The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1940. THE QUEEN CARNIVAL.

Evening Star, Issue 23678, 11 September 1940, Page 6

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1940. THE QUEEN CARNIVAL.

Dunedin, rather notoriously, perhaps, js undemonstrative. For all that, its citizens have claims to the qualities of sincerity and generosity, and it cannot be doubted for one moment that they will do their share in subscribing to .any funds organised to help the Empire in its war effort. At yesterday after-noou’s-meetiug of the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council complaints were made that an atmosphere of enthusiasm in response to the Queen Carnival programme, now under way, was lacking. Certainly it appeared last Friday afternoon that the procession of queens and their escorts did not stir the crowds to the greatest heights of vociferous appreciation. Here and there a section of onlookers would reward a float with a round of hand-clapping, while girls with a taste for Air Force blue, leaning from upper-story windows, did not hesitate to bestow their favours. In the main, however, there was a funereal note about the scene which hardly accorded with the popular idea of the spirit of carnival. Our reporter, in whose judgment we have complete faith, has already pointed out weaknesses in the arrangements, and it is needless to refer to them again. It must be remembered that this was only the beginning of the campaign. It is not the first time Dunedin has been proved slow to show at an early stage the outward and visible signs of its solicitude for a good cause, but it has generally been found that before the climax is reached the tide of generosity is flowing freely enough to satisfy the most ambitious organisers. The Carnival Committee need not despair or even give way to feelings of disappointment. Once citizens understand more keenly the object of the campaign—the raising of funds to help to rehabilitate the now generation of returned soldiers—and become reconciled to some slight postponement of their official participation in the more fashionable task of accumulating money for the purchase of warplanes, they will surely rise to the occasion and find satisfaction in “ doing their bit ” in the national effort by responding cheerfully to the thoroughly justified invitation to “ give till it hurts,” irrespective of the fact whether or not the appeal immediately under consideration happens to coincide with their own ideas of what should be done. Every shilling contributed to any patriotic cause is helping the war effort. That is a point which must never be lost sight of.

A comparison has been drawn with tho great success achieved with the Queen Carnival in August, 1915. Actually, it is hardly a fair comparison. The people as a whole are no less determined now than they were in 1915 to emerge victorious, but, inasmuch as the grimness and horrors of war are now more apparent to New Zealanders than they were in 1915, there is not the same spontaneity in waving tho bunting. At this period of the year a quarter of a century ago public imagination bad been stirred to its peak by the knowledge that our troops were winning fame on Gallipoli, and in Dunedin at

the time there ivas an unrestrained feeling of excitement which enabled the carnival almost to run itself. And noAv, with the war in the air more strongly in mind than any other phase of the struggle, it is only natural that there should be some impatience to make progress Avitli the collecting of money tor aeroplanes. What should be realised is that the present Queen Carnival, being Avell under Avay and having been organised on behalf of troops Avho are almost certain to be in action soon, is Avorthy of every measure of support citizens can give. DAVellers in the country districts, more expert perhaps than city folks in creating their oavh diversions, are reported to be setting to Avork with a will on the task of providing for the men overseas who arc making greater sacrifices than are ever likely to be expected from those who have to stay at home. A reading of some of the remarks uttered at yesterday’s meeting of the Patriotic Council gives the impression that in some Avay the Press is thought not to be giving due prominence to carnival actiA’ities. Any such suggestion is patently absurd. The events that have already taken place received efficient and sympathetic attention from the reporters on duty. For information of the propaganda type pressmen are entirely dependent on the arrangements for publicity made by the council itself. An unfortunate tendency on the part of executive members to go into committee at certain stages of a discussion —a habit more pronounced in Dunedin than in most other cities—lias not proved helpful.