RETURNED SOLDIERS' DAY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 13

RETURNED SOLDIERS' DAY

A GREAT EFFORT Glorious. weather, and a sky that was "deeply, darkly, beautifully blue," presided over tho "great push" inado by the lleturncd Soldiers' Club and their friends and helpers yesterday. Citizens as usual .made a generous response to the numerous' calls upon their pockets, in i'acfc,~ as Harry Lauder would put it, overyone had a hand "rambling through their pouches" for coins both largo and small, throughout the greater part of tho day. All the home-made. sweets and cakes wcro simply snapped up very early in the day. Everyone as they returned homewards at midday was cake or flowerladen, and-, bearing sundry bulky, knobbly packages. Keturned soldiers, with winning smiles, and rattling collection-boxes, were stationed everywhere, and reaped a. tine harvest. Boy scouts ran nimbly round, and were useful in a hundred ways. Stalls were stationed everywhere, packed.with every kind of produco and saleable articles, truly a person who could, find nothing to'.buy would have becu very difficult to please. The grand crescendo of the "great push" undoubtedly found its culmination at tho Bank, of New Zealand corner, where the commercial travellers were distributing their famous surprise packets. Soldiers digging trenches at .Trent-ham could not have worked harder, than' did these silent, efficient) workers for the cause; coats off was the order of tho day—most of them wero bare-head-ed, with -the exception of one rnan, who had donned a little scarlet knitted cap. Over 10,000 tickets were sold in an incredibly short space of time, and all day and late into the evening patient crowds stood waiting their turn quite six deep in their formaton. All kinds of surprises awaited the buyers, some quaint, some comic, and a largo number were very pleasant surprises indeed, cigarettes, sausages, tiny collar pins, a- gold jiccklet, and a packet of hair-nets opened by a- very surprised and puzzled batohelor! Tho following'ladies were in charge: —Mesdames Phelps and R. Wilson, and they were assisted bv Mesdames Howell, Keith, Wright, Mac Donald,' Hogan, Maxwell, Brodie, Ingis, Longraore, Gilbert, Manton, Campbell, Carloton, Murphy, Taylor, Rush, M'Guire, Jeffrey, and the Misses Warehain (2), MacDonakl, Phelps,' Kcirman, Aldridge, Kutner (2), Oliver, Moss (2), Marks, Pye-Smith, Higgins, Patterson, Israel, O'Leary, and others. These ladies worked' just as Tiard as the men to make a success of their undertaking. Another picturesque adjunct, which helped to give the day quite an air of carnival was the Spinsters' Caravan. It would he hard to say where their caravan had not rested, it was übiquitous. The lunch-hour saw their two horses drawing it proudly down tho main streets. Brooms and tinware hung from the sides, a cage of bantams was tucked under. the steps, quantities' of vegetables and produco were snugly packsd away in tho body of the caravan, and a picturesque group of .Romany lasses clad in a bewildering maze of brilliant colours sat beside their door. : _Miss D. Isaacs, the secretary, is desirous of thanking Mosssr. Wright and Kinvig for making the caravan, and Mr. Jackson for insorting tho chimney and fireplace, Mr. Welliiig for bringing the caravan, top from the Bay, and-Mr. Steve Ivory for the loan of his two,fine horses. At the corner of Boulcott Street the wives and relatives" of the returned soldiers had a number of nice things for sale, and several valuable raffles— a quilt mado of wool, which was sent outjby an Englishwoman, the mother of seven sons, four of whom aro soldiers at the front, and three in munition works. Another raffle was a silver cake-basket, some- loving-cups, etc. A number of children in fancy dress helped'to sell badges and colleot iu connection with the stall. Mrs. J. P. Luke had a stall- at Winder's-Corner, where Mrs. Murphy was in charge. She was assisted by Mesdames Dormer, Little, Daloy, -Jell, the Misses Townsend (2), Rcid,' Barnntt, Cederholm, Bock, Powell, Thompson.' All these helpers had contributed beautiful cakes and sweets, and Mrs. Bartloy had also sent a quantity of home-made sweets. . ; The girl students of tho telegraph school, under the direction of Miss M'Callura and-Miss Drydeu had stocked their little stall with flowers, Jam, and other dainties, and they did splen.did business all day. Messrs. Kirkcaldio and Stains erected a stall, as they have often - done before, for Mrs. Gibbons and her helpers, and once more the firm provided refresh-, ments for everybody. Those ladies who were holping Mrs: Gibbons were Mesdames Lynch, Leicester, Shepherd-, S. Myers, Neilsou,- Stewart, Shepherdson, and the Misses Shepherd (2), Monrad, M'Coll, and othcra. Lovely flowors had come from Paraparaunui, and from Mrs. R. G. M'Lean. The Misses Shepherd brought some beautiful blooms from Kilbirnie, and Miss Allman also brought flowers. The Misses - Cooper and Poolo were most generous with their contributions. Tho two stalls at the Post Office were in charge of the committee of the Returned Soldiers' Hostel. At the front steps Mrs.'Robert Fletcher was in charge of a. stall, and her helpers wero Nurse Everltt, Mesdames Kirby, P. Myers, Scott, Welsh, Miss Gordon, and a,ninuber of others. Mrs. Jacobs and Miss O'Connor had eont large quantities of home-mado sweets, and Mrs. Dymock had sent a fine ham. Opposite tho wharf, Mrs. T. M. Wilford and Mrs. Radeliffe had a stall, and their helpers were Mesdames Walker, A. L. Warhiirton, Gibbons, and the Misses Cooper, Varnham, and several girls, who sold badges, etc. At this stall were a number of returned soldiers, who had come from Somes Island, by special permission from the Defence authorities. Maiiy' firms had sent handsome donations to Mrs.Radcliffe. Tumbul) and Co., ■'Levin and Co., Palliscr Bros., Tosman, D. W. Virtue, Pearsons, Stewart Dawson's, Lindsay's, Hannah's, Speed, Edward Anderson, Johnstone and Co., and many private contributors. Mrs. Levvey was selling raffle tickets for a- lovely doll. At the Kclburn corner were three stalls. The'llobson Street Ladies' Stall was managed by Mrs. Brandon, and Mrs. Arthur Myers, and they wcro assisted by Mesdames ¥. Samuel, E. F. Hadfield, Miss Hughson, and -many others. Mrs. Hall and a number of helpers did good business 'with their cakes. - Lady Gibbes and Mrs. Cotill were in charge oF the, flowers, and their assistants wero Mesdames Corrigan, C. It. Smith, Harty, and.the Misses Coull, Wyley, Percival, Scales, Wheeler, and Day. The choicest blooms could be purchased here, and Miss Murray, of Willis Street, had, been most generous, and had forwarded beautiful baskets of fruit and (lowers. The hidic:; of Mangatainoka, per Mrs. Thompson, ii;>d sent in a line. donation of pen]try. ducks, vegetables, and flowers, for their produce stall. The other country districts, too. had. also been very generous to this stall. Mrs. A. M: Myers was in charge'all day, and tho others helping were Mesdames L. Blundell, AV. Russell, W. Young, Gunn, Chatfie!d,.C. Earle, W. Nathan, Mrs. Moorhpuse. Mr. Pearson and Miss Adams were in charge of the depot in Harcourt's Buildings, and made up the flowers into hunches. Tho guessing competition in connection with the. Sydney Street Soldiers'' Club stall, the two prizes in which wero each half a. sheep, was won li.v Mr. ff. ,1. Stott, who guessed that the number of peas in the bottle was 807,

Mrs. Kennedy being tho seeona prize- „ winner, her guess being 80a. Tho actual £ number of peas was blu. I The stall outside tho licfunicd Sol- $ diers' Hostel, in liintonl Street, was in 8 charge of Mesdamea Boden, M'Donald, | and the Misses Arow, E. Nielson, and | Chcesemaii. Produce, flowers, and U children's underclothing were sold here, 1 and ice-cream, donated by Mr. Gates, 1 was very popular during the warmer § hours of the day. A fortune-teller save 1 peeps into tho futuro in a-roomiu the 1 hostel, and all tho helpers wero enter- | taiued at lunch and tea by the matron $ of the hostel. a Mrs. Bull was in chargo of the stall 1 at Courtenay Place, and with her were 1 ™° Misses Gilbert and Mudie. Over I £30 wortli of surprise--, packets wore {§ sold at this stall, and also a number of | .young tomato plants, grown from seed | obtained from Gallipoli. A little or- 1 pnan girl.from the Lower Hutt had | sent m a number of pretty.littlo posies 1 of tea roses, which found a ready sale. Mrs. Eowantrce occupied her favour- | ite corner at Veiteh and Allan's. With i her was Mrs. Colo and Mrs. Spots- & wood, and a number of girl helpers did ) fj very good work with their collecting- 1 boxes.- . 1 The cake that was presented by | Johnsonvillo school-children to the St. § John- Ambulance Brigade, and Red 1 Cross, Nathan's Building, was won l)v I Mrs. D. Sloane, holding ticket No. 170. | The sowing machine from tho Com- £ mercial Travellers' /stall, was won . by 1 Mrs. Mac Donald, Wilton Eoad, Wades- 1 town. 1