Our Campaign Comforts Fund.
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Two More Subscribers of £10 a Month, and Two More of £5. Regular Help Needed in These Days of Multi-funds.
Patroness: H.R.H. Princess Arthur of Connaught.
Ladies Committee: Mrs. S. S. Long, Mrs. Shrapnell-Smith, Mrs. R. K. Bagnall-Wild, Mrs. H. E. Blain, Mrs. W. E. Donohue, Mrs. H. N. Foster.
THE MONEY FOR OUR MOTOR MEN AND HOW IT COMES
Total of 1914-1915 Donations (to 30th September last) £5444.
PRINCIPAL SUPPORTERS TO DATE FOR 1915-1916.
£10 Monthly: Associated Equipment ; Car and General; Commercars; Crossley ; Crown and Shell Spirits; Daimler ; Dennis; Dunlop ; Foden , Hallford; Hoyt Metal ; Leyland; Thornycroft ; Wolseley.
.£5 Monthly : Ferodo; Halley; Lucas ; Macintosh ; Maudslay; Hans Renold; St. Helen's Cable and Rubber; Scottish Commercial Cats; Shrewsbury-Challiner ; Wood-Mime; Wolf (Solex).
Lump Sums : Peerless Co., £120; President, Peerless Co., £120; Treasurer, Peerless Co., £100; Staff, Peerless Co., £85; Albion, £50; Belsize, £50; Heath Harrison, Esq., £2:0; Napier, £50.
A.S.C., M.T., Central (Corps) Fund.—£200 (first allocation).
We are pleased to be able to record, since the occasion of our commenting on the totals to date in the monthly categories, three weeks ago, that the fol
..lowing additional promises have reached :--210 each monthly from the Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., and the proprietors of "Crown" and " Shell" spirits ; £5 each monthly from St. Helens Cable and Rubber Co., Ltd. (increase from £3 as. monthly), and Scottish Commercial Cars Co., Ltd.
The Fund must continue to look for its chief support to friends who are interested in commercial motoring, either as manufacturers or .users. There are many funds which have greater elg,ims upon the public at large, and it goes without saying, at the present time, that the continued demands for succour from Belgium, to which are now added like claims from Poland, Russia and Serbia, are rendering it no light matter for us to maintain our income. We are, happily, doing so with a satisfactory measure of success, but we shall appreciate most gratefully any further assistance. Our task is a pleasant one, and in a sense a duty. The 'encouragement of Royal patronage and the sanction of official recognition go far to convince us thatthe Fund is wanted, whilst the enormous number of men for whose care we are responlible, at least as regards any little extra comforts t.a relieve their campaigning, and in the case
n48 of prisoners of war their suffering, tends, with increasing force, to keep up to the mark.
The proprietors of this journal have given, month by month, more and more space in the works at 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, until "The Fund" now occupies a complete floor of the warehouse. There is, additionally, valuable assistance and co-operation in other
directions, to say nothing of the extensive voluntary help from members of the staff. Whilst we desire it to be known that the equivalent of a handsome cash donation every week is thus forthcoming at headquarters, we equally desire it to be known, amongst the officers and men at the various Fronts, to whom particulars of the help by which We "carry on" for them are regularly sent, that they are indebted to others who support the Fund, and principally to those whose names appear regularly at the top of the "Campaign Comforts' pages, for extras and little luxuries.
Our Weekly Revue.
The thousands of supporters of the Campaign Comforts Fund throughout the country, and indeed in many Places abroad; look to our pages weekly, arid of that we have direct evidence, for a brief resume of the work which has been accomplished in the week that has passed and for an intimation of any special endeavour or development which has been accoMplished.
An Overseas Purchases Branch.
We deal elsewhere in this issue, on page 242, with a preliminary announcement of our efforts to crystallize the endeavours which we are making to meet a new demand that has arisen during past months from Overseas. This deals with the constant requests which have been reaching us for the Fund to purchase all sorts and conditions of things against cash remittances, and to despatch them to men of the corps which it is our pleasure to have " comforted" so effectively for so many months past. It is obviously quite within the scope of our efforts to ameliorate the lot of the men of the A.S.C., MT., units by acting as their personal representatives over here in respect of the selection, purchase and despatch of particular and individual requirements, which they cannot acquire on active service, and which they have no means of having secured for them under the best 'conditions at home. We are fortunately able to place at their disposal the machinery of the ,ery eitensive department of the Fund which has now, fer so many months past, with the greatest care and application, expended the thousands of pounds which have already been subscribed for the purpose.
Euphonium and Strawberry Jam. A Cavalry Trumpet and a Cricket Pavilion.
The Overseas Purchases Department is already available for this purpose. It is an-offshoot of our regular comforts purchase and despatch organization, and we trust by systematic endeavour to meet requisitions, with accompanying cash, which in spasmodic fashion have already reached us for such unusual things as, to quote only a few, a second-ha-nd brass band, a second-hand harmonium, elastic stockings, rubber waders, hockey sticks, complete football outfits, strawberry and apricot jam, a typewriter, a tail lamp, B-flat euphonium, "a little wine," singlesticks and masks, a cavalry trumpet, a (-Ticket pavilion, tennis rackets, etc., etc., etc.
Trying to Make Us Universal Providers.
This department is as yet in its infancy, but the demand for its service has been insistent for a long while past. Whether it will attain the efficiency of Whiteley's., which used to boast that it could supply anything from a second-hand coffin to a white elephant, has yet to be proved. So far as our own efforts go to attain efficienc-y, we shall spare ourselves no more than we have in the ease of the efficient and complete arrangements which now characterise the operations of the whole of the rest of the Fund.
An Offer of a 40 h.p. Napier to the Fund.
Those responsible for the various branches of our activity do not unhesitatingly welcome incidents in the career of the Fund which disturb the monotony of regular routine, but which may, nevertheless,
make the best copy for this Comforts page of ours. This .week, however, we have, as we go to press, a telephone offer to present to the Fund for sale for its benefit, a 40 h.p. Napier landaulet. We shall have "looked this gift horse in the month," if we may mix our similies, by the time our next. issue appears, and shall then be in a position to ask for offers of cash for this handsome and generous gift.
Six Cases Despatched for the East after Four Hours Notice.
An outstanding demand which, through its urgency, had to receive immediate attention, arrived from the War Department one day last week. This notified the immediate despatch at very short notice of a new M.T. Column on active service to somewhere in the East, with a request that, if possible, we should send a consignment of comforts for these men to take out with them, they having no time to secure anything for themselves personally. All hands were turned on to this special despatch, and in under four hours six cases of mixed comforts, each well over 56 lb. in weight, and one including a gramophone and 40 records, were. ready, screwed down and labelled for the special W.D. van which hustled them away to the port of embarkation. We have received the special thanks of the authorities for our promptitude in helping in this small way in this urgent ease.
We must add a few words with regard to the concert scheme. We hasten to repair an omission in connection with the recent Commercar fixture. We should have acknowledged amongst. much other help so readily given by directors, staff and men of-the Luton works, the early offer to defray the-cost Jpif the hire of the excellent Winter Assembly. Hall
in
which this entertainment was given.
The Dennis-Drummond Fixture.
By the time this issue is in the hands of our readers, the third of the series, that organized in conjunction with the Dennis and Drummond works, will have taken place at the County and Borough Hall at Guild_ford. We anticipate another excellent result, and, in view of the a-mount of work which is at the time of writing being put into the local organization by Mr. Wade, of Dennis. Bros, Ltd., and Mr. Eustace, of Drummond Bros., Ltd., a capital attendance bids fair to ensue. No small interest is being shown at the neighbouring A.S.C., M.T., Depot at Aldershot.
Contribution from Clerk of the Weather?
We have had two 'soaking wet fixtures at Letchworth and Luton respectively, and have seared success for the Fund both from the financial point of view and from the general Publicity which our objects ensure in this way on both occasions., May we express the hope that the elerIc of the weather will make a substantial contribution to the Fund on the occasion of the Guildford fixture?
The Concert at "The Club."
The 2nd of December sees the organization in charge of a fixture at the .Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, S.W. In this case the concert commences at 8.45 p.m., and seats at 10s. and 5s. may be obtained only from the reception office at the Club, or from Mr. A. W. Windsor at these offices.
More Gifts in Kind.
Mrs. S. Woodward? Willenhall (6 scarves, 1 pr. of socks,
2 shirts).
Mrs. S. Stormer, Clifton (6 prs. of socks). Countess of Portarlington, Ilickficicl, SuSsox (30 prs. of socks, 30 prs. of mittens). No manna (3 prs. of socks, 1 scarf, 1 helmet),
Oclhams, Ltd., Long Acre, W.C. (bundle of papez-s). No name (1 pr. of socks, 2 prs. of mittens). • Miss Bertram, Reston (10 scarves, 4 prs. of socks). Miss Gellativ, Barham, near Canterbury (6 pre. of socks). Mrs. J. R. Thompson, Chester (4 prs. of socks, 5 scarvem, 2 prs. of mittens).