"OUR DAY" EFFORT

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

"OUR DAY" EFFORT

A SUCCESSFUL RALLY FUNDS FOE RED CROSS WORK FINE SPIRIT MANIFEST A few weeks ago came an urgent call from England for funds for the prosecution of Bed Cross work. All those who read tho war news in tlio daily papers anticipated such a call. Heaps of money must bo required for buc)i work after a succession of battles such as witnessed on the Sommc. The casualties were appalling— yet everyone had to be helped, every wound had to be dressed, every hurt had to bo salved. A gigantic task surely, yet we have been told that tho Ambulance and Red Cross services were wonderfully ready and splendidly organised. Tho appeal from the British Red Cross was made to all parts of the Empire. ■Wellington was asked for £10,000. Yestorday's big effort (to be continued today and this evoning) was made 10 try and raise that sum. The big band of workers associated with the society and kindred bodies were favoured with ideal weather. A warm, bright day, with a clear sky overhead, and a genial sun heartened everybody for the work at hand. The most general means of "raising tlio wind" was by collecting boxes and the sale of gii'fc goods from well-arranged stalls ill the streets, attended in each instance by a group of ladies, who left no stone unturned to make lmy while tho sun shone. Tactical Collectors. The stalls wero strategically placed at points' where tho pedestrian traflio was thickest, so that none should escape—and precious few did. The ladies, all very bright and charming in their summer dresses, proved as invulnerable as the British "tanks" on tho Somme. They charged everybody according to their characters. Grim loolring men with rat-trap mouths were assaulted by, fair chargers, who only ai&cd a mere 200 per cent, on the value of tho goods, hut the sunny, smiling cigarette-smoking impressionable young men had to submit to a 500 per cent, profit, and as a rule did so gracefully. Thero were few absolute refusals to give, and occasions wore numerous where real liberality was shown. Some of the girls sold exemption badges for 2s. 6d. or 55., according to the reception they received. This was n joke, for. badge or no badge, the girls'-in-sisted oil soliciting coin of the realm from all and sundry, and who shall say that they were to blame? Not even those who purchased exemptions would put forward such a contention.

In the afternoon tho streets were enlivened with ■ music by the Treutham Camp Band, which paraded up and down the main streets, pulling money out of the depths of all pockets with their festive tonal appeal. Another musical "stunt" was that of Messrs. Chadwick and Campbell (from His Majesty's Theatre), who, in a motor-car, captained by a near relative of Charles Chaplin, played concertina selections at various points of vantage, throughout the afternoon, with good tinancinl results. Legal wig and gowns sprouted from a large motor-wagon, whereon a Court of

Summary Jurisdiction was established, vested (by itself) with powers to linu any citizen known to bo solvent. Mock '• trials were carried out with more or less gravity throughout tho day, much to tho advantage of the funds to bo assisted. "Buy an Envelope!" Another big feature of tho da.y was the effort of the Commercial Travellers', who usually have some idea that' gets a firm grip on tho public. This time, it was the sale of envelopes, on which Was scribbled tho name, of an article which might bo worth 2d. or £2, but which was immediately redeemed at the big lorry that was moored alongside tha Bank of New Zealand. The envelopes sold like hot cakes, and within a few minutes after the sale started people began to swarm around the wagon to get "what was coming to them." Ono charmingly costumed summer girl drew a pound of pork sausages, and a grave and reverend gentleman found himself the owner of a pair of lady's socks. An eager pressman was rewarded with a ladys' collar, and a "Pioneer" received a coat-hanger and a tin of sheep's tongues. A great flutter of excitement was caused when one man scored a beautiful woollen rug, worth from £2 to £3, and another got away with a Morris chair. So good a gamble was it considered by tho crowd that envelopes and goods ran out, and the busy commercials and their lady friends, who had sold nearly 3000 envelopes, had to scurry round to scaro up more goods and onvelopes. In the majority of instances the goods were donated gratis, but there were occasions when the goods had to bo paid for, presumably at a satisfactorily low price. It is very seldom that ono is afforded the sight of so many goods materialising into money in such a brief spaco of time.

The Masters Sifflet, two boys of about seven years of ago, attired as miniature Charlie Chaplins, caused a Mod deal of amusement wherever they drii'fed.

One must not omit to mention the excellent work done by tho Boy Scouts, who acted as messengers for tho officials and stall-holders throughout tho day; tho ladles who did such valiant

servico from early morning until a late hour last evening, and to the lion, treasurer (Mr. James M'lntosh) and his staff, who received and counted flic cash in tho Chamber of Commerce all day and up till midnight. A Long Walk. During tho day Mr. If. S. Alpe, of Christ church, mado an attack on his own record for a twenty-one miles road walk, by stepping out the distance between the Upper Hutt and Keiburn Avenue (on Lambton Quay). Mr, Alpe covered tho distance in 3hrs. 44min. and 14scc. —nearly 15 minutes over the record he put up on the. North Canterbury-Papamti Eoad. Ho lost 15 minutes between Trcntham and Taita, where the the road had been newly shingled, and the judge made an allowance for this, making the actual time a record—3hrs. 38mins. Mr. Alpe wa« received by the Mayor, when ho completed his walk, and was congratulated on his performance and rheered. Mr. Alpe- expressed spceial thanks to Mr. A. filers for assistance rendered. Collections totalling £5 wero made during the walk.