UNUSUAL SCHEME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27259, 9 December 1949, Page 8

UNUSUAL SCHEME

COLLECTION OF RAGS PROCEEDS FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN MORE THAN £3OO RECEIVED Cheques totalling £319 10s 6d have been paid to the Dunedin Crippled Children Society from the sale of rags and other textile materials collected under an unusual system. Some time ago a Christchurch firm approached the society for permission to collect rags from householders in Dunedin under an arrangement by which the society was to receive the Price Tribunal rate for the sale of these materials. The secretary of the society, Mr R. S. M. Sinclair, told the Daily Times yesterday that this system had the advantage to the firm that it did not have to weigh out small amounts and pay small sums to each householder. The organisation had distributed about 400 sacks each week, and these were accompanied by circulars setting out the proposal. The materials collected, after baling, were weighed by a responsible Dunedin firm to whom the rags were sold. Mr Sinclair added that the response to the appeal was 'astounding. The price was based on £l4 a ton, and in the four weeks just completed, the society had received the following sums:—£67 Is, £92 19s, £BB 14s 6d and £7O ss. These totalled £319 10s 6d. It was estimated that only onequarter of Dunedin had so far been canvassed under the scheme, but the average collection was six tons of textiles each week and otherwise useless materials were being applied for a worthy and useful purpose. Mr Sinclair congratulated the householders on their response to the appeal. He added that he understood that the scheme was to be carried out in other cities for the same cause. Most of the south end of Dunedin, from Anderson’s Bay to St. Clair, has been visited by the collectors, who have now begun operations in the North-East Valley district. . From there they will go to Maori Hill and the other hill districts. Any old clothing or rags, clean or dirty, and any cloths or other textiles will be accepted.