTHER SUMS TO COME.

A spontaneous response was made to the collection which took place in the streets of Auckland yesterday, on behalf of the fund inaugurated by the' Mayoress for the purpose of providing comforts and necessaries'for the troops. Tito amount taken in the boxes was considerably over £1000, and with the addition of contributions from a number of firms and private persons, the result of the campaign was. the receipt of £1593. An active canvass also took place in the- Mount Eden and Mount' Albert districts, for the purpose of augmenting trie fund, and when the amounts' obtained ' there have been handed over the fund will have reached the splendid total of £1921. ' It is anticipated that'whon all promises of subscriptions have been ' fulfilled the amount of the : fund will stand at well over £2000.

The sum of £1593 included the donation of £100 from Hancock and Company, a sum of £35 10s collected by the ladies of Devonport, an amount of £25 7s 6d collected at Westfield, and other sums 'made up as follows:—Mrs. Thomo George, £25; Kearsley and Company, £20; and the staff and pupils of. the Newton East school, £5 8s 4d. The collection at Westfield was made up of the following contributions -.-rEmployees of Kempthorne, Proßser and' Company, £7 3s 6d; employees of C.' F. Hamoa and Sons, £5; employees of Messrs. R. and W, Hellaby, £4 4s 6d; and employees of the Soap and Candle Works, £3 lis. A Generous Donor. • Some very generous contributions were made in the streets of the city, and there was one instance of a singular and most graciously-practical display of patriotism. One of the Civic League collectors was approached by an aged lady, who placed a sum of £30 in the collection box. The ambunt was made up of two notes, one for £20 and the other for £10. When asked if she would give her name, the donor declined to do so, saying that she preferred to keep her identity secret. Material assistance to the fund was given by the girls of Misses Bews's Collegiate School, Mount Eden, who subscribed £20 and handed it to Mrs. Baume, as a contribution. In addition to the collections carried out in tho main streets of the city and suburbs, patriotic ribbons and buttons wcro sold freely, and Mesdames Sharman and Baurne cbtainod £30 by this means. Scholars Contribute. A few of the private schools and kindergarten schools were visited »by Mrs. Gilmore, and she succeeded in collecting £43 10s lid. Of this, the Diocesan High School gave £20 10s, Melmerloy School, £6 16s 9d, St. Stephen's School £6 6s, Mrs. Moore-Jones's school, £5 Is, the Remuera Kindergarten School £1 17s lOd, and tho Parnell Kindergarten School 15s lOd. A sum of £2 2s BJd was collected by box. Canvass in the Suburbs.

At Mount Eden a number of ladies, under the direction of the Mayoress, Mrs. Oliver Nicholson, made a canvass and obtained the substantial sum of £203 12s. In the borough of Mount Albert a canvass was organised by Mrs. Murdoch McLean, the Mayoress, and resulted in £114 4s 7d being raised. A sum of £7 14s 2d, collected at Waikumeto and Henderson, was sent in by Mrs. Denniston.

Altogether, the day's work must be regarded as highlv successful. Mesdamcs Rattray and Nelson were the principal organiser?, and the arrangements were admirably carried out by a largo number of lady collectors, The money wan taken to the' Town Hall, where it was counted by Mr. William Rattray, secretary of the St. John Ambulance Association, and a willing staff of local business men. Mr. Messier, assistant city treasurer, will act a treasurer of the fund.

The Mayoress desires to thank all thoso who helped to make the collection such a success. She paid a special tribute to Mesdamcs Rattray and Nelson. The proprietors of the Royal Hotel, Central Hotel, Grand Hotol, tho Centreway Tearooms, Kensington Tearooms, tho Tiffin, the Trocadero, Messrs. Smith and Caughey, and others supplied lunches and refreshments to the collectors.