ELTHAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1920, Page 6

ELTHAM.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Eltham, Dec. 21.

The Town Hall was crowded on the occasion of the gymnastic display given by the boys of the Salvation Army Home, and the audience gave full credit to the excellent programme. The smartness of the boys .in their drill movements, and their evident keenness in the more diflicult exercises on the apparatus demonstrated the sympathy between instructors and pupils, and it would be difficult to find a more enthusiastic and well-trained school of boys."

During the first part of the programme Commissioner Hodtler said that considerable progress had been made in the special work of caring for boys and girls who had lost father and mother, or for special reasons needed the care of the Army Homes. No less than 1000 cases had been refused during the year owing principally to want of accommodation. The home originally built in Hamilton for the boys proved too small and last week a large home had been opened. Increased accommodation was needed at Dimedin. A larger home was being built in St. Andrew's Bay and it would be opened in the new year. The home that was opened n? Temuka to accommodate 40 boy;* *•> to be replaced by another to house "!' bovs.

During the interval Brigadier Scotney made an appeal to the audience for donations towards the work of the Army in connection with the boys and girls' homes. The amount of money collected was £SB lu*, and the total amount, including promises, was £B6 10s.

Commissioner Hodder then presented the following prizes to t"ne boys: Gold medal to Of. Boyd, silver mc il to Robert O'Kellaghan, and book prizes to the other -boys. Cheers were given to the donors of the prizes—Mr. Pennington, Captain Crickshaw, and Mr Carman.

The popularity of Eltham as a shopping centre was in evidence yesterday, there being quite a crowd of Christmas shoppers about the streets. C. A. Wilkinson, Ltd., are again giving their staff lengthy Christinas holidays, as the premises will be closed from Christmas Day to Tuesday, Jan. 4, inclusive.