PATRIOTIC WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1917, Page 8

PATRIOTIC WORK.

PARCELS FOR THE FRONT. i That there is wide-spread interest in patriotic work in New Plymouth is evidenced by the fact that since the Mayoress (Mrs. C. 11. Burgess) announced that she required helpers to make boxes and pac-k goods for the boys at the front, numbers of local residents gathered at the Women's Patriotic League's depot in Brougham street on Wednesday and Thursday to assist in the good work. Willi the money supplied by the Patriotic Committee and donations that are constantly being received, Mrs. Burgess has purchased, through a firm of merchants, jyid at the very best advantage, large supplies of comforts. These include cakes of chocolate, essence of soup, soap, shaving soap, cocoa, sardines, jam, potted meat, specially prepared cakes of cheese, cigarettes, tobacco, curry powder, eucalyptus and menthol drops, Tveleon, bovril lemonade crystals, and fish-paste. Gunraps, cloths, towels, socks, boot-laces and handkerchiefs are also supplied With tliis wide range of goods at their disposal the packers preparo parcels of about 41b In weight. .No two parcels are alike although each contains a handkerchief, a, pair of s .eks, a towel, and a pair of hoot-laees. Benzine eases, a good supply of wihch are available, are converted Into packing cases of suitable size. On Thursday evening, there were over 30 voluntary helpers at work, and the depot had the appearance of a factory, so systematic and deft were the workers. A number of ladies took the articles required from the various shelves in the depot and placed them handy for a dozen ladies who stood at a long* table and put the goods togcthu? in neat parcels. Others wrote brief messages to the unknown recipients. The parcels were llien wrapped in brown paper and packed in the case. In each case Mrs. Burgess enclosed a note, addressed to the Y M.C.A, and directing that the contents were for general distribution. Mrs. Bursess stales that flic distribution of all (lie goods sent from New Plymouth is entrusted to the Y.M.C.A., who have the happy knack of seeing that most of the <roods are received by Taranaki men. Acknowledgements, however, have been received from men ropresentimr numerous and various regiments in the British forces. The working of •packing for this month was completed on Thursday evening, and during the two davs 430 parcels, which were packed into 10 cisos were prepared and despatched. Next month Mrs. Burgess proposes tc invite residents to contribute 2s fid each vnlch will entitle the, donor- to have his or her name written on a card In the parcel as the sender. This doc not indicate thai 2s Od is the value of the parr-el, wh'ch is if ten worth as much as 10s. But the quantity of gcods available Is sufficient to enable this plan to be carried out..