ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16038, 24 January 1918, Page 6

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

THANKS FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. FROM MANY SOURCES’." A large number of letters, particulars of widen follow, have recently been received by Mrs. Burgess, president of the New Plymouth Women’s Patriotic Committee and Victoria League, in connection with tho various activities of these organisations. Y.M.C.A, FUNDS. Writing from the N.Z. Y.M.C.A. Headquarters, London, on October 27, 1917, tho Supervising Secretary says, speaking of tiie suras which arc mentioned below ;—“May wo express to you, and through yon to tho Women’s Patriotic Committee, the sincere thanks of the New Zealand soldiers for your generous gifts. . . . The kindness of the New Zealand people helps the boys to realise tho thoughtfulness of tl(0 folk at home.” The amounts acknowledged are; £32 from the Inglewood Ladies’ Patriotic League to provide “Sunday home-hour teas” near the firing lino; £ls fropi the Okau branch of tho Victoria Ltjague for Codford Convalescent Camp; £7O from. Okato Patriotic Committee for trench comforts; £SO to provide free Sunday teas at Shakespeare Hut, from the New Plymouth Women’s Patriotic Committee; £35 for hut work in France, from tho New Plymouth Women’s Patriotic Committee.

VICTORIA LEAGUE TABLE- . CLOTHS. “The committee of the King George and Queen Mary Victoria League'Clubs ask me to send you their most grateful and appreciative thanks for the. generous gift of £l5O to their funds, which you have forwarded on behalf of the New Plymouth''Women’s Patriotic Committee,'’ writes the secretary of the "Victoria League Headquarters in London. “They also ask mo to tell you how-very muoli interested'and touched theyliaye been by the table-cloths, with their evidence of personal interest and originality.’’ Tho letter goes on to mention the free, tea on Christmas Day at tbt two Victoria League Clubs, a telegram concerning which has been .previously published. The writer adds that it has been a groat pleasure to forward the gift of £SO to the New Zealand Hostel. AVAR CONTINGENT ASSOCIATION. The secretary of the New Zealand AA’ar Contingent Association writes from tho New Zealand Soldiers’ Club, Russell .Square, London, on October 21, as follows: —"1 have received from the secretary, A’ictoria League, AVcstminstcr, tho £SO given by yoilr league to the funds of this club." On behalf of my committee I thank you all very heartily for this contribution, and wish - to assure you that it will be expended as far as possible in accordance with your committee’s wishes —namely, in tho provision of free teas to needy New Zealand soldiers.” A copy of the association’s first annual report, which is also forwarded, shows that the club comprises a hostel (in which meals are served at regular hours! and a canteen, where -meals can be obtained at all times; music, reading, writing and billiard rooms, commodious bathrooms, ipedical quarters, barbers’ shop andi bootshiners’ stand. There are 220 beds in the four houses rented by the club, which have been extensively altered to adapt them for the purpose. So popular is the club that the overflow averages 100 a day, and for these the management - arranges accommodation elsewhere. 'FUTURE OF BELGIANS. Acknowledgments of oases of goods sent from New Plymouth, including 816 new garments for Belgian children, are sent by the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos and the committee of the King Albert’s Civilian Hospital Fund. One letterj says;—“May 1 take this opportunity of appealing for further help from your generous compatriots, the situation of the poor Belgians is getting more and more critical. Consumption is making terrible, ravages' among Belgian. children, who are suffering from lack of food l and other necessities. As a matter of fact, the Belgian Government has come to an agreement with the German authorities occupying Belgium to be allowed to send every month from Belgium to France 2000 children threatened with consumption. In this way our Government is expecting over 20,000 of those, children, for whom we shall have to provide all kinds of necessities. I hope you will excuse me for making this new appeal, but the loss of these children menaces the future of the Belgian race.” N.Z. STATIONARY HOSPITAL'! Eight cases of hospital comforts, which all opened out splendidly, were acknowledged on November 13 from France by Lieutenant-Colonel Eugene O’Neill, O.C. New Zealand Stationary Hospital. They arrived at a time whenthey were most welcojue, he said, as at that time they had a large number of Now Zealand soldiers at patients in hospital. The letter continues: —“Might I also add how much we all appreciate your continued interest in this hospital. Thanks to your many donations in money and. equipment wc have been, and are able to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible. Please convoy to all your workers our sincere thanks for their hard work on our behalf.” BUTTER, CAKE AND PARCELS. Lieutenant-Colonel H. J. M'Lean, O.C. No. 4 New Zealand Field .Ambulance, France, says that the gift butter from tho Stratford and Maketawa Dairy Companies arrived in excellent condition, and was much appreciated. - From Bagdad, J. AV. Melville. O.C. New Zealand AA’irelcss Troop, wishes thanks to be conveyed to the Tikorangi Dairy Company for their gift, which came to band in splendid condition-. Everybody was delighted with-the gift, which appealed to them much more than socks. As a huge number of men were in isolated places whore it is impossible to buy anything, gift parcels proved very acceptable. Private R. A. Robinson, F Coy., 28th Reinforcements, acknowledges cake received on tho transport.

Captain Charles Swauston, on behalf of the returned soldiers at Rotorua Sanatorium, tenders sincere thanks for gifts which arrived on December 20. Ten letters have been received from various sources acknow-ledging receipt of gifts and parcelsk One letter mentions that included among tho parcels were the names of Mrs. Sumner, Mrs. T. P. Lister, Mrs. Robson, Mrs. Potts, and Mrs. Alexander. Another writer' says that by a curious coincidence a man named Gibson (of Egmont Village) received a gift parcel sent by his father.