PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2455, 7 May 1915, Page 7

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

$ A HANDSOME DONATION £1500 HtOM' PLIMMER-HALL CO. Messrs. Harry Plinimor and Winter Hall, heads of the Patriotic Comedy Company, which has just concluded a tour of tho North Island, arrived back ill Wellington yesterday. When they arrived, the Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) was not in town, and as they had little time to Hpare later in him a cheque for £1500, accompanied by the following letter: — llijlhb Hon. the Prime Minister, "Wellington. -'Dear Mr. Massey,—Wo write, enclosing a cheque for £1500, being tho hrst instalment of tho profits of the tour in aid of the. Belgian Fund — Yours faithfully "HARRY PLIMMER. "WINTER HALL." when seen yesterday, stated that the company had been splendidly received everywhere, with the exception of Auckland, where nobody appeared. to bo a bit inclined to* help them m their effort, except His Excellency the Governor, who had treated them ohaimingly, and was present tlireo times during tho season. Thev would have liked to have dono better Business 'everywhere, but at sucli a time tfoero may be those who aro too much concerned in things other than tho theatro. Personally, the trip had been extremely pleasurable, though tho work had been hard and the travelling arduous. They '4'ero all nobly treated at Masterton j which was really a surprising little town, full of the best of good fellows and the most charming women. The company was met at the station by motor-cars, taken at once to tea at the Club Hotel, and the next day they wero all entertained by Mr. Bectham, at 'Brancepeth," ono of tho finest country homes in New Zealand. The generosity of the Wairarapa. peoplo was making the district famous, and they could not have been received with Greater warmth if they had been tho benefactors of the race. Mr. Plimnfer hopes" that the South. Island will be at least as responsive as the North, and so enable the company to hand over a largo sum at tho conclusion of the tour. NOVEL TRAMWAYS SCHEME. (By Telegraph-Press Association.. Auckland, May 6. The Auckland Tramways Company yesterday initiated with success a novel scheme of raising monev for the. Belgian Fund. Every conductor was supplied with special tickets, which are to be sold at one penny each, and it is estimated that if every person using tho tramcars each day bought one tickot the sum of £3000 per week would bo raised. Over fourteen thousand tic. kets wers sold yesterday, and £60 added to the Belgian Fund. The Tramway Company is bearing all the costs of administering the scheme. "THE DOMINION" LIST. £- s. d. Previously acknowledged 24,828 910 Proceeds Makara social (3rd donation, per M. Monk) 2 0 0 Total 24,830 9 10 MAYOR'S (NEW) BELGIAN FUND. £ s. d. Amount previously acknowledged 2053 4 2 Proceeds sale of picture (per. Mrs. H. D, Crawford) ... 5 0 0 Owhango Sunday School, in lieu of picnic 5 0 0 Scholars, Kaiori High School 011 0

Total 2063 15 2 In connection with the appeal to the various districts to raise money for the Belgian Belief Fund, a meeting was to have been held at the Karon Borough Council offices last night, but it has now been decided to postpone the meeting to a future date. A plain and fancy dress ball, in aid of the Poor of Great Britain and Ireland, was held in the Taita Hall on Wednesday evening, and was in every way a great success. The dresses were exceedingly pretty, many being quite elaborate. Mesdames Phillip and God. frey were the promoters of the affair, and it is believed that the net proceeds will amount to about £10 10s.