"OUR DAY" APPEAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2915, 30 October 1916, Page 6

"OUR DAY" APPEAL

AN URGENT CALL

510,000 WANTED FOR RED CROSS i, WORK The "Our Day" lied Cross appeal that is being made in Wellington n,t tno present time is bvt a local contribution, for the appeal is being niado in every city, town, and hamlet throughout the British Empire. Tne authorities of the British Red Cross Society aiuUhe Order of St. John, with a full knowledge of the demands that have to be met for the proper care of our sick and wounded soldiers, are making this Empire "Our Day''" appeal. It comes to us under, tho names of Lord Lansdowne,' Lord Plymouth, and 1 the' Hon. Arthur Stanley, tho chief officials of tho joint committee of Eed Cross for both Orders. As ehowing something of the vast extent of the work to .bo carried out, the providing of ambulanco oars and staff for the same has taken over a quarter of a million sterling. It is a common thing now to receive as many sick and' wounded at a hospital as 2500. Some 7000 disabled men have been disembarked at Southampton in a day and night, for the work of transferring the wounded goes on continuously round tho clock. One_ thing we have always to keep in mind is that at the outset of the war our Empire was entirely unprepared, m the -way of medical and other auxiliary services. Provision that existed for an army of 160,000 sunk into insigniflcance when our Empire's military forces ■ were increased to considerably over five millions,' and all this great rush of fresh organisation has had to lie carried out at tremendous cost, the Eed Cross organisations providing the major portion of the fluids required. The number of casualties to he dealt with has inoreased from time to time at a very rapid rate. In ono hospital at Boulogne, within one week, 20,000 sick and wounded! were received., Wo in New Zealand can scarcely realise what that means. A visitor to tho New Zealand Hospital in London was being shown round the wards recently when an attendant said: "Wo have accommodation for 2000, but next week wo may have 7000 sent in, but at present we have no money to nelp more than 2000." That was prior to the big attacks on the Somme, an?l since then the number of tho sick and wounded has been vastly increased. As showing how the people at Homo realiso tho urgency of this call, for funds, in London 35,000,000 Eed Cro3s badges wero sold in ono day; tho proprietors of tho theatres, music-halls, and kinematograph shows offered spontaneously to subscribe a peroentago of their takings on "Our Day' - in all tho elites of the United Kingdom; and the shopkeepers and genejal traderß issued) appeals to their patrons, to contribute largely because of the very, urgent need. Mr. Bernard Tripp, who has been acting iu London as tho representative of tho lied Cross organisation in New Zealand, has reported that much money is required!, and also that the Homo branches of the Red Cross Society Bpend their money freely on the care of our colonial lads, which fact should incite everyone to give well and freely, to th "Our Day" Fund of the Empire. The committee which has been established, in. Wellington is a widely representative ono, and it is making a call for £10 : 000 as a. contribution to the "Our Day" Fund. Its programme of effort will bo found to make an appeal to all sections of the people.- There havo been some 10,000 circular letters sent out, and a considerable amount has already been received in response to that appeal. It is felt,'however,' that tho number who have so far leplied does not do full credit to Wellington. Indeed, the smallness of the donations in a number of instances indicates that there aro many peoplo who have not yet realised that tho effective carrying out of Red Cross work is a matter of life or death to thousands of our British soldiers, including those men who havo gone from the Dominion. The people of Eastbourne, > Scatoun, Eoseneath, Hataitai, and Kilbirnie havo jeach established local committees, and are making speoial efforts in thb way of displays, sales, and "house-to-houso collections. On tho Kilbirnie 'side of the hill tho committee is taking Sat-' urday next as its day of operations', and a big ladies' committee at Eastbourne will also bo at work on that day. Within the City arrangements havo been made to have decorated stalls at fourteen different places,' from Newtown to Thorndon Quay, each of which will, bo in chargo of a committee of ladies. Every praiso is due to the way in which the ladies are entering upon' their work, and an active spirit of competition between the committees to do better than ono another. From noon till 2 p.m..on "Our Day" (Friday next)

there will be spectacular displays on the streets, and in the evening' there will be a grand torchlight, lantern, and fancy dress' procession, which will ba enlivened by music from most of the bands in tho City. This procession' will start from the Lambton Station at

about 7.15 p.m., and will proceed by way of tho main, thoroughfares of the i City to tho Basin Reserve, where a special demonstration, will tako place. On Saturday evening a splendid mili-. tary concert will take place in tho Town Hall. The first part of the programme will be provided by the N.C.O.'s of the ' 24th Reinforcements, and the second part will take the form of a "Trench Kevue" by members of tho Wellington Savage Club, which proved 6uch a suc- ' eess on tho club's "ladies' night" recently. In connection with the general man- ' agement of the "Our Day" appeal, tho ■ executive is taking every precaution to 1 gain the confidence of the public, and '. regulations have been issued, providing for the proper care, issue, and return of the sealed collection boxes (with ' signed permits). In order that every--1 one may be assured that their contribu- | tions will go to the object in view, \ no safeguard is being negleetedi The ' officers in charge of the arrangements 1 are: The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), gen- ; eral chairman; Mr. Thomas Young ' (solicitor), ohairman of the executive; ' Mr. James M'lntosh (accountant), hon. * treasurer; and Mr. David M'Larcn, 1 hon. secretary. ' The trustees of the " fund are: The Hons. J. 6. W. Aitken, " M.L.C., Charles Johnston, and Mr. Joseph Joseph. \ The leading hnsiness firms are now in consultation for the purpose of con--1 tributing adequate sums to the fund. ' This should be a lead, to others, and r the committee looks to everyhody to ; do their utmost for the honour of tho 3 \ Empire in connection with the Our Day £ I Fund. •_ __ e 1 r 3 1 1 t .t 1 t a o t n e s o ir ;s )- !, lif e e d) e t

■■ LATEST DONATIONS. The treasurer of the hind, Mr. James M'lntosh, acknowledges receipt of the following amounts:— £ s. a. Already acknowledged .'.. 727 19 5 St. John Ambulance Assn., Wellington Centre 24 17 10 G. Shirtcliffe 50 0 0 W. D. Stewart (Dalgety and Co.) ; :...-. 10' 0 0 Bell. Gully, Bell, and Myers... 26 5 0 Levin and Co., Ltd. 50 0 0 N.Z. Anmteur Rowing Assn. ... 5 5 0 A. and V. R 110 Rev. James Gibb 10 0 J. Blundell 10 0 0 L. Blundell 10 0 0 BlundclT Bros., Ltd 25 0 0 Gordon Weeber 0 10 '0 P. W. Prince 0 10 0 Miss B. Freeman 10 0 C. W. Adams 10 0 Mrs. Truman 0 5 0 ' Sii 13 3