RED CROSS SHOP.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16426, 21 January 1919, Page 7

RED CROSS SHOP.

A SPLENDID RECORD.

The Red Cross shop—since June, L 915, so familiar to the people 01 Shristchurch that it had como to be •egarded almost as an institution—was i finally closed with an auction sale a j short time ago; but the energetic , ximmittee which has carried on , ivork of the shop since its inception ] has decided not to disband so long a a the work of tho Canterbury lied Cross 1 Society goes on amongst the thou- 1 aands of sick and wounded soiditrs 1 who have arrived in or who will be re- 1 turning to the Dominion shortly. 1 During the period of its operations ; the total amount of gross revenue of ' the lied Cross shop reached the big ! iigure of £19,667 14s 4d, the aver- : age net revenue being £105 2s 8d per 1 week. This money was expended in ' grants to military hospitals in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Salonica, Malta, England, France, Hanmer 3 and Chri3tchurch, and to the local sanatorium. Spccial mention must be made of tho substantial workshop built at Hanmer out of funds provided by the shop for the use of returned soldiers. In tho workshop, which is very much appreciated, various trades are taught, including basket-making, leather-work, carp«ntenng, etc. A handsome donation was also given to replace hospital equipment, lost in the Marquette disaster, and large grants were made to the Our Day Fund. The Red Cross shop commenced business on June Ist, 1915, ,in a very small way. It was the first establishment of the kind in the Dominion to open up business on the lines whereupon it was conducted. A small committee was formed to make the initial arrangements, and premises in the Iloyal Exchange Buildings were secured. It was soon seen that the undertaking was a successful one, and it was decided to appeal to the public by advertising and otherwise, for support and contributions of goods of all kinds—fancy goods, curioSj furniture, farm and garden produce, etc., to which there was a very generous response. The question was sometimes raised at first as to whether the. business was likely to interfere with the traders, but the committee found instead that tho traders and shopkeepers gave the shop every assistance, and support in their power. Tho work was carried on in business hours, the only holidays being Good Friday and Christmas Day. The ladies of the various Rfed Cross branches worked splendidly in connexion with the shop, as did also the Women's National Reserve, the congregations of churches of all donominations, tho Licensed Victuallers, the Automobile Association, the girls' schools, and also many private ladies who took charge of the week-end sales, this branch becoming a most important feature of the business. : From the commencement of operations the principle was laid down and strictly adhered to that no wages or salaries should be paid, and no stock purchased for re-sale: Everything was done by voluntary aid, and all the stock was gathered together by froe (Sifts. Mention might be made of a wellknown citizen who made the shop a c;ift of a penny-in-the-slot weighing machine, which has been a profitable source of revenue for the past three vears. Opportunity was taken by the ladies of Easter and Grand >"*- tional weeks, etc., to hold sales of flowers in the streets, with gratifying results.