The Washington times., 1923-11-27
PROPOSES
HELP FOR
SANTA
Mrs. A. r. kring Tells How Toy
Commission Can Aid
Good Fellows.

Good Fellows of Washington,
and others interested in bringing
Christmas cheer to the homes of
poor children, are invited by Mrs.
A. R. Kring, Of the Argonne
Apartments, to join the Christ
mas Toy Commission.
The Christmas Toy Commission
is just being organized. The ac-s
tivities to which it will lend it.
self, however, insure its organiza-
ton being effected without great
effort.
According to Mrs. Kring, who
brings the idea to Washington from
her former home in Terre Haute.
Ind, the commission win devote its
Of discarded tops stored away in
the garrets. closets and playrooms
in hundreds of Washington homes.
Toys to Be SaIvaged.
These toys are to be delivered to
a central depot where they will be
gone over carefully by corps Of
volunteer repair workers and in
their rehabiIitated form be dis
/ tributed Christmas day among chill
dren, who otherwise would find lit
tie In their stockings to bring cheer
on the greatest Of all festival days OF
the year.
TO carry out the plan 1t will be
necessary to secure a downtown
vacant room. This it is believed
| will be donated for use Of the COM
| mission. The arrangements will
have to be made for the distribution
Of the Christmas packages Christ
mas morning. With the thousands
Of automobiles owned by generous
Washingtonians the distribution
VIII practically take care Of itself.
Cooperation Required.
In discussing the plan today, Mrs.
Kring said:
''It is quite practical, and produce
tive Of results which astonish those
identified with the work. Speaking
from my experience in Terre Haute,
1 am sure It will prove one OF the
most effective ways in which to
solve the toy problem Of Christmas
in Washington.
-"Of course, it will require the
J cooperation of those who can de-
vote some time to the details of the
work. The repairing of the toys,
however, can be done in homes 70
which they are taken by those aid
ing in the work. Then volunteer
repairers can be put to work at
the depot.
I'm city the size Of Washington
there are thousands Of dolls, thou
sands of games, Of children's books
and toys which have simply ceased
to amuse the little ones for whom
| they were purchased. Some or
them will require repair work, but
the quantity of really serviceable
toys hidden away in garrets, closets.
trunks and boxes which will need
but a few touches Of paint, an oc-
casional stitch taken here and
there, the use Of little paste IN
fixing a torn page or cover, or
cleaning up generally, will surprise
everyone. .a
This stock Of discarded toys is
what the commission will go after.
Every family in the city will be
asked to contribute something from
the playroom. and all Of them can
find a few toys which can well be
spared. Think of the happiness
they will bring to thousands of
little boys and girls on Christmas
day:
1.-THE whole plan is so easy to
carry out. 1t requires no financing.
1t does require some labor, and
that is what those who join the
commission will be asked to con.
tribute. and am sure most OF
them will do so willingly"
Membership Open.
Membership in the Christmas toy
commission is open to anyone. Natur'
ally 1t becomes, to a great extent, a
Woman's activity, but the fact that
1t will be largely made up Of women
aid in the activity.
Mrs. Kring's constructive sugges
ton will meet with the support oi
the city's leading women. No such
organization as that proposed by heI
exists as a Christmas activity, AM
its establishment this year holds
promise of becoming one of the city
permanent holiday activities. Sew
} eral women to whom she has pro
posed the plan have given 1t Their
unqualified Endorsement.
1t is interesting to learn that ir
connection with the Terre Haute &C
tivity so many reconstructed toys
were collected that the women &C
tive in the movement were able tt
supply quantities of them to tnt
local orphan asylums and children.
] charitable institutions. It is consid
cred probable a similar experience
] WILL mark tho activity here.