COMMENTS ON THE CARNIVAL WERE MOSTLY GOOD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 39, 10 January 1949, Page 5

COMMENTS ON THE CARNIVAL WERE MOSTLY GOOD

Committee's Work I Was Appreciated i How did the carnival at Whakatane during the Christmas and New Year holiday, period affect the people of the town and district? From inquiries made amongst local residents and visitors comments have been many and varied, but the general feeling appears to be that it was a success and gives encouragement to the hope that next year’s will be “bigger, brighter and better.” The aim of the carnival as explained by the president of the organising committee, Mr H. G. Warren, was. not to exploit everybody and make money, but to brighten up the town and to provide some form of entertainment for young people and visitors over what could have been a very lifeless period. With the carnival itself Whakatane people were generally satisfied. “It was a good effort,” said one man. “This place can be very deadly sometimes, especially to visitors, and the carnival did assist them to find something to do.” ' Compare his remarks with these. Said a disgruntled resident: “Whakatane has always been a “dead” hole, and it was just the same during the holidays. I know that is the reason why part of the local pophjation packs up every year and clears off to some other part of the country. But I suppose the so-called carnival was a step in the right direction.”

This caustic outburst was the exception among the many comments. One woman, who has >just come to the district to live, said that the carnival and general arrangement of events had been very good. “I think those who made all the arrangements are to be congratulated. It did brighten the town and also showed visitors that Whakatane- had not forgotten them,” she added. What Outsiders Said We accosted a few visitors at random. Asked them where they came from, what they thought of our carnival. This is what they said: Aucklander: What carnival? We retired, fuming. Napierite: Good show, for a little show, you know. What you need here i« a Marine Parade, like we have. When we suggested, that we had a beach, even if it lacked all mod. cons, he retired, fuming. Girl from Wellington, nicely blonded and suntanned by the very best of chemical preparations: Twouble with you countwy people is you fwy to do things in a big way like us. You just haven’t the cwowds, have you? You do miss the cwowds, don’t you? We said no, we didn’t, and, as the stweet seemed a bit too cwowded for us just then, we must be pushing along. Seriously, though, most of the visitors we met seemed to be enjoying their stay here and left us quite satisfied that the efforts of the Carnival Committee to liven the place up during the holiday period were appreciated.