P. AND T. APPEAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 187, 11 August 1941, Page 4

P. AND T. APPEAL

FUND FROM NEW ZEALAND FOR BRITAIN RELIEF OF POST OI IT( E WORKERS WANGANUI QUEEN CARNIVAL Playing the part of the friend in need w ho is a friend indeed, employees of the New' Zealand Post and Telegraph "Department are in the midst of a campaign to raise, amongst members of the service, a sum o. money which will demonstrate in practical manner their sympathy with their brothers across the sea. the post office workers in Great Britain. For this worthy purpose a special committee has been set up by the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association and Officers’ Guild, and the objective which has been aimed at has been placed at £5OOO. Wanganui’s Contribution Tho Wanganui branch has accepted as its quota the sum of £3OO, and members of Ihc committee have expressed confidence that, in keeping with the doubling of Wanganui's quota for tho Heart-to-Heart Appeal, they will bo able to attain their objective. The chief postmaster, Mr. D. R. McCowatt, is chairman of the committee, with Mr. R. Ogg, as secretary, and Mr. L. W. A. Fieldes as treasurer. Committee members are Miss 7*. Roach, telephone exchange supervisor, and Messrs. F. C. Gentry, S. J. Harris. A. R. Byres and R. S. Loader. Stimulating healthy rivalry between

the respective branches, a queen carnival with three candidates has been organised, and already the favours indicating support of the respective candidates have made their appearance and arc in keen demand. A series of card evenings and dances is heinq organised, and the general public arc being invited to support these, will the assurance that the proceeds arr being devoted to a worthy cause. The fact, that no street appeals arc boini made and that no canvassing of tlv general public is being undertaker will doubtless be appreciated as at earnest indication of tho decision make the effort as much as possible a real P. and T. appeal.

The calls on the general public have been heavy, but in giving for tho various patriotic purposes no section nf tho community has been more generous or more consistent in its support than the employees of the P. and T. Department. They are not appealing 1o the general public for assistance in attaining the objective they have set themselves, appreciating that it is a domestic concern, but the co-operation of the public will nevertheless bo welcomed. Already there is not lacking a spirit of sympathetic interest which cannot fail to sustain the P. and T. employees in their self-appointed and commendable task. Widespread Destruction With other sections of the citizens of Great Britain, post office workers have suffered under tho I\mendous strain and the extremely trying conditions. Many of the men and women employed in the service have been killed or injured as a result of air raids. Ihe number nf deaths reported in latest advices being in the vicinity nf 300. Tho homes of many more have been completely destroyed, the number being more than 3500. It. is in the alleviation of the distress caused to post office workers and their dependants that their New Zealand colleagues have launched their appeal. Tho British Post Ofiice Relief Commitfee, set un fo administer a fund during the Great War. has been operating since the outbreak of the present war. and when the latest mail loft England £24.000 had been spent in the relief of tho homeless alone. The scale on which this war is being fought and the fact that civilians in Great Britain have found themselves in tho “front line” of destruction has entailed, calls on the fund of far greater magnitude than wore envisaged at tho outset. Collectively, post office employees throughout the Empire fool that they can assist in maintaining the fund at the disposal of the British Post Office Relief Committee. Thus the regular contributions which have boon voluntarily undertaken In New .Zealand, mounting in the aggregate to thousands of pounds, ma?- bp expected to play their part. Even sixpences and shillings, deducted each wook from the salaries of thousands of Now Zealand sympathisers during the fourteen weeks allowed under the association’s appeal, will mount tn a sum which should af once amaze and delight the organisers.