SICK AND WOUNDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24297, 14 May 1940, Page 8

SICK AND WOUNDED

RED CROSS APPEAL GRANT OF £IOOO PATRIOTIC COUNCIL'S GIFT A decision to make a grant of £IOOO to the Red Cross Fund was made yesterday by the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council. When the application for a contribution was considered, the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) who is chairman of the council, said it had been proposed to make a grant approximating the amount collected by Students' Day. That did not meet with the approval of the students, however. They wished their collection to be earmarked specially for the rehabilitation of soldiers after the war. There had been a suggestion, too, that the council had " cramped the style " of the Red Cross. At a token of its goodwill, he suggested that the council should make a straight-out grant of £IOOO to the Red Mr James Hogg emphasised- that there was no foundation for the statement, which was fairly prevalent, that the council had cramped the Red Cross. The dates for its anneal.' which was now being made, were fixed in Wellington and not by the Mayor of Dunedin. The council decided unanimously to make the grant. THE APPEAL LAUNCHED SUM OF £250,000 NEEDED It is'probable that never before in New Zealand—even in the days of the last war—has there been such a fully national single patriotic effort as the £250,000 appeal for the sick, wounded and distressed which was launched yesterday throughout New Zealand. In every part of the country strong committees have been working for some time in the preliminary organisation, and when the birthday anniversary of Florence Nightingale on Sunday heralded the start of the campaign a network of money-raising schemes had been put into operation. The National Patriotic Fund Board had decided that in the meantime there shall be tw_o national appeals only for patriotic purposes. The first of these, the Fighting Services Welfare Appeal, was held recently, and the second is the Sick, Wounded and Distressed Fund Appeal, which is commonly referred to as the Red Cross appeal. Future appeals will for the time being be confined to provincial efforts. This effort is sponsored by the Joint Council of the New Zealand Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, and it has the backing of a distinguished personnel with the Governor-General and Lady Galway at the head. Although this' dominion has not yet been seriously affected by the war political leaders and public men, including the Prime Minister, have brought home to the people the fact that the full cooperation of everyone in the community, without consideration of age. class or station in life, will be needed if the war is to be carried on successfully. _ The. present campaign to raise £250,000 for the sick, wounded and distressed reflects in a striking manner the completeness of the organisation behind it. In addition to personal efforts through committees the campaign includes individual house-to-house canvass, street days and group collections, platform addresses, radio talks the organisation of industrial firms for regular contributions and a multiplicity of other ways or drawing attention to tne appeal. WINNERS OF RAFFLES ' The following are the winners of raffles drawn yesterday in connection with the Red Cross appeal:— Cake: No. 41, Mrs Ronnie. Ornament: No. 1, Miss Mullin. Cake: No. 6, Mr A. Wilkie. Case of Apples: No. 4 G A Lawrenson. Dress: No 18. G M. Parker. Blankets No. 1: No 155, J' A Sparrow. Blankets No. 2: No. 146 Mrs Morrison. Fire Irons: No. 40 L A. Darracott. Permanent Wave: No. 20, George Simpson. Permanent Wave- No. 80. Miss M. Young. Blankets No. 3: No. 15. Mrs Mundy. Pair Bronzes: No. 13, Mrs C. H. Stevens. Bag: No. 44, Master Jack Stevens. \ ENCOURAGING OPENING GENEROUS PUBLIC RESPONSE The organisers report that the response on the opening day of the appeal exceeded expectations. The house-to-house collection met with wholehearted support on all sides, and the raffles "dug-out" in the Octagon sold over £IOO worth of raffle tickets—a result which is not surprising considering that each ticket has a 250 to 1 chance. The Red Cross Casino will open in the old Post Office buildings in Dowling street at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, and here " all the fun of the fair " will be provided. Each evening there will be a " lucky " admission ticket, though no charge will be made for admission.