STRATFORD LADIES' PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 4, 3 August 1916, Page 5

STRATFORD LADIES' PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

ANMAL KEI'OUT AM) BALANCESHi&ET. The Stratford Ladies' Patriotic Com-' mittee present thrir report lor the year ending July, 191 G, as follows: On August 4th, 1915, a public meeting was called and the Stratford Ladies' Patriotic Committee formed to hold office for the year. Every first Tuesday in each month, n general meeting has been held, besides these, four general meetings and eleven meetings of tho Executive Committee. Our first work was the making of ninety leather waist-coats. Tliis work was well done, and much appreciated. For the purpose of raising .these-funds, a street collection was" taken up. Xext came the call for Hospital Ship Bed equipment. The public responded well, and after a few* Weeks good work done in the rooms kindly lent by Messrs Spence and Stanford, we were able to send equipment for ten beds. All country districts assisted well with these. Tho next Work was that of sand bags, these had to be of uniform size, washed, mended and taped, and tied in bundles of ten. Two bales of these were forwarded. At a »peciai meeting held on March 16th, it was resolved to pass all motions into The Wounded Soldiers''Fund, and from that time, our fund be called the "Red Cross Fund" (.Stratford, New Zealand Branch). For, the support of this fund, a market is held every Saturday. A Sewing Guild is held every Wednesday in the Committee's Rooms (and not as well attended as it should be) at which Red Cross needlework is done. From this fund.

j wo donate £o monthly for extra comforts for our men in hospital in England. We have another fund called the "Countess of Liverpool Fund," this is for buying comforts for out* men in the trenches and firing 1 ne. For the support of this fund, we have luncheon, morning and afternoon tea dispensed in our rooms every Saturday. For a time we sent present pa-r-. eels from New Zealarid, but as comforts can be procured more spePj;firjh and economically in England th&h aM*- < the present time in our Dominion, ana" owing to the difficuly of traftsportjftfliSßAl decided to join with "Wellington in sending money monthly instead to the New- Zealand War Contingent Asso'--ciation, London. Our share being £5 monthly from this fond. We have a band of good knitters devoting whatever time they can to the ma King of woollen'waistcoats, socks, comforters, mittens, to be ready for the coming winter in France. Several crse-i ot such articles have been forwarded during the year, to be dispensed to our fighting men. We also supply mater- 1 ial and make fifty hold-alls and' fifty housewives monthly. Besides these, we supply each man leaving for camp from this district frith one of each. This Committee is indebted to Mr W. Smith, who gives the whole of the coal used in the tea rooms. We also wish to specially thank the Ngaero Ladie« for the many splendid bundles of com-*""" forts they send to us to be forwarded. ■:■'.■■- ■■.■••- :.mmm RED CROSS FUND. Receipts.—To receipts from markets £431 Os -Hd, sundry afternoons £l7 6s lOd, sale of flowers £7 46, sale of cakes, etc. £lB 8 S 6d, sale of bags £1 6a 9d, subscriptions £ll 14s 7d, donations £3l 4s 6d, entertainments £10.") lis Id, donations for hospital thip £2 15s, donations from Men's Society £5, sale of tickets on section £sl ss, sundry receipts 15s, interest from P. 0.5.8. £l 6s 5d.—£684 18s o£d.

Expenditure.—By rent of rooms £34 10s, advertising £7 12s, concert expenses £l, cartage £2 lGs stl, cleaning rooms £2 Bb, travelling expenses £3 10s, postages and petty expenses £3 12s 4Ad, materials for bazaar work £'3 9s, materials for sand bags £lO 14s lid, sundry goods £lO 5s sd, handed to Stratford Patriotic Society « £ 112 16s sd, hospital ship equipment £2 15s, handed to Red Cross Fund £57 19h, donation to Widows of North Sea fight £l4. Balance: cash in bank £ll4 os 5d ; balance, cash in hand £ : * 4s Id—£ll7 9a 0d.—£684 18s 0-Jd. "WAISTCOAT FUND. Receipts.—To special collections, donations, etc.,'for waistcoats £33 lis ls._£33 Us Id. Expenditure.—By sheepskins £6 os. advertising etc. 8s (3d, leather £7 17s Gd. Balance transferred to Lady Liverpool Fund £l9 Os id.—£33 lis Id. LADY LIVERPOOL FUND. Receipts—To balance from waistcoat fund £l9 Os Id, receipts from afternoon teas, etc. £lOl 14s s£d, donations for parcels otc. £3. 0s 6d.—£123 15s OJd. Expenditure.—By rent of room? £i2 10s, sundry goods purchased £2 iGs 7Jd, materials £7 9s 9d, parcels of comforts for soldiers £7 3s, paid to Lady Liverpool Fund £2 4s. paid to fund for Widows of North Sea fight £4 os 9d, petty expenses sd. Balance: Jc-ash in hank £BS; balance, cash in hand £2 5s o|d—£B7 os sid.—£l23 15s o|d. MARGARET F, RIDGE, Sec. ISABELLA WHITE, Treasurer. The balance-sheet was certified to as correct by Mr Alfred Coleman, P.P.A., Auditor.