Our "Campaign Comforts" Fund.
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Ladies Committee : Mrs. Shrapnell-Smith, Mrs. S. S. Long (wife of the Director of Transport and Supplies), Mrs. Sagriall-Wild (wife of a former Secretary of the Mechanical Transport Committee), Mrs. W. E. Donohue (wife of the Chief Inspector of Mechanical Transport). Hon. Sec. and Treasurer to Fund : The Editor.
2.42l Received to Monday Last—First List 01 Gifts in Kind-Early Prospect oi Increasing Help irom Works Collections.
The progress of our "Campaign Coniforts " Fund now speaks for itself. There is but little for us to write, as the publication of the growing lists of donations, both in cash and kind, tells the tale to Monday last.
Are Gloves Wanted?
-We have been asked by several supporters whether we consider that gloves should be sent out by our readers, through our fund. One gentleman took specific exception to this course, and asserted that all necessary supplies were issued from military sources. We therefore made a direct application to the proper quarters at the War Office. The reply came : " Gloves are issued to the men of thz Mechanical Transport Sections, but, of course, extra pairs will always be gladly received." It is obvious, we think, that the same criticism might be levelled againstsocks' yet everybody knows how welcome hand-knitted socks are to the troops who have to march. Seeing, however, that the drivers and their mates of the A.S.C., MT., do practically no marching, but use their hands to manipulate the steering wheel, the levers, to effect adjustments and repairs, etc., the demand, which ordinarily concerns socks, in our special case concerns gloves. We find that gloves with fingers are wanted for driving, and those of the submarine type for sleeping. Thielatter suggestion is under consideration. We may quote from one letter from a driver, on this subject, a many which we have received bearing out our own view on the matter. The fetter is written to us by Private J. Pope (1027), of the 64th Company of the A.S.C., M.T., who is now in the Royal Herbert Hospital at Woolwich (22 Bay, G.V.N. Ward). In the course of an interesting letter, he states: "No one at home knows how much gloves will he appreciated by the transport men, except those like myself who have been in France. I was crushed between two
motor lorries at Villers Cotterets, on the let September, but thank God I am now nearly well, and shall be leaving for the Front again in about 10 days. shall look forward to getting a pair of your gloveS, with fingers preferred."
Proper Administration.
One reason, we are well satisfied, why our " Campaign Comforts" Fund is being supported in such satisfactory fashion, is the confidence of our readers in our ability to administer it properly. There is, at the present time, we much regret to have to record, reason to believe that numerous individual funds for the provision of comforts for the troops at large are being scandalously mismanaged. People who have neither business knowledge nor training are dealing with some of these individual funds, chiefly because they have too much spare time on their hands. Strangely enough, the best administration is likely to be provided by those who are already exceptionally busy, partly because people who fall in that category know their work and understand the class of organization that is necessary to avoid wastage.
Works Collections.
We have received several intimations, from owners of commercial motors and from individual foremen, to the effect that they are hoping at an early date to arrange to transfer to us the proceeds of a single week's collection at their works or depot, and in aorne cases of a series of such collections. We welcome this evidence of personal interest in the duty which we have accepted of collecting, packing and forwarding comforts for the men with the wagons, and we are glad that our list this week shows evidence of new efforts in this fruitful sphere of potential support. Tobacco, cigarettes and gloves have already been ordered by us in large quantities.