WASTE RUBBER DRIVE

Southland Times, Issue 25549, 18 December 1944, Page 3

WASTE RUBBER DRIVE

HOLIDAY TASK FOR CHILDREN A Dominion-wide drive for the collection of used tyres and tubes is to be made by school children during the school holidays. The drive has been arranged by the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Material in cooperation with education boards. The council is anxious to carry out a request of the Ministry of Supply that 1000 tons of used tyres and tubes should be sent to the factory at Woolston, Christchurch, before the end of the current financial year, March 31. Up to the end of October the deliveries to this mill from all parts of New Zealand exceeded 600 tons. The council is confident that with the help of the school children the additional 400 tons will be collected, thus enabling the reclaim mill to be kept in full production. 4000 TONS COLLECTED Since Japan entered' the war 4000 tons of used rubber have been collected in the Dominion, but it is considered possible that another 4000 tons of used tyres and tubes could be collected. These, however, are thought to be mainly in the possession of farmers and householders, in small quantities and in widely scattered localities. Therefore, it is considered that the best method of collecting them will be with the help of school children. Only used tyres and tubes are to be collected in this drive. Other articles made of rubber, such as hot water bags, cycle tyres and tennis shoes, are not required. A circular dealing with the drive has been sent to headmasters of schools in Southland by the Southland Education Board. The tyres and tubes should be stored at a convenient garage, at the yard of the local council, at a dairy factory or in a school shed. Mr J. Pickard, secretary of the Southland Council for the Reclamation of Waste Material, said that arrangements would be made to collect the tyres and tubes from points of storage in the country. Because of the difficulties of transport, children in isolated parts of the province were not being asked to take, part in the drive. GIFT SCHEME To encourage the children to do their best the council will give schools the right to select the names of members of the fighting services overseas to receive gift parcels. The parcels will be valued at 10/- each and one parcel will be given for each 12 used car tyres, eight truck tyres or 20 large inner tubes collected. Thus if a school collects 120 car tyres, it will have the right to select 10 men to receive parcels. Individual children will also have the right to nominate recipients of parcels provided they collect a sufficient number of tyres or tubes. In each case an appropriately worded slip will be included in the parcel.