RED CROSS NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 2

RED CROSS NOTES.

(By E.G.) During the last week, there hare been a good many gifts in kind which are worth speciai mention. One of those was a donation of 3c cardigans from the Upper Riccarton Branch. Our wounded men feel the severity of tho English winter, and tho cardigans .are invaluable during their convalescence, and on the hospital ships afterwards. Unfortunately, w© never have enough to go round, although it must be admitted that the supplies have considerably improved during the last few months. The Canterbury quota of sheets for the next hospital ship to leave for Engj land is being called in now, and almost I all the. q"»ilt« arc on the shelves waiting to bo packed. Tho names of the branches making the quilts were given some weeks ago, but those supplying tho sheets have never been published. Tho St. Albans Branch has undertaken 50. the Horsley Downs Branch 20. and Sydenham the remaining 24. These articles are sent in addition to the monthly supplies of garments, and as each sheet costs os 9d.' each parcel of them is a good gift in itself from any steadily contributing branch. The Sydenham Branch is a great stand-by at the Depot, as the members can always be relied upon to come to the rescue when any article is needed in a hurry. The V\'oolston parcel of garments for this week was larger than usual, and the work was specially well done. Little Akaloa (Mrs Hunter's _ Red Cross Branch) has excelled in the quality and quantity of surgical requisites sent in this week. ■The Sumner Branch continues to send in good parcels of garments. Sumner has the honour of being the oldest branch of the society here, and its work has been steady in quantity and quality during the two and a half years of tho Society's work. Tho Comforts department reports many good gifts from" country branches. Tho Waimato Sub-centre sent- comforts and books, and Leeston tho same. To Irwell the department is indebted for a specially large ease of cakes, and to DarSeld and Kimberley for two more cases each. As there are over 100 men for whom to provide cake at Sunday's tea 1 ,this will not be too much for one weok.

Other gifts to the C-omforts Department include the Good Templars' monthly parcel of clean books (for which wo always look, so regularly are they supplied), also the Atlas and A'ulsebrook's Biscuit Factories' fortnightly tins of biscuits. The Hanmer Hospital came off well in the way of special gifts of fruit and vegetables, two cases of apples being received at tho Depot to be forwarded from slrs Ruddenklau, and also an anonymous gift of a case of celery. The department has undertaken to send occasional calces (when supplies permit) to tho patients at the Sanatorium, and tho first consignment, sent ten days ago, was much appreciated. ' In the Worcester street window at the Central Depot, a few oddments of broken gold and silver are displayed, as a sample of the kind of things that the ladies who are to bo in charge of the Old Silver Stall on "Our Day" hope to collect. Broken, jewellery and sleeve links, brokon photograph frames, worn out tesSspoons, etc., all are represented, and any such fragments will be gratefully received at the -Depot at nny time. All these scraps of metal, which would otherwise be wasted, can be turned into ooin to help to buy hospital extras for our wounded men. Pecently we asked all the branches to help in this matter, but we want the support of the townspeople as well. It is very lit'fcle to ask. costs the giver nothing, and even the smallest contribution will be valuod. THE SALES DEPOT. • The energetic management of the Cathedral square Sales Depot loso no opportunity of adding to the Red Cross Funds, and have many ingenious ways of gaining support in - money and gifts in kind. In Grand National Week in Cathedral square alone, the sum of £156 10s was realised by selling buttonholes to raccgoers. In the same week, in a weight guessing competition > of a sheep and a bullock £-13 10s was raised. It is amassing to think that ohe Sales Dopot has raised, since, its opening in June, 1915 (116 weeks) over £12,000—ail average of £108 10s weekly. AH the year round the flowers in tho shop are wonderful, and the Maori supporters never fail, when an opportunity occurs, to send a supply from Port Levy and Rapaki. There are always Rome flowers to be bought in the Sales Depot, even in the dead of winter, and this is apparently where they come from.

CITY BRANCH OF RED CROSS. Tho City Branch can boast of having amongst its working members, several men who are capable workers, either with knitting needles, or with a. sewing needle. The workers for this branch number many hundreds, a.nd now 'that the average number of .callers {or work daily has increased to 11 it is no uncommon thing to to do up parcels for 20 people in one day. BED POCKETS. A printer's error, which occurred in the lied Cross Notes in "Tho Press" last week, made it appear that the Society did not want "bed jackets" washed before they were sent into tho Depot. This is not so. It is bedpockets which need not be washed, unless, of course, they have been soiled in tho making.