NEW YEAR CARNIVAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 252, 20 December 1940, Page 5

NEW YEAR CARNIVAL

ARRANGEMENTS PROCEEDING

C. RATIFYING REPORTS

At. a full meeting of the carnival executive on Wednesday evening the organiser, Mr Harry T<Snnant, reported that he had visited all the district schools in ' the Wliakatane area, distributing circulars and dodgers relative to the children's

afternoon programme on New Year's Eve. He was pleased to'be- able to report that the reception in each case was one hundred per cent, the idea being 'welcomed by teachers and pupjls alike. The general impression appeared to be 'Whakatanc is waking up at. last and we will be only too glacl to give some support/

Continuing, Mr Tennant said that he had interviewed people with a view to obtaining their services as entertaining artists and the results were most satisfactory, enabling the street entertainment committee t.o frame a fairly comprehensive programme. The chairman of the publicity committee, Mr Kingsley Smith, reported that dodgers, posters and stickers had been printed and given a wide circulation. Special writeups had been made for the daily papers and also one despatched for radio broadcasting. It was recommended by the meeting that a further two thousand dodgers be printed, setting out the list of awards. Procession Affairs. For the procession committee, Mr Sam Armstrong, Jnr., stated that a strong executive had been formed, the members of which were busily engaged in the canvass for entries. Maoris had been interviewed and he thought that there Avovild be no difficulty in obtaining four haka and poi. teams, together with bands of very talented children. It was recommended that the secretary write to the Caledonian Society, the various Lodges, athletic clubs and organisations, requesting that theV endeavour to make a display, cither vehicular or pedestrian, for participation in the procession. It was further decided to approach Miss K. Walton in this respect also. Mr Srnythe, for the midnight ball committee, said that arrangements were well in hand, the hall booked and the orchestra hired. A certain amount of decoiation would be necessary but this would be carried out by his committee.

Wet Weather Contingency. The question of wet weather being experienced, exercised the meeting for some time and it was decided, in this event, to transfer the entire proceedings to the hall in which would be run a New Year Carnival dance. Details in connection with the children's afternoon were also finalised and it was decided to give the children's displays and dances on a temporary platform, which would be erected near the monument at the east end of the Strand.

A difficulty lias arisen over the decision of the Borough Council to make no attempt to keep the traffic from the main street. Members were of the opinion that unless the traffic was kept off the Strand the whole success of the carnival was in jeopardy. It was impossible to run a street entertainment if through traffic was permitted or the procession broke up by backing cars and vehicles desiring to make access through the crowd. Several mem•o bers spoke strongly and on the motion of the chairman, Mr Mclsaac, it was decided to send a strong deputation to His Worship the Mayor, urging that the council co-operate by diverting traffic from the Strand to the side streets, via Clifton Road and the harbour side access.