Two big stands were required at the Early Settlers Hall to accommodate the magnificent array of articles - mostly brand new.
The wearing apparel was of a most useful quality - woollen socks and bonnets, flannelette dresses - and there were also dolls, small picture books and toys of every description.
It did one's heart good to see the noble response made by the women of Otago to the cry of the little ones in Britain and Belgium.
There were two ''exhibits'' - one composed of goods sent in; and the other the result of one week's work by the Otago Early Settlers' Ladies Guild.
The information in the possession of the association indicates that there will be plenty of demand for all the babies' garments sent in, and for any others which may come to hand.
One of the gifts was a toy motor boat, which was accompanied by a picture post card of the troopship Hawke's Bay, bearing the following message:- ''Dear little Belgian boy,- I am sending you a motor boat for Christmas and I have two brothers coming to help fight for your beloved country. This is a picture of the boat they are coming in. So be brave.- Eric Fountain, aged eight years, Kaikorai School, Dunedin Otago, New Zealand.''
Miss Findlay organised a guild of work in the D.S.A., with the result that a large parcel of beautiful babies' clothes was brought to the hall yesterday morning by some of the girls of the establishment.
The association yesterday received a large number of sums of money, and these are to be devoted to the purchase of milk and other foods for the starving babies of Britain and Belgium.
The money will be sent to the New Zealand Committee in London (of which Miss Helen Mackenzie is the secretary).
One member of the Dunedin Association has learned from relatives at Home that many poor babies are dying there for want of milk.
The lady cites a case of a woman whose husband went to the war, and the wife, with three children, had nothing but what she realised from the sale of her husband's clothing, and when the ex-Dunedin people discovered them no food was in the house.
It is needless to add that the unfortunate family are now under the care of those kindly Dunedinites.
This case in mentioned to point out the necessity for prompt and generous help.
The sight of a young girl, mounted on a well-bred racehorse, and leading another, on the usual training walks around Randwick and Coogee, has set the racing fraternity wondering, and the question as to who she is, and what horses she has charge of, is being freely asked.
The girl is Marie Davies, a 17-year-old daughter of Mr William Davies, a well-known New Zealand trainer, who has now taken up his residence in Sydney.
The horses under her care are Sonite, War Queen, and Defend, each of which is soon to make an appearance on the metropolitan courses.
Miss Davies does not yet hold a trainer's license, but intends to make application to the A.J.C.
She is assured of good support, if she can get a license, and there is every chance of her taking over the whole of her father's horses.
The lady-trainer has not had a gallop on Sydney courses, but has ridden some good performers on the training tracks at Wellington (New Zealand).
She is confident of being able to hold her own with the best of the Sydney jockeys, and is looking forward to the time when she will meet some of them in a trial spin. - ODT, 24.10.1914
