GALLIPOLI DAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2625, 22 November 1915, Page 7

GALLIPOLI DAY

SPOILT BY THE RAIN

SPORTS LADIES DO GOOD WORK

111-luck dogs the footsteps of the sports people in Wellington. Right through tho recent big Queen Carnival the efforts of those interested in tho candidature of tfie sports nominee wero persistently negatived by' bad weather or other circumstances over which the committee had no control, and again on Saturday; when the sports bodies united in making a big effort in aid of Christmas comfort's for our soldiers at the front, and in the various hospitals tlirough the moans of what they woro pleased to name Gallipoli Day, tho elements once more interfered most disastrously, with the arrangements made. From early morning until night lieavy rain fell without pause, and from noon onwards the weather beoame as cold as in the middle of winter, owing to the wind veering round to the south. Under sutfli circumstances tho sports that wero to have been held on t'he Basin Reserve could not be held, and the collections that were to have been made on the various tennis courts,- bowling greens, and cricket grounds could not bo made. This was terribly disheartening to those who . had thrown so much energy into making very elaborate preparations for the day, and, naturally, sadly, interfered with the returns.

One entirely praiseworthy feature, however, was the manner in which the ladies concerned worked to realise something on the splendid lot of flowers which had been sent in for disposal by many peo-ple in the district. Those, of course, would not keep, so the ladies, with great' courage, battled put in the rain, and sold the flowers in the raiij, displaying. just as much energy as though the sun were ishining from cloudless skies, and with notable success. Though the keen southerly howled and the rain descended in tor-

rents, they stuck to their guns throujsh the dreary day, and wore successful in realising a good deal of money for tho laudable project- in view. Whilst many of the ladies confined themselves , to the sale of buttonholes and bouquets, others, sold badges at one drilling and half-a-crown, and where the hurrying crowds were thickest did fair business. Tho flowers were distributed from the Town Hall, whore a number of workers of .both sexes helped to prepare the flowers for the street sale,' and the degree or cheerfulness which they threw into their work was indeed inspiring.

As to w'hether thero will he a real Gallipoli Day has yet to be decided. The time is growing short in which to get supplies front London to Egypt, Malta, a.nd Mudros (where the New Zealand forces are being rested and reorganised), and at a meeting of the committee to be held this evening the matter will be discussed, and a decision arrived at. There-was some idea of making the effort last Saturday week, when the weather was brilliantly fine, but the notion was abandoned wbeu it became known that the Eighth Reinforcements were to depart from Wellington that afternoon, which only serves to emphasise the bad luck that has attended the efforts of the sporting community to do something handsome for those are fighting our battles in Europe. Gifts of produce were sold in shop ■premises in the Hotel Windsor buildings, and cakes of a most delectable quality were sold by Miss Maxwell for the benefit of . the fund. Over £300 Collected. Mr. EL Amos, secretary of the Gal-lipoli-Day movement, reports that the total receipts for Saturday's-. effort amount so far to £302 2s. lid., which he considers to bo an extremely creditable total indeed undor the circumstances, reflecting very great credit on the ladies who worked so hard under adverse conditions throughout 'the day. Of the above amount £7 was realised by Mrs. Townsend, who had charge of the tea tent at the Town Hall; £9 resulted from the larder stall directed by Mrs. Willis and the Wadcstown ladies .opposite Government Buildings; £9 19s. 4d. from the. collection boxes which have been exposed outside eight picture theatres during the week; £14 16s. 2d. from Miss Marks and Mrs. Levistam's sweet stall in the Grand Hotel; £1 10s. 6d. for cakes presented and sold by Miss Maxwell; £10 from twelve collection boxes.

An amount yet to come in and not included in the abovo total is the sum of £40 17s. from the' Commercial Travellers' Club, which held <in auotion Isale in aid of the Gallinoli Day Fund. A dog presented by Miss Dunbar, of Karaka Bay, realised £1.5 175., and a cabinet and auto-strop brought £25. The amount acknowledged prior to GallipnTi Day by tho secretary was £734. 4s. lsd. Tliat amount lias independent of Saturday's effort in AVellington) now reached £863 lfis. 7d. Among' tlio contributions to the' i.ncreaso is tho sum T)f £65 taken at tho amateur athletic sports in Nelson, and £19 taken at similar sports hold in Naseby. There ore still some tjvo thousand subscri]>tion lists out, which Mr. Amos nnticiyiates should realise another £1000.