CHRISTMAS PARCELS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 3

CHRISTMAS PARCELS

Visit To Packing Centre

In a drap-painted, . unpretentious Army hut, which stands in tbe grounds of tile Star Boating Club. Wellington, there is, for tbe greater part of each week day a busy quartet of women. Their job is to pack the parcels which are being forwarded to the men of the Now Zealand Forces overseas, wherever they may be. These are the parcels for which thousands of people in Wellington province have been subscribing during the appeal over the last month. For this quarter—the Christmas parcel the number of parcels being sent forward is 10,500, and for the next quarter the number will amount to IS,OOO. Prom 10.30 a .an. till 2 p.ui. each day four women —different parties, each day —attend to the packing work in the hut, under the capable direction of Mrs. G. Adams, who has been in charge of this activity of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council since its initiation. In a good light, ■with mounds of canned goods before them, the packers swiftly and deftly wrap tbe goods in a brown paper parcel tied with string. Before the tying process, however, one important function is attended to as a rite. This is to wrap round a package of safety razor blades the receipt for tbe 10/- from the donor (whoever he or she may be), and a neat little Christmas card upon which tbe council “on bebalt of the people of the province.” expresses Christmas and New Year greetings. Once the parcel is wrapped, it is passed on to a male packer, who stows it neatly and firmly in a wooden case-h--eight parcels to a case. This packing is done so firmly that the parcels cannot shift. Each rase is then wired and stencilled ’•X.Z.,” for the New Zealand troops in the Middle East, anti “P.” indicating the places in the Pacific where there are New Zealand troops. Here are the contents of an average parcel: 1 Mb. of cake (in a sealed tin), a, tin of preserved meats, tongues or oysters, a tin of coffee and milk or ran of dried peas, a can of preserved fruit (one in oyer.v parcel), a package of razor blades, shaving and* ordinary soap, and a handkerchief. As an indication of how much these parcels are appreciated by their recipients. here is a letter received by the chairman of the council (Mr. T.. C. A. Hislop), recently from a New Zealand hospital in the East: “As an airman patient: in a New Zealand hospital at the time of the distribution of the patriotic parcels. 1 should like to express to you my sincere thanks for the splendid parcel given on your bebalt. It ■was truly wonderful, and I enjoyed the contents a great deal. I sent the cake home to rny folks in England (who I know will appreciate it greatly), as the other Kiwis were handing round their parcels in a very liberal manner. I was looked after extremely well, and would like to say what a fine crowd of chaps, and, indeed, of nurses, I found .the Kiwis to be. Thanking you once again.”