SURPRISE PACKETS

Dominion, 14 March 1919, Page 6

SURPRISE PACKETS

A NEW RECORD T RAVELLERS BANK £5000 FOR h ONE DAY •>' % Olio did not need to be told that it was Surprise Packet Day" in Wellington esterday. The flutter of torn envelopes V :i every city street proclaimed tlio fact t| liat the Commercial Travellers' Associa- H ion was once more into the breach—on f: lis occasion for the widows nnd orphans G f member.? of tlio gallant mercantile d mrine, whose heroism played a very im- ti ortnnt part in the winning of the war p 3r the Allies. "Carry on!" was the logan afloat as well as ashore, and how S ravely they did so is now history worthy n f a place beside the work of our sol- c iers on the shores of Gallipoli or in v he trenches of Northern France. The 1 'stunt," was arranged for last Noveni>er, but owing to the epidemic that in- ( ention could not bo carried out accord- ( ng to programme. In tbd meantime i ame the armistice, which also threat- I ned the success of tho sclienie. Nothing 1 launted, the Travellers went on with J lis game, and yesterday witnessed the inauguration of the scheme. In brief, • hat was to raise ,£SOOO by selling 100,000 ' irticles at Is. each. ■It may surprise < ome people to know that wholesale and < •etail business people gave no fewer ' ;lmn 101,000 separate articles, which is ine evidence of their patriotism. The surprise packets were merely envelopes lontaining printed slips on which wis mt.ten the articlo which could be claini:d on presentation of the slip at "M" ' ihed. That structure was turned for the lonoe into a vast universal store, with ;oods of all kinds displayed in a manner that did credit to the skilled hands in charge. From an early hour a large lumber of ladies, who were posted at jverv point of vantage, sold the "packets," and long before midday the big staff of assistants at "SI" shed were kept hard at work redeeming the tickcts, and their efforts were characteristic of the Commercial Travellers' organisation, l'hoy toiled away until G p.m., when the store was closed for tea, and started in again at 7 p.m., and worked' away until 10 p.m. The reason for fhis "go quick" movement was the splendid work of the ladies in the city. With a bright engaging manner they allowed no one to "shoot the net." Everyone had (o pay up and look pleasant, and having redeemed their tickets, it was no hardship for them to do this. Invariably people got their full money's worth, and sometimes well over. The ;£350 "White" motor-car, donated by Mr. Kinross White, was won by Mr. W. Cook,' tally clerk on the wharf for a private firm, and Captain Spence, of the pilot staff, secured a gold watch. When the count took place last evening it was found that, with the subscriptions handed in, a sum of oven- ,£SOOO had already been netted for the fund, and when the rest of the tickets are sold—probably before noon to-day—a total of «£GOOO will have ibeen raised altogether. The effort means a, record for one day's work in any similar scheme in New Zealand, and reflects the greatest credit on all concerned.