CLOSING TOMORROW

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21211, 6 September 1940, Page 4

CLOSING TOMORROW

AEROPLANE FUND OVER £2500 IN HAND FIGHTERS FOR GREAT BRITAIN With over £2500 in hand, the fund opened by the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr H. D. Caro, toward the provision of fighter aeroplanes for Great Britain will be brought to a close to-morrow. Realising the urgency of sending in subscriptions, the public has responded generously to the appeal and a large number of donations has been received since yesterday. Money for the fund is being received by the Town Clerk and at the Waikato Times Office. The following donations are acknowledged:—

WOMEN’S FIGHTER FUND The New Zealand women’s fighter fund in Hamilton has been raised to over £l4O, the latest donations being as follows:

£l4l 10 0 FOUR MACHINES MR C. ALMA BAKER’S GIFT NEW ZEALAND IN ONE NAME (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday Cabled advice has been received by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, that Mr C. Alma Baker, of Malaya, has donated £20,000 to the British Government for the provision of four fighter aeroplanes for the Royal Air Force. The aeroplanes are to be inscribed: “Alma Baker, New Zealand,” “Alma Baker, Malaya,” “Alma Baker, Australia,” and “Alma Baker.” The first machine is inscribed to record the fact that Mr Baker is a New Zealander. He was born in Otago in 1857, although he has lived in Malaya for 52 years. The other three machines, Mr Baker said, are given in grateful remembrance of the splendid response to his battleplane appeal during the last war. Mr Baker is well known in this country for his interest in deep-sea fishing in the North. He is also a keen trout angler. He owns a considerable amount of land in the Upper Waikato and is well known as a successful cattle breeder. EARLY DAYS IN DOMINION OAMARU, Friday Mr C. Alma Baker, of Malaya, who has given £20,000 to provide four Spitfires for the Royal Air Force, was born in Oamaru in 1857, the son of pioneer residents, Mr and Mrs Alexander Baker, who owned the Northern Hotel. Educated at Oamaru Middle School, Mr Baker was among the earliest surveyors in the Auckland district. He married a daughter of the late Sir Frederick Whitaker, a former Prime Minister of New Zealand. He was a close friend of the late Zane Grey, whom he first brought to the Dominion.

ORIGIN OF APPEAL MAYOR OF TAUMARUNUI (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday Referring this evening to the appeal throughout the Dominion for funds to purchase aeroplanes for the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister, the Kt. Hen. F. Fraser, said the first proposal of this kind was placed before him by telephone in June by Mr C. A. Boles, Mayor of Taumaruviui. Mr Boles was anxious to launch an appeal for a fighter aeroplane immediately, but out of deference to Mr Fraser’s opinion that the matter required more careful consideration, he held over any public announcement until further advice reached him. Later similar proposals were suggested in other parts of the country. “Consequently Taumarunui did not receive full credit for its patriotic initiative,” added Mr Fraser. “I understand the King Country will now be associated with Auckland in the effort.”

Previously acknowledged £ s 2358 d. 10 0 Mr and Mrs D. V. Bryant 25 0 0 R. W. N. Bennett 20 0 0 Dr. and Mrs A. W. Beveridge 15 0 0 Staff, Central Waikato Electric Power Bd. .. 10 12 E. G. Jones 10 10 0 Dr. T. A. Milroy .... 10 10 0 Norman and Clarke .... 10 10 0 Mr and Mrs T. M. Hall . 10 0 0 Mrs W. Gruar 10 0 0 Whewell Bros 10 0 0 Mrs Whewell 10 0 0 Doug., Adele and Mary Shaw 5 5 0 Ham. Music Students’ Assn. 5 5 0 P. Pile 5 5 0 M. 5 0 0 Miss Whewell 5 0 0 Mrs Edith D. Chepmell 5 0 0 J. N. Irvine 5 0 0 Miss Toti Brown 2 2 0 Van Dene Studios .... 2 2 0 Mr & Mrs W. A. Forsyth 2 2 0 Mr & Mrs J. B. McKay . 2 2 0 Miss M. Douglas .... 2 0 0 M.M. 2 0 0 Mr and Mrs P.L.B. 2 0 0 Mr 2 0 0 Misses C. and B. Farrer . 2 0 0 Mr H. Gadd 2 0 '0 M.H.L. 2 0 0 Mr and Mrs A. Leonard 1 1 0 A.B 1 0 0 T. D. Luxton 1 0 0 Mr and Mrs F. Allen . .. i 0 0 In Memory of a Gallant Pilot i 0 0 M.F.S 15 0 Stan, Jack and Bobbie . 10 0 Miss S. Eastwood 10 0 Glen Rowan 10 0 Miss L. M. Hewlett .... 7 6 £2566 19 0

Previously acknow- £ s. d. ledged 129 6 0 Mrs H. Whewell 5 0 0 Mrs Mary Paterson 4 4 0 Mother and Daughter .. 1 0 0 E. J. Bruce 1 0 0 A.B. 1 0 0