PATRIOTIC WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1918, Page 6

PATRIOTIC WORK.

LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The Mayoress of New Plymouth (Mrs. C. 11. llurgess. M.li E.) has receved manv letters by the last overseas mail in which appreciation has been expressed of the splendid work done by t'hc Women's Patriotic Committee. We have been permitted to make some excerpts from the correspondence.

Major Marr, for the officer commanding the Anzac Wireless .Squadron, writes from Bagdad: "f am forwarding receipts for the nine parcels of clothing comforts received per post from your committee. The gifts have been distributed amongst the New Zealand men, and are much appreciated. Will you please convey to your committee our thanks and appreciation."

The Under-secrctarv for Internal Affairs wrote enclosing the report of the chairman of the distribution committee (Chaplain C. A. Mallett) of Transport No. DC in which appreciation was expressed of the goods supplied from the various patriotic committees, wh'ch were excellent in both variety and quality, lie stated that tea and sugar were supplied from the ship's stores and were somewhat superfluous, and suggested the money could be better spent in hot water bottles. During the particular trip referred to the weather had*at times been very cold, and there were only three hot water bottles in the ship's hospital. In the Christmas parcels such tilings as woollen mittens, gloves, handknitted socks and such-like gifts should bo included. Handkerchiefs and bootlaces were always acceptableJack F. Rowe. of the Taranaki Company, 2nd Wellington Battalion, wrote from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, under date March 5:-,

"In acknowledging receipt of your Welcomr Christmas parcel received' to-day I wish to extend to you and all members of the league mv heartiest thanks, and liope you will' convey my best wishes and thanks to J[r- Thompson, .of Okaii name enclosed, to whom I *in exceedinely grateful. The useful contents of package are especially acceptable and I surely appreciate your kindness and patriotic work. It may be of interest to you to know that X still have in ray possession articles of the useful hold-all presented at New Plymouth 011 October 1« l!ll«, and thanks are due to the many comforts derived and t'lie many uses the same lias answered since my departure from New Zealand. They have been innumerable and have still further use foi' them. Am well and making the best/ of everything, having recovered under Kn"lish doctors' care from cerebro spinal fever."

Mi\ Ilailam, organising secretary - f. the \ icto/ia League -I ii 11 tor Association, Harrow, London, writes:—"How extraordinarily -.onerous New Plymouth aim Clietewode School are to ua. Will v. give my atleetionate thanks to the junior associates of Chetewode for their last gift of £B. This is what I am propa ing to do with it: XI to the Charing' Cross Road Overseas Club. This Hiss Drayton, after consultation with the managers (Mr. and Mrs. Ransome) says would be most usefully spent in a hanging mirror, with an inscription on it, telling of its origin. The other £7 J am apportioning t'ims: £3 10s (half) to orphaned Marrow children; £2 to orphaned children in one of the poorest parishes in Liverpool; ]os to Willaston ill Cheshire (these two places being affiliated to our Harrow branch); and I am asking Miss Drayton if she can spend £1 for the little girl whom von placed in one of the waifs' and strays' homes. We have one of these homes in Harrow. They are great friends of mine. I always make up a little pageam or play for them. I coach them in it. This year it is Father Christmas ai. the Fairies' Pictures."

Relating to the above the Rev. Clias. (t l'ortaiicc, vicar of a poor parish in Liverpool, lias written as follows:—"The ot'her day I received a letter from my cousin (Mr. Hallani, of Harrow) enclosing me £2 for some poor woman in my parish, who had been widowed through the war, and who had little children to keep. My cousin explained that the money was sent by the .lunii Associates of Chelwode .School, to be spent on poor c'hildren in England. I write, therefore, with much gratitude, not only for the money which is indeed most useful, but much more so for the spirit which prompted the sending of it, and I ask you to give my sincerest thanks and my love to the children who have made the gift, and who have learnt the great lesson that we are all brothers and sisters in whatever part of the world we live, because all of us look up to the one God and say "Our Father." When this real spirit of brothei'lio. becomes universal, the spirit of cruel war will be able to live no longer. Will you please tell your children that tlieii money went to a Mrs. Hargreaves, whose husband died fighting for us all in tlie battle of the Komme- Mr. Hargreaves was an old boy at one of our schools (we have about 550 old boys lighting). Mrs. Hargreaves herself has jusf. had' an, operation for tumour, and has four quite' small children, one of whom is a little cripple. The money (which is not all spent on them yet) is providing tlieni with warm clothing and focid. The State allowance to the woman it only 29s Vid a week."

In connection witli the gifts sent for tlic poor refugee Belgian children' >■ Flanders, the ]>uehess of Buckingham and Chandos writes under date February IG, 1018:—"I think I must write you a line myself to thank you for your efforts on behalf of the poor little refugee Belgians, and do beg that you will express my sincere thanks and that of the Committee to the Victoria League arv] the patriotic workers in the town nr." l }country of New Plymouth. The 230 garments arrived in good condition." McrrtMjr of the King Albert JSvi*

'inn Hospital Fund, flip committee of which administers the fund and distributes goods sent on behalf of the Belgian refugees also wrote: "On behalf of my committee I wish to return grateful thanks for the splendid collection of suuli suitable and charming garments, which arrived in perfect order. They will be sent abroad (to Flanders) with a big consignment about to be dispatched." Tliere were also included some interesting post card photographs of the refugee children in some of the camp sanatoria, where they are eared for by priests ami nuns, most of the children being of the Roman Catholic faith. The letter pointed out thai the little ones were suffering from the effects of all sorts of privations; they were threatened with disease and many were already suffering from the most cruet maladvs. Such sufferers were being sent to Le Havre at the rate of 2000 per month. They were. mostly boys and girls between six and 13 years of ago. During last year the committee of the hospital sent out to Flanders nearly 12,000 garments in about six shipments,

Add Letters Appreciation /.. /../ Private A. A. Prichard, Taranaki Company, 3rd Wellington infantry Battalion, in a. breezy letter to : friend in New Plymouth, says: '•£ am the fortunate recipient of a "buckshee'' parcel from you, which T hereby acknowledge and sincerely think you for. These parcels are aways appreciated by the boys. . . Let me give you an idea of how yours with others from New Pymouth, "were received. Saturday afternoon—rainy, bleak, miserable day, and all (about 30) inside the billet, talking of home, friends and New Zealand principally. The billet - L a large brick barn, used in ordinary times as a fowlhouse, timber yard, cow slied, etc., 50 x 30, no floor, with straw (and not too much of it) to lie on; a fire ill the centre to get some warmth. News conies: "Buckshee parcels!" Everybody jumps up, parcels are distributed, and these men—these soldiers—becomo as a little child does when he gets out of bed on Christinas morning, looking at the stocking that Santa Clans has filled with presents, and with much pride and joy shouts: Mine's from Mrs. R., or from Mrs. M. or from Miss 11., and so on. How the contents of each and every parcel is appreciated could only be realised by those who have seen. "Bootlaces, the very tiling I wanted." "A slice'of cuke—just it!" "Socks—decent! and real wool, too " And so it goes on till everyone knows what everyone else has received, and the names of distant kind friends, known and unknown, who have so generously sent their gifts to the boys who have done and are doing their 'bit' to bring this war to a close—boys from the Taranaki district, and boys from every other part of the Dominion; and everybody in a position to do so ! should be proud to have the privilege of sending a "buckshee" parcel t8o." In a footnote to the letter the writer states he has belonged to Wellington for the ciation with New Plymouth, since his brother is a son-in-law of Dr. Leatham. He hoped some day to be able to tender his thanks personally for the gifts sent. Sergeant K. W. Cole, writing from Belgium to the sender of a parcel, savs: "Please accept my thanks for the stunning parcel just received a few minutes ago. It's quite the nicest parcel received in France since the writer came over. The other boys of the 2nd Battery, N.Z.FA. are loud in their praise, which you all so richlv deserve."

A sapper in the third field company New Zealand Engineers says: "To-d:' I had the pleasure of receiving a gift parcel through the New Plymouth Women's Patriotic Committee, and desire to express the appreciation of my mates and myself to your committee and to yourself for your kindness in sending us tlioso gifts. ... It will be no doubt some satisfaction to you to know that tlie New Plymouth parcels are unanimously agreed to be the best and most useful assortment of articles yet received."

A lance-corporal in the Tunnelling Corps says: "The sugar and milk were especially prized- When we are away from the trenches we can sometimes purchase unsweetened milk, hut sugar la absolutely unobtainable." 1 Private A. IT. Ledgerwood, of the Divisional Employment Company, writes: "I have much pleasure in acknowledging receipt of your parcel containing one towel, tin of jam, tin of honey, pair of socks, etc. The parcels are very acceptable over here, and all the boys appreciate them very much."