POPPY DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16713, 20 April 1922, Page 7

POPPY DAY.

“ Gone arc the years when they marchTo fight for the life of the State. What do we rare in safety’s day For a soldier’s paltry fate?” Nearly everyone in the Dominion has seen some of New Zealand's “ First Hundred Thousand” inarch through city streets, prior to embarkation. Bands played, flags waved, people cheered and promises were made on all sides, that “ when the hoys came home ” all would be theirs. Sixteen thousand out of New Zealand’s pride of manhood lie beneath the sod in many lands—beneath poppy-covered sward in Flanders, row upon row : 41,000 are back in New Zealand maimed and disabled; over 1000 are at present out of work and unable to feed their dependents. The N.Z.R.S.A. recently received about 300,000 poppies made in Northern France, and it decided to devote the net proceeds of the sale of these poppies to obtaining work for thepe poor fellows and thus help them to feed their families. But a poppy, buy two poppies or even three from a collector a'ncl help a Digger to maintain his family. Tlio money obtained in a district will be spent in work in that district, so that unemployed soldiers all over the Dominion can earn a crust. To help them, the public are asked to buy a poppy, the soldier’s symbol of remembrance for his dead comrades, and wear it on Anzac Day.