"OUR DAY"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2920, 4 November 1916, Page 4

"OUR DAY"

GREAT WORK BY THE WOMEN,

Quito a carnival spirit entered into the proceedings of tho Red Cross workers yesterday, and crowds of jovial, generous citizens throughout the streets buying as thoy wont. Business was brisk at every stall from tho early hours'of tho morning. Of course, from lunch-time onward, moro and moro people, bent their steps citywards. Indeed, tho crowds wero so thick round the stalls that it was quito a difficult' matter to thread one's way along tho pavoments. In somo places tho crowd had overflowed on to the loadway, and the motormen had to perpetually clang their warning bells to clear the,people off the tram linos. " The vendors and collcctors all told tho same cheery tale of tho spontaneous and generous reply mado by the public everywhere in response to solicitations. Ono lady oven went so far as to say sho had not had ono refusal, or even a black look from a passer-by. Surely, this is very high praiso indeed 1

All this goes to provo what a popular movement this Red Cross effort has been, and how evoryoijo .appreciates what our workers are doing. Travelling from south to north, the first stall was at the corner of Rintoul and Riddiford Streets, and was under the direction of Mrs. M'Laren and the Mesdames Lippitt, Free, Bruce, Campbell, Cousins, and Hampton. Brisk business was transacted here, especially in dinner hour, and after three, when all the school children wero free to spend their pennies. Badges also sold well here.

Mrs.. Rowantreo and Mrs. Spotswood were in charge of tho stall at Veitch and Allen's Corner. Tho stall was provided and decorated by Messrs. Veitch and Allen, and beautiful flowers, produce, and vegeables had a ready sale there. A number of children connected with this stall went round with colleci/ing-boxcs. A very large crowd had collected in Courtenay Place round, tho Patriotic Society's fine stall,, which was under tho charge of Mrs. Waymouth. Sho was assisted by Mesdames Morgan, Hayward, and Millington, tho Misses Clapham (3), and many others. Close at hand was a gaily decorated lorry, containing Swastika's famous troupe of performing donkeys. Tho donKeys' laughter mingling with that of tho crowd, tho clangour of tho trams, tho shouting of tho shownieu, the playing of tne talented concertina artists iroin Fullers' Vaudeville Company, tho Two Ohadwicks, and tho wandering organgrinder's melodies all helped to draw .ui eager and interested crowd into cuat vicinity, and swell the prolits of cuo stallholders.

Tho ice-cream king, W. R. Gates, was übiquitous in Ins decorated car, all vi-llutter with flags, and bright with tlio pinkest and most tempting of ices. A born strategist, ho always chose a warm and windless comer, and his Uainties simply melted away, and si> moro money camo rolling in for tho cause.

; Opposite Winder's was one of Mrs. ; Luko's stalls, •in charge of Mrs. Fos--1 sotte, assisted by Mrs. Dormer and ;t-ho Misses Ccdorholm (2), and many" ; others. Hero good progress was re-. ! ported,. cspccially in tho sale of the , moro expensivo badges. These latter ' were really most artistic and ornamental. Silver gilt, with a bluo enamel border bearing the words, "A united Empire, what we havo we'll hold." Another stall closo at hand was laden with garments, knitted articles, and suiwlries. A very busy hive of workers collected in Mrs. Luko's Red Cross Shop in Cuba Street. • The Victoria League sent their contributions there, and Mrs. Corlis, who represented the league, was present. The ladies of this ceutro havo been busy making up parcels for soldiers, and these were on hAnd nil ready to ho dispatched. Besides those packages which had been previously packed, customers wero able to choose what goods they liked in the depot, and havo them packed and posted off without delay by a special staff of workers. Protty boudoir-boxes covered with crepe and Indies' work-bags wero also sold very quickly. Mrs. Luko has also been tho recipient of many generous cheques, for which sho is most grateful. Produce and flowers arrived from tho country, and delicious clot-

ted cream from Mrs. Hadfield, of Paraparaumu. At tho Bank of New Zealand Corner, Mrs. Manton and Mrs. Phelps were in cliargo of tho Commercial Travellers' Stall. Horo : quito a novelty was tho outstanding feature. Surprise ' envelopes at Is. each were sold; when opened, .tho name of some article was written in. each. - Some packets con-

tained cigarettes or soap, and oven sausages. A low lucky people got very pleasant surprises indeed, as a fine Kaiapoi rug was one of the prizes, and another was a Morris chair. A huge crowd soon collected, and littlo wonder was it that the stall had sold out all envelopes in a, very short timo. Mrs. Preston and her helpers, tho ladies of tho South Wellington Nursing Division, had their stall at the corner of Willis and Mercer Streots.

A profusion of produco and flowers, and some really beautiful roses sent by Mr. Zohrab, found plenty of eager buyers. For Gd. an oxcellcnt rccipo could be purchased for puff pastry made with dripping, by Lennio Granard Middleton. A very largo crowd was usually assembled round the Red Cross Stall at Kelburn Avenuo cornor. Mrs. Walter Nathan was in charge, and Mesdames Moorhouso and Wilford and Corrigan j were also_ helping. Mrs. Wilford did i brisk business in the salo of tho new

Red Cross Cookery book, compiled by Miss Sybil Nathan. All tho city's leading people have contributed their most popular and reliable recipes, and the price is .only Is. In ono corner of tho cover is a prettty little poster by clever Minna Arndt, of a Pierrot holding the cookery book in his hand. Quantities of produce, flowers, vegetables, garments, and knitted articles found a constant stream of buyers throughout tho day. Ocposite the Government Buildings a handsome marquee had been erected

by tho members of the Suburbs Na-

tional Reserve. Here, beautiful cakes and jellies, mado by Mrs. Willis, of Wadestown, were laid out temptingly to catch tho eyo of tho careful housewife. Mrs. Bethunc, of Johnsonvillo, and Mrs. S&vijlo, of Hataitai, lent their very able assistanco. Near at hand was tho prettily-decor-ated stall of Mrs. Bell, of tho Kelburn National Reservo. Tho stall was draped in tho national tricolour, with figures of dolls in nursing costumo and tiny soldier men.

At Mr. Dunbar Sloan's shop was a stall in charge of Mesdamcs M. Holmes and H. Hally,. who wero also helped by the other members of the National Reserve. Somo beautiful dolls' bouses wero on. salo hero, such as would delight tho heart of any child 1 Mr. Sloauo had very kindly lent his shop as a receiving dopot for tlio ladies, and bis windows displayed their wares, including another perfectly lovely dolls' houso, which is to be raffled shortly. The Catholic Ladies' Knitting Guild had two stalls in Boulcott Street-. One contained produce aud beautiful 6woets, ithfl tcar.fc .i-xf. "Mite Across

'tho road was another stall, -dedicated to tho sale of flowers, produce, ico creams, swoots, and knitted garments. The ladies in charge were Mesdames Cornish, Ryland, Wheeler, and Sullivan. Tho Boulcott Street Churchroom, adjacent, under tlio direction of tho Misses Kennedy and other members of tho league, was a receiving depot for tho two stalls, and money seemed to be flowing in in that direction all day. At tho corner of Willis Street tho employees of tho Harbour Board were displaying a Union Jack actually flown at Gallipoli. Another flag closo by contained hundreds of coins thrown into it from passers-by. Mesdames Waters, Williams, Muirhcad, and Macdonald had their depot in Ilarcourt's Buildings. From tho doors floated another historic Red Cross flag, whose tattered edges sliowr ed that it had "braved tho battlo find tho breeze" —somewhere near Anzae. At this stall a raffle was being held, "A Trip to Now Guineas" for Is. to tho person lucky enough to win it. Mrs. Gibbons and Mrs. Lynch wero stationed at Kirkcaldie and Stains' premises. Thoy wero all very busy and Tfright, soiling knitting-bags, lavender bags, and all kinds of flowers and produce. A magnificent iced Christmas cako, given by Godber's, is to bo raffled. Messrs. Kirkcaldie provided and decorated the stall, and entertained Mrs. Gibbons and twentyfive. helpers to lunch as well. The fteatherston bands, who camo especially to town for the purpose, were entertained at lunch at the Returned Soldiers' Club, and afterwards thoy played on the club's baloony. Then tliey marclied gaily tlirough the streots playing a series of martial and enlivening airs. The picture shows, as well as "giving 25 per cent, of all their takings for the day, sent round a decorated lorry full of Charlie Chaplin's, who solicited coins from crowds of amused bystanders. Numbers of returned soldiers were also helping tho cause. Ono popular group carried in a stretcher a protty- littlo girl in nurse's costume, and pennies and coins wore showered upon her.