'QUEEN OF THE ALLIES'

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 19 December 1916, Page 6

'QUEEN OF THE ALLIES'

PROPOSAL FOR PATRIOTIC SOCIETY

MR. J. LEWIS'S IDEA

: - At the annual meeting of tho War Belief Association, the chairman (Mr. W. Ferguson) was asked if any moneyraising programme was contemplated for next year, Tho chairman referred tho question to Mr. J. Lowis (secretary of tho Wellington Patriotic Society), who said that a scheme was being considered_ that would be submitted to tho public soon after the holidays.- Mr. Lewis was waited upon yesterday, and asked if his society did intend to do anything shortly, as it was highly necessary that the fund that is being administered by she War Relief Association will havo to bo considerably augmented sooner or later if all legitimate and reasonable demands of soldiers and sailors and their dependants were to be satisfactorily met. "We have kept quiet," said Mr. Lewis, "ever since the Waikato (Maraetai) Land Art Union, by which we raised £13,500, because there have been other schemes before the public that wo had no desire to clash with. The first of those events was the big Palmerston North effort. After that was over the Red Cross 'Our Day' 1 movement commenced, there followed the Returned Soldiers' Day, with a Belgian Fair' on Saturday. So though there has been .plenty of desire to do something_ there has been littlo opportunity of doing it with a clear field. Of courso we helped all wo knew in connection with the 'Our Day' effort, and received special thanks from tho chairman.

"Now, at the urgent request of the War Relief Association, the society is going to hold a bite fete, wtich will culminate in Easter Week. The scheme that is to be submitted to the Executive Committee is to have a monster 'Queen of the Allies' carnival, to the winning of which will bo rttached a really wonderful prize. As it is realised that, even in patriotic rr.tivoreents, money must be spent to raise money, it is being proposed that fhe gentlemen will contribute £100 to mako a prize of £500, with which the winner and a frend wll be 'shouted' a return trip to England, with £300' to cover expenses. "Sections'of the community will be invited to nominate their candidates for the high' dignity of 'Queen of the Allies,'- and it will be the business of the executive of each candidate to think, out ideas by which the wind can be raised for vote-purchasing. It is proposed that each candidate, whilst representing a section' of the community, will also represent ono of tho Allied countries, which are to be determined by ballot.'

"I think tho idea is a good one—one that will appeal to the public," said Mr. Lewis. "Tho fact that a volungiven prize of such value is offering should make everybody very keen, and nothing can be dene unless everybody—tho public as well as the workers —are keen. My proposal is that the Queen of the' Allies' competition should be worked up to Easter. A big.fete would bo held on Easter Monday on the Basin Reserve or Newtown Park, or both, and the competition should conclude a week later, after which there would be the coronation ceremonies, lasting over another week."

Mr. Lewis < reminded the interviewer that the society still had the five hundred Maraetai land shares (given by Mr. A. T. Bate) to dispose- of at the first advantageous opportunity.