POPPY DAYS

Southland Times, Issue 20665, 22 April 1929, Page 7

POPPY DAYS

GOOD SUM ALREADY IN HAND. COUNTRY RETURNS STILL TO COME. Poppy Day 1929 was favoured with fine weather and those ladies who were gracious enough to give their services to the worthy cause worked under pleasant conditions. From an early hour all whose business took them into town had to run the gauntlet of collectors who with poppies in their hand firmly but politely refused to take "no” for an answer. Sometimes of course a surly passer-by was ungenerous and discourteous enough to refuse, but for the most part a shilling or a two shilling piece was immediately forthcoming. The number of collectors was not as great as in previous years, so that those who were selling were kept extremely busy.

In all the country districts poppies were distributed early in the week, and bands of willing collectors were actively engaged helping to swell this special fund of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. In town, too, during the week, canvassers were visiting private residences selling poppies to those who would not be in town on Saturday. It is always some time before the final returns from Poppy Day are available, and as yet it Is too early to make a comparison with last ■■• ear's total. From the Invercargill collection the sum of £169 1/3 has been handed to the secretary of the R.S.A., and this sum must be regarded as highly satisfactory. There will probably be additions to the total from the town and there are still all the country returns to come in. These will be published as they are received by the secretary. Details of the Invercargill collection are as follows:— Ladies’ Committee —Mrs Walker (convener), Mesdames Crawford, Long, Halliday, Brown, R. M. Strang, Challis, Misses Pearce, Ott, Thornbury, Cun-

ningham and Murray .... £6l 2 0 St. John Ambulance.—Conveners, Mrs Chapman and Miss Perry. Assistants, Matron Ross, Mesdames Brown, Dixon, Challis, Bettridge, Misses Yule, Featherstone, Holdsworth, Hunter, West, Peterson, Jensen, Bailey, Maxwell, Winter Hay (3),

RETURNS FROM GISBORNE. (Per United Press Association.)

Gisborne, April 21

Poppy Day in Gisborne and the countryside yesterday realized in the vicinity of £350."

Tucker • ■ • • .£40 6 0 Mesdames Acton and Pope (conveners), Mesdames Henderson, Petrie, Mayhew, Hamilton, Misses Hannan, Craig, Patterson, Baker, Fraser, Mitchell. Tunicliffe £41 S Mrs Parkin £16 17 0 Lindisfarne —Miss Perry (convener). Mrs Bailey and Stevenson 16 0 Wallacetown —Mrs Gilchrist (convener), Mrs McKenzie £5 0 0 Miss Dickison 12 0 Total £169 1 3