"SAVE THE BABIES."

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1919, Page 6

"SAVE THE BABIES."

DOMINION PLUNKET DAY. NEW PLYMOUTH'S SPLENDID EFFORT. In round figures the result of New Plymouth's effort on Saturday on behalf of the Plunket Society work, was the collection of about £370, and the day can be justly claimed to have been a splendid success. The work of the Society is so well known now that it scarcely needs explanation. The revival of interest in it locally is a matter for much thankfulness. For some time this work was in abeyance here, but since its re-or-ganisation it has developed to such an extent that the local branch of the Society is in the position of having to face the possibility of the employment of a second nurse. The prominence given to this very important work by Saturday's street collection on its behalf, will bring it more conspicuously under the notice of everybody, and should result in the Society's rooms in Brougham Street becoming a still more popular, institution, not merely amongst those in need of the advice and assistance of the nurse, but With all who are interested in child welfare. Very excellent plans were made for Saturday's campaign, and those who carried it through deserve the thanks of the community, and are to be heartily congratulated upon their achievement. The public, too, may share in the congratulation that they realised the importance of the work and gave' as generously as the takings indicated. A comprehensive street collection scheme was well carried out—stalls were erected in various parts of Devon Street central, afternoon tea was served in the Plunket rooms, ice creams were dispensed by High School girls in Mr. Kurta's Devon Street shop, numbers of young ladies sold buttonhole sprays in the streets, Father Christmas (Mr. Roy Deare) made a premature visit to the town for the special delectation of the children, and altogether the net spread by those responsible for the carrying on of this work in the town and country was sufficiently wide to make it difficult for many to escape its meshes. The toystall was thronged by crowds of children for'the greater part of the day, while the crusade of some of the ladies with •cigarettes and tobacco proved a piece de resistance to the men. A feature of one of the stalls was the suDply of eggs, which amounted to about 100 dozen, the greater proportion having been contributed through the medium of the schools, each child being invited to bring an egg to the teacher during the past week. On the same stall were a number of very useful buckets* which had been made by some of the High School boys, from benzine tins. All the stalls were very heavily stocked when they commenced business in the morning, and the organisers of the effort appreciated greatlv the generous manner in which contributions of goods and fnod were sent in. Particularly brisk business was done at the toy-stall, controlled by Mcsdamo« G. Fraser and B. H. Chancy! who, after paying for the purchase of many articles, cleared over £6O. They were assisted by Misses Watkins, Jackson (2), Bullard (2), and Jordan (2). Mascots were sold to practically every one of the numerous motor cars which were in town on Saturday, and this sale produced about £5. Following are the names of those in charge of the several stalls, and the I amounts (approximately) raised by each: — Produce Stall.—Mesdames Newton King, S. G. Smith, A. McHardv, and Jenkins, £3O. Cake Stall.—Mesdames Standish Nicholson, Barthorpe, and Hickman Russell, £l3 10s lid. Eggs and Cheese.Stall.—Mrs. W. Ambury and Miss Stanford, £lB 14s 2d. Ice Cream Shop (in premises lent by Mr. Kurta).—High School girls, £5. Sewing and Fancywork Stall.—Mrs Fitzherbert. £lB 12s 2d. Flower Stall.—Mesdames Millar and Stuart-Russell and Miss Wade, £lB 7s 2d. Toys and Tobacco.—Mesdames Gordon Fraser and B. H. Chaney, £f>s. Afternoon Tea.—Mesdames L. B. Webster, Wade and Eliot King, £5 lis 3d. Other amounts received were:— Street Collection—organised by Mrs W. C. Weston and Miss E. Andrews—- . £135. Mrs Stuart Russell's Concert—£24 Is 6d. Farmers' Meat Company's donation £lO. Four cheeses were donated from dairy factories and three of them still remained to be disposed of on Saturday night. Other sums known to be coming in will bring the total to the amount above stated.