Seager, Alexandrine – December 1915
The Advertiser, 14 December 1915 p9
CHEER-UP SOCIETY.
From “Disgusted”:-“As an erstwhile interested subscriber to the funds of the Cheer-up Society, I am profoundly disgusted and disappointed with the proceedings of the annual meeting last week. A vice-president mentions that the organiser is to be a salaried officer. I understand this salary is at the rate of £250 a year. In addition to this a present was made to the honorary (?) organiser of £100. Both these amounts were voted without the approval or knowledge of the general meeting. What I desire to know is by whose authority this waste of public subscriptions was allowed? There are many capable citizens who would gladly devote their time and energy in the capacity of either organiser or general manager without any thought of an honorarium or salary, purely to show their appreciation of the sacrifices our boys are making. As my donations have been mopped up in presents – not to soldiers – and to provide a living for a person unpatriotic enough to accept it, I conclude by saying I have finished with the society My contributions, will in future be devoted in other directions, where I shall at least have the satisfaction of knowing that they are being used for the purpose for which they were intended.”
The Advertiser, 22 December 1915 p12
THE CHEER-UP SOCIETY.
From “A Member:- ‘Disgusted’ is absolutely disgusting to one who knows and has seen the work done daily for twelve months by Mrs. Seager. What other body of workers has reached the hundreds of boys or opened its doors to the boys in khaki on the street? What has ‘Disgusted’ done for the boys? Let him ask Himself. If he had given up three sons, a business, home ties, outside pleasures, and worked from early morning till late at night for over twelve months in the interests of the boys, till such a splendid society was formed, and earned the love and friendship of hundreds of lads in the trenches and those who are going; leave alone the girls and fellow women workers, would he call himself unpatriotic, as he has dated to call our dear organiser? All the money that has been brought into the society has been through her untiring efforts, and one only needs to read a few letters from the boys and see what goes out to them to know how far the money reaches.
