A Papakura Soldier’s Experience as Collector

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 11, 12 July 1940, Page 5

A Papakura Soldier’s Experience as Collector

In connection with the recent Queen Carnival, held in Auckland for 1 the Sick and Wounded Fund, on the last Friday of the appeal a soldier relates his experience /in collecting for the soldiers’ queen. He remarks, it certainly was a great experience. Never before have I seen money so freely given. The good-natured rivalry between the various collectors for their respective queens was an eye-opener to me. I took up my position on the corner of Wyndham and Queen Streets. I helped to relieve quite a lot of people of some of “their surplus cash.” One lady said to me “I passed all the other collectors, but I can’t pass the uniform.” Another old lady surprised with her donation. She was so shabbily dressed that I didn’t ask her to put anything in the box. She came over and put a £1 note in the box. I very nearly fell over in surprise. The highlight of the day was the procession. All Queen Street seemed to be alive with people. The procession went up Wellesley Street West up Symonds Street, through to Karangahape Road, down Pitt Street and Grey Avenue, back to Queen Street. * The people along that route gave wonderfully. They bought art union tickets with hardly much urgI ing. Some of them showed me fist- ! fuls of art union tickets, yet they bought art union tickets from me for the soldiers” queen. Altogether it . was a great day and I did not begrudge helping while I was on leave, > and the experience was really worth while.