Waits and Strays.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VIII, Issue 12, 1 June 1918, Page 92

Waits and Strays.

Aa iljustrating. -the f opd .(difficulties m England' the following i: extra:Cts from the monthly, paper, of the "^"aifs and Strays ' Society are interesting. The Society had, arranged ,fc»;r ''[ a <( p6urid 'day"— for gifts'in kind' for their homes, but this had to be abandoned, pn account of the Pood Qpntroller's reguiations re ' 'hoarding. n .' .

The Food Controller's notice, as to hearding food, though not! altogether explicit; as to .the, /limits of storing, raised m some Homes, which, w ( ere. on the point of having a Pound Day a vision, of, say, a thousand pounds of gonerosity • delivered at St. X; Home •' on Monday, and the Contrpller's van appearing on .Tuesday to confiscate nine-tenths of the store! So vast a ; tra.gedy was scarcely, likely, but the situation is one notraltogether easy of solution, and the. following letter has therefore been circulated among the Homes :— ; . '

"There is laid upon ev^ry one of us a moral and a legal ... obligation to assist . m making the ' ihost of • ■ the nations food,, by ;' husbanding resources, and .by setting ourselves against hoarding more :tnan our legitimate share, The situation is one of peculiar difficulty where large families of young children, such as are housed m the Society's Homes, are concerned, and particularly affects the future of 'Pound Days.'

"I may point out that my reason for- so strongly, emphasising at ■ the present time the, necessity for holding a. Pound Day^ or some equivalent for it,' .is the very serious , position 'm which, owing to the .shortages ..of .food and the price of such as can- be secured, the Society will soon find: itself.. It is essential that we should use every legitimate means for securing such food as bur children need, and: at as low: a cost as. we can." I had hoped, as notified m the February "Magazine," to send round a circular urging :upon all Homes' the. advisability of utilising to the. utmost this most profitable method of, increasing their stores, but the recent rules laid

. down by the Country 's .Food ControlI6r necessarily lead. Dle'iiQ modify 'ihat' which I had unreservedly .proposed to urge.' " ■'■ " ;■;■■;'; \ : \ '

"An interview witti the authorities of the ,Food : Cpntr6ner,'S; Department makes it evident that there exists at present no absolute rule as to the •amount allowed of such • ! stores, as many / Homes anticipate from their' Pound Days, or the length -of ; time goods may be. kept; : I suggest therefore that Pound Days be. initiated as usual: that the appe : aT for their support emphasise the difficulties and ask for a money contribution rather than one m 'kind,' but that' the latter be by no 1 means i discouraged. Milch, it appears to me, will depend upon the attitude of the local reprieseivfcative of. the Food Controller's Office) arid I advise that the Chairman or Secretary of the House Committee' sliould' Its a preliminary step interview : this; official and so far as possible secure' his goodwill and a 'friendly rilling' on the subject. I need hardly add that I shall be glad to be made 'acquainted with any special local difficulties which may occur over this matter, and to give such advice as I can or to approach the Central Authorities dealing with the food question. — Yours sincerely, • "k de M. RUDOLF." What Pound Days do reallymean to the Society was illustrated by reports from several Homes given m our. last number. The following* recent returns from Homes m Chester Diocese alone are further proofs of their value. Tattenhall, 9901b5. and £19 15s; Rock Ferry, 1,7871b5.; New Brighton, 656---lbs. and £13 6s; Altrincham, Jl3lbs. and £14 2s; Knutsford, 6421b5. and £2 17s. Over 5,0001b5. and £50, as contributions for just five Homes m one county ! And these figures do not include substantial contributions of firewood, potatoes, and clothing! Who would drop Pound. Days?

"Amnesty Week" brought m to the Homes many contributions, anonymous and otherwise; from those who need not be held guilty of " hoarding" but who felt that their laudable desire to save had led to a personal possession of more thaii a "fair share "of the national store. The Editor himself was invaded late one evening m his office corner by the genial, bearer of a kit-bag bulging with rice, sugar and beans! ' :

Remember that pur boys and girls are doing all they can to meet the feeding difficulties. ; There is hardly a Home which is - not utilising every inch of its garden, and many have secured allotments as well. Their of course : there are the Farm . Homes which do things on the 'big scaled m fact, every scrap of available ground from the fifty-acre farm to the; footsquare plot, every ' ' lspecies of food

from, .cattle and grain to "tame rabbits "_ ■and radishes;- is receiving : v attention ; from our own young workers. A.cok -i lection of pictures 6f such industries would be valuable, but for the present we can only ; suggest what is being. ' done by pictures which show what some ; 'of our efforts ; were •m the old days of peace. ■;■ ; ■ o 1 Here is ; just one startling proof of ; : the urgency of our plea for substan- : tial additional support. : At this time . last • year the Society had .£6OOO m hand on which to go forward. To-day that reserve has no existence, and; we' are living "from: hand to mouth," virtually depending for : our 'daily bread iipoh. the daily contributions of" our well-wishers/ ■.-.■; ■ : ■; ■■".■ :■" i '>■ ■-■ ■ Little repairs. ; are being: very '■ gal.lantly carried out m the Homes without asking for that outside : help which' it; is so difficult to obtain; .;■ Boys -and master's— aye, : girls and matrons — have discovered themselves as expert paper-hangers and :■; glaziers! • and painters— when, that is to say/ they can secure. the paper and glass ■ and paint ! ; : - ■."< '■• ■■■-{)■. : :i ■..■■■■■■ /_ ...■.,.■ „*,.* ...* . . , „ Altogether the March number .' is., most interesting/ especially from; the old boys of the Homes, who. are so splendidly" distinguishing 'themselves m the Army and Navy oh every front and battlefield. , The Rev. H. Packe, M.A.; Gisborne; is appealing on'behalf of the Church of England. Waifs and Strays' Society, and will be glad to forward any subscriptions sent' to him. We commend the matter to Sunday School superintendents. The Church of England Society undertook the care of 962 new/cases during the year ending December 31st, 1917. ; Of these 734 were ' 'rescued '■ ' cases, the , remainder ' orphans, : children of poor widows, deserted ; and illegitimate chil- , dreri. The Society ; has at present m , its 113 homes 3539 children.. It has „ passed through' its own homes since . its foundation 17,423 children, and has found good private homes for 22,728. :