FRENCH DAY APPEAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 251, 11 July 1918, Page 3

FRENCH DAY APPEAL

FOR THE FRENCH RED CROSS AND FRENCH REFUGEES. A meeting of the French Day Appeal Women's Committee was held in the Concert Chamber 'of the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance of members, and Mrs, ff. F. Slnssey prosified. It was reported by the hqn. secretary, Mrs. J. Hunan, that 3000 ribbon badges had been received lor sale on the day of the. appeal, as well as id metal badges niado in France, symbolic of tlm struggle through which Franco in piussing. As a memento of (ho ivar and of the. desire on the part, of New Zealand people till el p so stricken a country, the badge? wei'o likely to become exceedingly valuable. In addition thero are a number of other badges of quaint design which it is hoped will be readily bought for tbo good of the cause. Mrs. Hn.nnn further announced that the Public Works Department were willing to lend their stalls, six in all, leaving two more yet to be secured. The D.'I.C. had .promiswl to decorate these stalls in the French colours. Messrs. Bethune and Co. were lending their auction mart as a depot for the day.

It was considered expedient to set up a sub-committee to be in charge of the depot, and Mrs. Wallace and lire. Machu were appointed, to this task. Reports were made of other assistance which had bcon promised in regard to fifts of flowers, foliage, produce, etc. lowers were being sent from Kelson, Wanganui, ■ Lower Hutt, ' Khandallnh, the Hutt District High School, and from the Kelbiirn school children, and it was hoped from various other schools with which Mrs. Hanan had entered into negotiation. Altogether .the prospect for the French Day Appeal appeared to bo very satisfactory, and the only cause lor apprehension was to be found in regard to weather conditions.

At the meeting, the lace which had been given for the benefit of the appeal by Lady Wilson (Bulls)- was showii and was greatly admired. Th'o articles .which are to bo/raffled included n blouse trimmed with real duchesse lace, with cuffs edged with' Ypres point, a guipure lace scarf, a, child's frock trimmed with torchon lace, a cache-corset of pink erepc-de-chine and lace, n parure for a. chemisette of Cluny lace, a torchon boudoir cnp, a baby's cap nf torchon lace, three handkerchiefs bordered with Cluny lace and a Cluny lace collar. The lace was all made in a war-stricken town in Flanders, and was bought; by an officer direct from tho maker (a poor peasant woman) mid,sent'to New Zealand. Another beautiful article (presented by Mm. Jcnnes.?, of lower Hull) which is to be rallied for the Trench Appeal is a divan cover of royal blue satin worked with Indian embroidery and finished with a deep fringe of shaded silk. It is valued at a sum of at loaet. .£l2 or £U, and it is hoped that a good sum may be realised by the raffle. . At tho close of tho meeting Mrs. Ma«sey 6t.ited that the effort. for France did not end with the French Dn.y Appeal on Friday, but would lie continued for some time to come by divers means, for it was their ardent hope to realise as much as possible for suffering France.