NEED FOR CLOTHING

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 458, 20 May 1932, Page 9

NEED FOR CLOTHING

Mayor Makes Appeal to Women of Community. LADIES’ AUXILIARY. A meeting of women convened under the auspices of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the St John Ambulance Association, was held in the City Council Chambers yesterday afternoon for the purpose of considering what steps could be taken to ensure a supply of clothes for the families of the unemployed during the coming winter. The Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), who presided, said that despite all that had been done, the situation had not yet been fully met. The amount derived from the All Nations Fair was being expended at the rate of £250 a week, £l3O to the Citizens’ Relief Association and £IOO a week to the Coal and Blanket Fund and £2O a week for special cases that were being dealt with on behalf of the Mayor by Major Dry and his assistants. The greatest need during the coming winter, said the Mayor, was that of; clothes, and heartbreaking appeals were received every day from the mothers of families asking for help in that direction. A good deal had been done out of the Mayor’s Distress Fund in providing boots and clothes, but the bulk of the money was being spent on food, clothes and blankets. lie understood that the idea of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the St John Ambulance Association was that committees of ladies should be formed in the city and in each of the suburbs, that they would get into touch with all the women of their various districts and invite them to make and give one or more articles of clothing which would be sent to a central receiving depot, and from there would be passed on to the Citizens’ Relief Association, which in turn would distribute it where it was required.

Appeal to All Women. Mr Sullivan said he felt sure that these appeals would be heard by the womer. of Christchurch and that they would render all the help they could so that the families of the unemployed would not be short of clothes in the cold winter weather that lay ahead. Mr W. H. Thompson stated that the recently-formed Finance Committee was willing to continue its work. It was decided that a nominal membership fee of Is be paid by the committee members so that material could be bought and the making of garments commenced immediately. A letter was received from the Y.W.C.A. announcing its intention of assisting the auxiliary in any way possible. A vote of thanks was passed to the Mayor for presiding. The next meeting of the executive will be held at 2.30 p.m. on Monday in the City Council Chambers, when definite working arrangements will be made. The following officers were elected : President, Mrs W. Machin; vice-presi-dent, Mrs Hugh Williams; secretary, Miss Ruth Niblock; treasurer, Mr W. 11. Thompson: committee, Mrs Derisiev Wood (Cashmere Hills), Mrs C. S. M’Cully (Merivale-Bryndwr), Mrs JR. Taylor (Linwood), Mrs Hugh Williams, Mrs A. E. Fricker and Mrs W. Hurrell (St Albans), Mrs W. Hobbs (Spreydon), Mrs E. Roberts (Addington), Mrs J. D. Manson and Mrs Arthur Edmonds (City) ; finance committee, Mesdames Hugh Williams (chairwoman), Arthur Edmonds, G. L. Hiii, W. Hobbs, J. Mason and Miss Ruth Niblock.