PATRIOTIC WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1942, Page 3

PATRIOTIC WORK

ACTIVITIES OF WOMEN’S COMMITTEE 1657 PARCELS DESPATCHED OVERSEAS. KNITTING OF SOLDIERS’ COMFORTS. As it is a year since a report was published of the work done by the Masterton Women’s Patriotic Committee, a review is given of the operations of the committee during the past 12 months. The committee has packed and sent to men overseas 1657 parcels. Many letters of thanks have been received from the recipients of these parcels, and they were particularly grateful for those which they received on Christmas Eve. Each parcel is made up of goods similar to those in the following list, the cost of a parcel being about 7s: Tin of lamb and green peas or tongue, tin of fruit and tin of cream, tin of sweets and chewing gum, razor blades or bootlaces, soap, toothbrush. Mr Hatch has been a great help in packing these parcels, and the committee would like to thank the firms who have given cases and those who carted them free of charge. Altogether 497 hussifs have been completed, and in this work about 6000 buttons have been used. Supplies are getting low, and the committee would be glad if those having trouser buttons or shirt buttons would leave the same at the Rest Room, Dixon Street. In addition, 27j dozen pairs of mittens were made from old army socks and sent to Waiouru Camp in the winter, also 114 pairs from socks given by the public. E.P.S. armlets were completed for that organisation, and ditty bags for troops going overseas.

T(n August nearly 40001 Victory badges were made by the committee and helpers, the sale of which brought in over £9O for patriotic funds. Large supplies of wool have been received from Wellington this year, and a large number of socks, mittens, pullovers, balaclavas and scarves have been made.

The following ladies have knitted regularly throughout the year for patriotic purposes:— Miss Burton, Mrs Betty, Mrs Bungate, Miss E. Burton, jyirs Bennett, Central School (per Miss Cocker), Miss Cliff, Mrs R. A. Cameron, Miss Cresswell, Mesdames A. A. Cameron, J. M. Cole, Cody’s staff, Mesdames W. L. Cameron, Dixon, Levin and .Co (per Mrs Downes). Mesdames Denbee, Ewart, Gardner, Gladstone Women’s Institute, Miss Grant (public Hospital), Miss Herbert, Mesdames Iveson, Joseph, Kaituna-Fern-ridge Women’s Institute, Miss M. McKay, Mesdames Magill, McGarry, O'Rourke, Price, Quinn, Red Cross, St. Matthew’s (per Mrs Rich), Miss Robieson, Mesdames Russell, Reeves, Read, Rutherford, Stilburn, Misses M. Stilborn, E. Stilborn, Sutherland, Upper Plain Women’s Institute, Mesdames Whitton, Wright, G. Wagg, Winter, Russell.

The following ladies have from time to time knitted for patriotic purposes:—Misses Ashwell, Appleby, Mesdames H. C. Bunny, J. K. Brown, Betteridge, Miss Bold, Mesdames Bubbers, Carpenter, Creighton, Collie, Croper, Miss O. Dakin, Mesdames Frankenberg, Fagan, Misses Hubbard, Humphries,. Mrs Howlett, Miss Ibbetson, Mesdames Irving, Judd, Miss Kummer, Mrs B. Kingdon, Miss M. Loader, Mesdames L. Moore, McLaren, M. McLeod, Miss J. McLaren, Mesdames D. Montgomery, B. Moody, Michael, Miss K. Morrison, Mesdames Martin, White, Wilson, Woodley, West, Yorke, Central School (per Mr Bishop), Central School (per Miss Edge), Mrs Adams, Miss Bunny, Mesdames N. Beetham, Beresford, Burgess, Misses Burns, Benbow, Mesdames Carr, Miss Creighton, Mesdames H. Cooper, Curtis, Miss Dakin, Mesdames Foreman, R. Gray, Holmes, D. A. Hunn, Hendry, Miss Ingram, Mesdames Ingham, Jaspers, A. Keir, F. Laing, Misses M. Langdon, H. McGregor, Mesdames McDonald, L. B. Maunsell, D. Maxwell, N .McKay, McMaster, Miss Munro, Mesdames Mawley, Milne, Wood, Wardell Mauriceville West Women’s Institute (per Mrs Wilson). The committee would like to thank Mrs Nissin for the able way in which she has taken charge of the wool. During the winter months hot soup was given to men awaiting medical examination at the Defence Office.

Arising out of a meeting convened by the Mayor to organise and co-ordinate entertainments for troops, the following members of the committee were appointed to the entertainment committee so organised: —Mesdames Jordan, Rich, Hosking and J. Caselberg. An effort has now to be made through-

out the Wairarapa district to raise by voluntary means our quota of £20,800 for patriotic purposes for the year 1942. A meeting of the Masterton and District Patriotic Committees will be held at an early date for the purposes of organising ways and means of filling the quota. As it is a year since an appeal was made for patriotic funds, it is hoped that the public will respond generously.