KNITTED COMFORTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 37, 31 December 1943, Page 3

KNITTED COMFORTS

NEW ZEALAND FORCES

NEXT YEAR'S NEEDS

A National Patriotic Fund Board statement dealing with knitted woollen comforts for the New Zealand Forces pay si a tribute to the wo j men and. girls of New Zealand for their work in this important sphere of patriotic activities. Returns lor the twelve months ended. September JJO last are not yet complete, but from the outbreak of war to the end of September. 1912. New Zealand women had knitted over 1,000:,000 garments for the patriotic organisation. Mainly because, these woollen garments are issued through the Services or are held in reserve to. meet Avar emergencies, the results of this work by women all over New Zea-. ■land do not come ipromincntly be-l fore the public. This is acknowledged. in the report, and also; the fact that the knitters are making a most valuable contribution to thej patriotic Avar effort. 'The appro-? ciation of our men," the .report adds, "is their only reward."

At present, the Board reports, st.ouks of khaki woollens are good, anil stocks of Navy and Air Force woollens art. very low. Because of the considerable, expansion that has taken place in the Air Force, assistance is particularly needed Irom khaki knitters to cope with the Air Force requirements. T'lie Air Department. has approved of the Board's proposal that Air . I'orcc sleeveless pullovers, gloves and hussifs be made a Service issue, instead ,of being a patriotic issue, and this has eased the position to some extent. Nevertheless, thousands of Air Force comforts will still.'be required and. to help meet the position before. ne:xt winter the patriotic c.quncils are being asked to transi'er khaki knitters to Air Force knitting. The New Zealand Navy League War Council will also require extra assistance to have sufficient supplies to cope, with the demand.

Ut is estimated that 43,:U)0 lbs or over 20 tons wool wi'll be required to make knitted comforts for the Armj'. Navy and Air Force personnel next year, the total being made up as follows: Navy wool Ki.OOOlbs, khaki MOOlbs, and Air Force blue 23,000'1b5. The estimated cost is

£23,000. of which £7000 will be recoverable. On account of the reorganisation, it is, proposed that tlic. whole of the cost of the knitting wool be debited against the Patriotic Board, the Provincial Councils to be responsible for the knitting as before. Stocks of khaki wooMcns held in the Middle Fast were sufficient for two issues of balaclavas, scarves and mittens for each New Zealander there. Since then it has been announced that the New Zealanders arc in Italy, and it is therefore, possible that at a later date further supplies Avill J)e required from New Zealand and some re-organisation of knitting plans may be necessary. In the meantime, assistance is required from khaki 'knitters to make - Air Force and Navy comforts.