PATRIOTIC WORK

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1916, Page 5

PATRIOTIC WORK

PUBLIC MEETING ELECTION OF NEW COMMITTEE. There were about seventy of the publie at the Whitcley Hall last evening, when the adjourned public meeting to elect a patriotic committee and subcommittees for the ensuing year was held. More than a dozen Indies' were present. The Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) occupied the chair. .T. E. Wilson, chairman of the committee, in speaking to Mr. C. E. Bellringer 's amendment, proposed at" the meeting a fortnight previously, that fif(een be a committee, together with re presentatives from returned soldiers and from the various country committees, said that if there was a limited number of good grafters much more work would be done. Hi s experience for the past two years had been that the work could be done effectually by a small committee. If a man were put on a arge committee he would naturally think that he ought to be put on some of the stib-commii/ees, which should not be necessary. He hoped to be on the committee elected,'whatever size it was. but not as chairman, as pressure of tvoi-K would not allow him to give the necessary time to the duties of the oniee. r n , M L ßelh 'L nger Baid that he ,lad moved loi fifteen town residents to be on the committee, as he considered seven would be quite inadequate. The average attendance oi the committee during the P ; ist year had been 12, without "practical representation from the countrv work ~o had done good Mr. IT lacre did not agree with either the motion (for seven), or the amendment. Why „„ t do as in the past -elect a committee, and then the neces. eary sub-committees? To be tied up as both resolution and amendment suggested was a huge mistake. Mr. Wilson denied that it was the ilea of either proposal or amendment that the committee's hands should be Mr Bellringer's amendment was earned by 20 to IC, a number present reframing from votin" that no number be stated, but that the meeting be simply instructed to elect a committee, found no seconder Twenty-two gentlemen were nominre nl/T- (1 00 'i ,1 ," itt00 ' ■ wl «>e ballot resulted m the following being elected: Messrs. J. R. Hill, I, Jf. Monteath, J T 1 VTI L A t No,an ' C - E - Bellringer. •J. R. Patom J. Clarke, C. Carter, W B. Ciancy, rc List, A. B.fiibsonw C Weston, D. ,T. Hughes. J. McL-od ami W. Colli.. Sfmn,/ HaV( l n Steeds, F.rth. and Button acted as scrutineers, i On the motion of Messrs. Paton and ilson it was unanimously decided that Week Comforts Committee remain in office until the Carnival week is con elcctd Hmest Committ <-e «•» Mr. C E. Bellringer moved, Mr. Nolan seconded, and it was carried that it be a recommendation to the new committee that the smil of £O2 odd, now in hand for soldiers' comforts, be handed over to the Ladies' Patriotic CommiC Mr. Y\ Ambury submitted a report of the wheat growing that had been undertaken for the benefit of the wounded . aoWiera. as foHow»:-The 15 acre* of land so generously placed at the Com- ■ mitteas disposal for the duration of the : «-ar by Mr. Harry Western, of Bell Block, Ams been dealt with during the past season, with the following resultsThe ciop yielded 116 sacks of good wheat and 2.> Vi tons of straw. The price of wheat ruling very low, the Committee being very anxious to realise every possible shilling for the fund, decided to distribute the produce in the four centres—Stratford, Inglewood, Waitara and New Plymouth—with a twofold ob- '. ject, (1) that of realising a much larger net amount through allowing the vairi- ' ous Committees to include the proceeds in their local funds, and with a view to ' enthusing the various districts to adopt ' a similar method for the coming sea- : son. Through the generosity of business ' men and workers in town, and settlers in the district supplying material,.teams, and free labor, the greater part of the ! | work of planting, harvesting, and marketing the crop has been done 'Without ; cost to the committee, but in the ' handling of so many tons of material at that distance away from the town and the railway, we could not fairly ''beg" all the time and labor entailed, though considerable saving was' made through ' generous help by various expressmen and , settlers. After having mst all liabilities the net results are as follows: Proceeds af wheat sent to Stratford Patriotic I Committee, £2O lis od; Ingiewood Patriotic Committee, £73 los; Waitara Patriotic Committee, £lO Is 2d; X!ew Plymouth £UG Ms Ud. Total, £lB9 5s 1 During the next few days the bal-ance-sheet will be audited, and a report handed to the press, with a general vote of thanks to ill who have helped to bring about the result. i Mr. Ambury said that the land was still available for the committee. Thanks to Mr. L. Connett, the ground .had been ploughed; it was now being disced, and it was hoped to get the wheat in this ' week. On the motion of Mr. Hill, votes of thanks were accorded Messrs. Ambury and O. W. Sole for the work they had i dono in this connection; to Mr. T. H. Woston, owner of the land; and to Mr. E. E. W. M. Lysaglit for his assistance. Mr. A. B. Gibson moved that "We, the citizens of New Plymouth, desire to place on record our high appreciation of the work of the organisers of the various patriotic funds, especially to the eiiiairman, secretary, and treasurer, and also to the local press for their whole-hearted support of every undertaking in aid ol our wounded soldiers, and especially f r, their gratuitous advertising." Araplil ' ing his motion, Mr. Gibson said that a lot had been heard of what the ladies were doing and tad done, but the public had not 'heard half of it. The ladies deserved the utmost credit. It had been suggested that many workers were engaged in self-advertisement, but he i was sure that none of the workers were j out for aggrandisement. , The motion was seconded by Mr. F. ' W. Sandford, and carried by acclamation. , Mr. Wilson said that a contributor . to the local press had hinted that the Patriotic Committee was a little bit too close-fisted, but he wished to impress upon jpeople that the Committee had many obligations to meet. If relief were given indiscriminately now, what about it when all the men returned? What claims would have to be met'/ The prac- , tice, as well as the duty, of the Com- j mitteo now was to relieve «U cases of , distress. If, when the war wa3 ever, it ■was found that the calls were not so ( largo as might now be reasonably ex- 1 pected, then larger allowances would be j made, In bis opinion, the Committee ,

was dealing very fairly indeed with all claims. Tho result of Hie election for comtohV tee wa» announced at tto» Bfcro unf the meeting terminated. .."^

SOLDIERS' COMFORT WEEIt MEETING OF CARNIVAL COMMITTEE, A meeting of the sub-committee wai held in the Town Hall yenterday after* noon, this Mayor (Mr. C. H, Burgess)] being in the chair. Others present werej! Mrs. Burgess, Messrs. J. Clarke, C. Car* ' tcr, C. E. Bellringer, J. R. Hill, H. Goodacre, L. A. Nolan, P. White and R VV. G. McLeod (lion. sec.). The secretary reported having inter, viewed Miss Barr, principal of the Girls* ! High School, and that lady had evinced enthusiasm in the proposal and the school would aid in any possible way< The Convent teachers and pupils wouM also» assist. He had written the van* ous sporting bodies and to the The West End Bowling Club has replied* promising to assist. <: Mr. Goodacre reported that the for a competitive procession of tradS displays, etc., was being heartily talced The alteration in the Carnival dates* from October 15 to 21 to October 22 ta 28 was confirmed. Messrs. Clarke and White were »p«' pointed a sub-committee to attend the Frankley Road patriotic meeting to be held on Friday evening. On the motion of Messrs. Bellringeit and Goodacre, it was decided to write! to the Taranaki Education Board, asktog that body to declare 'Labor Day a .. holiday for the schools, and that the Thursday in Carnival week should also be a holiday. A proposition that the procession on Monday should start at 12.30 p.m. wu agreed to, as was another that the Minister for Labor be written and asked if he could makf it convenient to come to New Plymouth for that date. It was resolved to ask the railway authorities to delay the outgoing, coun•try trains on the Monday and £hurs» day afternoons, and that excursion fares only be charged. '' 1 ; llr. Hill moved that Mr. J. a Connett, as president of the A. and P. Society, be written to and asked to use his influence in arranging for a "Coun • try Day" during the week, preferably on the Saturday.—Seconded by Mr. Cartcr, and carried. Mr. Connett was unanimously added to the committee. Mr. Carter wa9 appointed vice-chair-man of the committee, which then ad* journed until next Tuesday at 4 p.io. ' THE RED CROSS SOCIETY, >

(To the Editor.) Sir.—ln reply Ho a letter In tM#» morning's paper signed "Puzzled," I have to stated on behalf of the New Plymouth branch of the British Red Cross •Society, that the present Collections being made in aid of Christmas coinforts for our soldiers have nothing to do with the above society. That society; is kept going by the monthly subscription* of its members, by many generous unsolicited gifts, and by the substantial help accorded through the Red Gross market, held each Saturday. An annual collection day has been appointed by the head oftice of the Society in Britain, under the express patronage of His Majesty the King for a date in Oc* tober, which date has been fixed locally for October 21st.—I am, etc., ' H. B. LEATHAM. M.D., President New Plymouth Sub-centre British Red Cross Society.! The Mayoress of New Plymouth: (Mm. Burgess) writes as follows:—Relative to "Puzzled's" letter in yesterday's issue I wish to explain that the Women'* Patriotic Committee—or the Mayoress* committee—is in no way connected with tin house-to-house canvass being made for Christmas cheer for out boya ab the front. The work of my committee is entirely voluntary, and no house-to-house canvass for supplies ot money hs& been made, or will be made. We will be glad to receive- any gifts for packing, aa usual. It does not matter for whom the gifts are intended, it being all the same to us, 1 might take advantage of this opportunity of drawing attention to the splendid work being done by the women of New Plymouth in this connection, and their thankfulness for what the publio has already done to help them. Much remains to be done yet, and they serve all the encouragement and assist' ivnee that can be given. ' CHRISTMAS "PARCELS.

Mesdames Hugh Baily and Morrison acknowledge with tlu.nks donations for , their fund for Christmas parcels for tha boys at tha front as under: 8.H.5., Smnrt Road, ss; Miss Radford, 6s; the Misses Howell, parcels 'of sweetsji Anonymous, comforts for soldiers. The Soldiers' Club Committee w knowledges with thanks a donation ot £lO from Mrs. Baily, from gold wat<4» raffle, for furniture, also' from Mrs, Moyes £3 los, a friend £2 2s, Red Post (weekly), las and lis 3d, and weekly donation 3s. The Mayoress (Mrs. C. H. Burgess), will this week forward six cases of books, periodicals, cards, etc., and also a. case containing (lOlbs of cakes and sweets, for the Taranaki men who ara leaving by the next transport.