Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-12-16
MERRILL HEADS
RELIEF DRIVE
County Organization Has Been
Formed For Work That
Starts Sunday.
FUNDS ARE FOR NEAR EAST
Aid Sought For Starving Peoples OF
Europe During Balance Of
Year.

Following the National call which
is headed by Herbert Hoover, food
administrator during the War, repre-
sentatives from the various counties
in the State were called to Detroit on
Saturday Of last week to organize
the state Of Michigan for a drive for
funds TO assist in relieving the starv-
ing children throughout Central and
Southern Europe and Asia. The state
committee is headed by Mr.. Jas.
Cousin of Detroit and under him are
the various county chairmen through
cut the state. Representative Ora
tiot county, +. J. Merrill of the Re
public Motor Truck Company, at
tended the session in Detroit last
Saturday and upon his return to
Alma called together representatives
from the various towns and centers
of the county on Tuesday afternoon
OF this week. After due consideration
cf the matter these representatives
decided to enter whole heartedly in
to the campaign and elected E. j.
Merrill as county chairman for the
work, with Mr.. Jas. Convis of Ithaca
as vice chairman and Mr.. r. b. Wag-
ner of the Gratiot County Gas Com
pany as secretary and treasurer.
These officers, comprising the execU-
tive committee, are now at work Sc
Letting chairmen for the various
towns and townships of the county
and the development Of any other or
ganization as will be necessary that
Gratiot county will raise her full
quota in this tremendous important
appeal which is now facing the people
of the United States.
The funds collected in this cam
paign throughout the country are 70
be divided between the Near East
Relief fund and the funds being
sought by the Central European Re
lief Council The organizations
which are backing this drive are very
largely the same as those which in
dorsed and assisted in the campaign
for War Relief funds and include the
American Friend Service committee;
American Relief administration;
American Red Cross; Federal Coun-
ell of Churches of Christ in America:
Knights of Columbus; Young Mems
Christian Association; Young Wo-
men Christian Association; Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee. In
addition to these, various state or
CARNATIONS such as the various fra
ternal orders, farmers oranges; Sun
day school boards, etc. have Endorsed
the drive and have offered their
whole hearted assistance.
The campaign will be dependent up
on two forms of collections, large
gifts from individuals and Corpora
tons, general offerings and sub
scriptions payable by December 81,
to be taken throughout the various
! organizations of the county such as
those above mentioned. The cam
paign is to be started December 10
and to continue until December 81.
December 10 is designed as Child
ren's Relief Day and the various
clergymen throughout the county are
asked 10 make a special appeal on
his day for the cause. During the
two weeks of this campaign it is
planned that every citizen in the
county will be given an opportunity
to give to this fund.
In as much as very extended plans
have been made by the various
church boards TO carry out a cam
paign for the same or similar cause
at this Christmas time of the year,
the executive committee have thought
it desirable to recommend that any
funds collected by such churches be
sent direct TO the National boards Of
each respective church, but a most
Continued on page sixteen)