PATRIOTIC WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1916, Page 4

PATRIOTIC WORK.

CIfiUSTMAS GIFTS. Arrangements have been made whereby every one of our boys at the front is to receive a gift at Cluistmas time. Various committees 'have been organised to look after the boys from the Wellington military district. The schemes inaugurated to raise funds includes a great fete at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, on Saturday. October 7. .Subscription li-ts have been circulated in the warehouses and shops of the city. The country residents have been asked to contribute poultry, etc., and arrangements have been made to hold the lirst special appeal to country residents to forward contributions for this sale, and all goods will be carried free on the railways if addressed •'Soldiers' Christmas (lift Fund,'' care Townsend and Paul, Wellington. When we recognise that our boys are doing such great work for us at the front, surely no further appeal is necessary to ensure that they each receive some suitable gift to show our love and recognition of their splendid efforts.

The Raho'tu Christmas Gift Committee ill-knowledge the iollowing donations: One cake, Miss E. Cook; four cakes, .Mrs. W. K. Wright; two cakes, Mesdailies Hopkins, S. Morrow, Evetts, Colmer, Hiighson; one cake, Mesdames Knowles, 1! Malcolm, A. Harvey; 10(10 cigarettes, Me.'danies Qninn and Nightingale; soap and cigarettes, Mrs. Williamson; Mr. and Mrs. Knowles, Mrs, Dew, Mr. Ilnghson, £1; Mr. W. R. Wright, £1- Mrs. A. Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. Loo. Billings, Messrs. T. Willcox, .mil W. Willonghby, 10s; Miss D. Wright and P. Willcox, jnr., 7s (id; Mesdnmes Chapman, A. Baker, jnr., Hnilson, Byrnes, Mouldy, Larking, Messrs. Minnear, Hattwk, i'lonmiig, L. I'".. Billings, Nemo and Miss H. Wright, ss; Mrs. Bowers, 4s (id, \V. Flemiiu', 4s; Metdiunos .1. Lnsk, V. Tyrell 'ind ''T.W.F.," 3s; Mesdames Robertson, Hill, Lucas, F. Ward, Fischer, A. Baker. Misses .lones, Williamson, Byrnes, Messrs. Visitor, C. Pemvanlen ■lack Yep, and A. Thomas, 2s (id; Mesdames (iraom, W. Morrow and Hopkins, 2s; Hiko, lid.

A S'ACK SOCIAL. On Thursday evening, under the auspices of the Tarurutangi Ladies' Sewing fiuikl. a very successful Leap Year "Sack Social" was. held in the Tarurutangi hall. Hie ladies' committee (Mrs. Yates, Miss l-ongstafl' and Copestake) are. deserving of great credit for their efforts, and the ladies were ably supported by Mrs. Balsom, the popular schoolmistress, whoso unflagging energies were conspicuous towards the evening's success. The "penny bags" disgorged the sum of £5 10s in coppers, and the takings aft the door

amounted to £">. Prizes were donated foi the bust, versos by the "penny bag" '■olleetors, mid these were' awarded to Mrs. Vain, Ural, and Mrs. A. Collins, second, Hinciug was kept up until the early hours on Friday, and during the evening iin excellent programme of vocal items and recitation* was rendered, Hose contributing being Mrs. Balsom, Mrs. Yates, Miss Netz, Messrs. Rana, and Rundle. Miss Giddy presided at the piano. A splendid display of gifts (clothing) for wounded cottiers and for the IHgian children evoked general admirat'on. All sorts of iiwtarwear for the unfortunate Belgian children were showa in an ante-room, and for the wounded soldiers, pyjamas, socks, shirts, hot-water-bag covers, etc, enough to fill a, largo, case testified to the work of the ! Tarurulangi ladies. In the, coat pocket of each pyjama suit was placed a handkerchief and a cake of soap, and many, little thoughtful notes that, accompanying the gifts, will cheer the recipients, ''. he social was an undoubted success, and redounded to the credit and patriotism of Tarurutangi, ani the Ladies' Sewing Ciuild in particular.

The Red Cross Mart will be open for business as usual to day, and the ladies of the committee will appreciate gifts of all descriptions. Dairy produce, jams and pickles and eggs will be specially; welcome.

The proceeds of' the sale of flowers to-day will be devoted to the purchase of Christmas comforts for our Maori soldiers, and the committee trust that the public will respond very generously to this very worthy object. Every Britisher is proud of tlie part that his Maori brethren have played in the great Armageddon, and surely New Plymouth can in a small but practical measure, express. its appreciation. Ths Mayoress and other members of the committee will be glad to receive gifts of flowers as early as p-ssible this morning. The sellers for tV.e Maori comforts cause will ba designated, as usual, by the white armlet, with the Union Jack thereon.

Next Christmas Day thousands of New Zealand's brave sons will be spending ihcir Yuletide in the trenches in France, r.r o«, practically, fatigue duty in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and elsewhere. And hundreds will be in hospital in tho Mother Country. Naturally the thoughts oi lliem all will turn to the hearts and homes they love in the far-off Antipodes, None of them will regret tke decision that led them to take part in the great war, but al! of the boys will be looking forward tc some token of remembrance from their native land. The Mayoress nf New Plymouth has, with other lady sympathisers, for months past been indefatigable in her efforts on behalf of the hoys at the front, and she purpose* seeing that none of the Taranaki lads are forgotten at Christmas. And to further this purpose has the Soldiers' Comforts Week Committee—which may be termed an "offshoot" of the General Patriotic Committee —been established to rujt a carnival during the last week in October. The fund has been inaugurated to ensure that every soldier from this military area is provided with a Christmas gift. Parcels of solid comforts and minor luxuries will be forwarded, and no man will be forgotten. But to do this funds are. required, and therefore people arc requested to respond to the appeals now being made, and to be made. People are privately preparing and sending parcels ;o their own dear ones; firms and depnrtiuents nre not forgetting their own brave boys at the front; but it is the public movement —the only one—that v. il' guarantee that "Tom Jones" or "Bill Brown," who may have no particular friends, are not forgotten. Bill and Tom will be looking fo.- a parcel just the same as Percy or dus, and they must ' have it. But money is required, and the sooner the better. Therefore, it h tlie duty of all to respond to the genuine appeals that aie being made, and to specially keep in mind Soldiers' Comforts Week

Mcsdames Hugh Daily and D. K. Morrison, organisers of the Christmas Gift Fund for Tarnnaki Soldiers, met with magnificent success, as was reported last week. During the past t'tw days the lady organisers and their willing helpers have had a very busy time i:i parcelling up the gifts, and their strenuous work was completed yesterday, when 135 parcels, each of nib's we.ght were despatched, addressed to the Adjutant or the Officer Commanding of the different units. Of the packajjas, 102 were sent to Taranaki members owhe Wellington Infantry Battalion, 20 to member-- of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, and 13 to members of the Maori contingent. That these parcels will be welcomed by the recipients goes without saying, and the ladies most intimately concerned have every reason to be proud of this, their second, effort. They are much indebted to Mr. C. Kmmerton, who gratuitously conveyed the numerous parcels to the Post Office, and saw them comfortably bestowed into the care of the hard-working officials of H.M.'s i postal oflicers. incidentally, it may be mentioned, that the pontage on tltts bundles amounted to £2O 3s.