Carnival Sidelights

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1949, Page 2

Carnival Sidelights

Whi'e many surprises were in evidence during the carnivai which was brought to so successful a conclusion on Monday night, the greatest surprise sprung on a generally unsuspecting public was the volume of money that "dribbled" in just prior to zero hour. The recorders, Messrs. H. B. Edhouse, F. Edwards, G. McKinley and H. Taylor, had advised that prcgress reporis would be made •available regularly from 8 to S p.m. It is obvious now, and they were the "chosen few" who might have been expected to be in the know a little bit, that their task ha'd been grossly under-estimated. The activity and unceasing enthusiasm of queen supporters I knew no bounds, as those who were present are well aware. No stone was left unturned to see that every pound, every shiliing and every penny that was in tne house was extracted if at all possible, and the "kings "in their • counting-house" had to check all payments most

accurately and add the correspon'ding number of votes to the credit of the right queen. •Some of the payments made literally rocked the foundations; here is a list of them and they were made at intervals all too frequent: — Citizens' Queen: £66 3s Od, £43 5s 6d, £25 10s, £50," £550, £3 14s 9d. Sports Queen: £220 and £409 8s 6'd. Maori Queen: £21, £372 ls Od, £53, £18. ,17s 6d, £60. Farmers' Queen: £4 3s 3d, £63 8s, £8, £7 17s, £350 10s. Without in any way belittling the magnificent efforts of a'l the committees, the record of Mrs. M. J. McGiiligan is certainiy one that any individual could be justly oroud' of. She has taken part in flve carnivals, winning no less than four, and' in the fifth her candidate was a very c'.ose second. The task of organlsmg the carnivai was in the preliminary stages allotte'd to Mrs. McGiTigan, Messrs.. McKin'ey and Wi Nicholls, and these three share the tributes paid. With these direc'.ly associated with the effort in liigh glee when ths result was made known, good natured banter was forthcoming from the Mayor, Mr. C. F. Atmore. He recalled being approached by a committee chairman to do a job that Mr. Atmore felt assured the applicant could successfuhy un'dertake. He was met with the rejoinder, "I'm a worker, not a talker." Mr. Atmore agreed that the result proved that what this man hadi said about himself had been prov-l ed, "but I wish I was sure I knew| what he meant about me," he added. Coronation Arrangements are proceeding

apace for the coronation to take place at the Ci'vic Theatre om Wednesday next. The.Ohakea Air Force Band and concert party will entertain from 8 to 9.-30 p.m.,~foilowing which Queen Emrna will be crowned wich due pomp and ceremony.