QUEEN CARNIVAL

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 2

QUEEN CARNIVAL

FRANK STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN HIS CRITICISM UNINTENTIONAL REMARKS MISCONSTRUED The strongly-worded protest made by Mr A. A. Paape, chairman of the Food Group Sub-committee of the Navy Queen, against the remarks of speakers at a meeting of the Patriotic Council on Tuesday last was referred to Mr Arthur Barnett for his comment. Mr Barnett said that, as chairman of the Queen Carnival Executive, he felt a deep personal concern over the incident. “ 1 freely admit,’' Mr Barnett said, “ that Mr Paape had justification for drawing the conclusions he did from the Press reports of the Patriotic Council meeting. 1 have no desire to offer excuses or to escape responsibility for the part my reported remarks played in provoking Mr Paape’s protest. It may help to clarify the position, however, and remove any misunderstanding if 1 explain the whole of the circumstances more fully than was apparent from the reports in the papers.

ENTHUSIASM OF COMMITTEES. “ As chairman of the Queen Carnival Executive, it was my duty,” Mr Barnett said, “to submit a progress report to the Executive Council at the meeting on Tuesday. Accordingly, I reported that the carnival had been launched on the preceding Friday, and outlined the extensive organisation that had been set in motion. “ I stressed the enthusiastic and whole-hearted work of the numerous committees, and pointed out that we had been fortunate in obtaining the services of outstanding key-men in the community who were willingly putting their backs into the hard work involved. “• At the same time,” he said, _ I felt it incumbent upon mo to point out that the success, in terms of financial resuls, of the truly wondex-ful work of these committees depended entirely on the response from the public. ‘ ‘ Having in mind the shortness of the time at our disposal, and the vital importance of the cause for which all were working, I thought it my duty to report that at the moment the evidence of an enthusiastic response from the community generally appeared to be disappointing. My feelings in this connection were based on various factors. In the first place, the pageant staged on the opening day had not produced that degree of spontaneous response and enthusiasm from the public for which we had all hoped. We had been disappointed also to find that one of the queen committees had been refused permission for a Sunday concert; and that the tramwaymen were not to bo allowed to assist by the sale of tickets on the trams. “As matters stood,” Mr Barnett said, “ I felt there were signs of public apathy, which must be speedily overcome "if the desired result were to be achieved in the time available. I felt a deep sense of personal responsibility for stimulating a quick and generous response from all sections of the community. As 1 was reporting to the official body charged with raising and controlling funds for purposes in this district, I had no hesitation in stressing very _ strongly the extreme urgency of making it clear to the public that the sole object of the carnival is to provide funds for what, in the final analysis, is a sacred obligation—that is, to assist men of all branches of the forces to return to civil life when the war is over and won.

NO LACK OF APPRECIATION.; < In the course of a busy life, both in mv own business and in civic efforts, I freely admit I have made mistakes; indeed, the risk of mistake is inseparable from the urge to get things done. Any mistake of which I have been guilty in the present instance lies in this—l failed to realise that the frank and earnest remarks I addressed to the Executive Council would go out to the public per medium of the Press reports of the meeting, and be open to the interpretation Mr Paape has placed upon them. “ If Mr Paape read into the report any lack of appreciation of the fine work of his and other committees, then his protest was indeed justified. Even so, I would not like to think that my past relations with the public (including Mr Paape) in many civic and patriotic efforts have justified the use of terms such as ‘ croaker ‘ and ‘ howler.’ “ In concluding his remarks, Mr Paape stated emphatically that the keenness of his sub-committee and of other committees would not be affected by this regrettable incident,” Mr Barnett said. “ I wish to thank him for that assurance. It shows the spirit that actuates each and every one of the large band of workers and helpers in this big effort to discharge a most necessary and humanitarian obligation to the men of Otago who are sacrificing all in the defence of freedom and justice. For many of them the real extent of their sacrifices will be apparent only when the war has been won and they are back amongst us, foced with the problem of rehabilitation.- To assist them, we must have ready an adequate fund, worthy of the traditions of Otago. Now is the time to raise it, and the queen carnival is devoted to that object. “ I would like Mr Paape and the miblic to believe me when I say that, in accepting the responsibilities associated with the chairmanship of the Carnival Executive. I was actuated solely by that very spirit and sense of obligation referred to above. At no time have I doubted the generosity of the public of Otago, nor the ultimate outcome of this special appeal to their

sense of duty in a time of grave national danger. t My only .concern was to awaken their enthusiasm and responsiveness at the very outset of what must of necessity be a short and intensive effort. If I have fallen into error in my earnest endeavour to achieve this,let it be written down to that liability to mistake inherent in most of us; but at. all costs let us ensure that the noble cause for which we are working is in no way endangered by any purely personal consideration.” STATEMENT APPROVED BY EXECUTIVE The question of criticism of the or-, ganisation and conduct of the Queen Carnival appearing in the columns of the Press was discussed at a_ special meeting of the carnival executive. A. statement prepared by the chairman. (Mr Arthur Barnett) in connection, with a protest against his remarks in the course of a progress report to the Patriotic Council on Tuesday last was submitted to the meeting. It was decided that the personal statement made by Mr Barnett had the full approval of those who, as members of the executive, had a very close knowledge of the circumstances, and were in a position to appreciate the great amount of time and energy the chairman was putting into the Queen Carnival effort and could best realise the disinterestedness of his motives and his keen anxiety to see the collection of the necessary fund go with a swing from the outset. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM WANTED. Consideration was given also to a number of anonymous letters that have appeared in the correspondence columns o# the local papers. The conclusion was reached that, while the voluntary and well-intentioned efforts of those who had undertaken the great volume of work involved must be inevitably subject to criticism by those who felt the job could be done better, no useful purpose could be served by entering into a Press controversy with such anonymous correspondents. Constructive suggestions would always be welcome, and wherever it was. found possible to fit them into the general scheme as already laid down after careful thought and planning, they would be given full consideration. Every minute of the time available was needed, however, to push the carnival to a successful conclusion; and it would be merely a dissipation of that valuable time to'attempt to deal with critics who- had nothing constructive to put forward. A genuine attempt had been made to organise the carnival on a _ basis which would embrace every section of the community, without making the scheme too cumbersome and unwieldy. After long and careful consideration it had been demeed best to limit the number of queens to three —one for each branch of the armed forces. Every effort had been made to embrace all sections of the community by the method of allocating all types of occupationi and businesses to one or other of the queens. Those engaged or employed in the various trades or occupations, would support the queen to which that type of business or calling had been allocated, though in actual fact the vital point was not so much the support of any particular queen as giving to the appeal generally on the most generous scale possible to tho individual. NO CLASS DISTINCTION. With regard to the setting up of committee and sub-committees to organise the raising of funds, this had been done by calling on those best able to devote time and energy to the work. No thought of class distinction came into the matter, but there were necessarily many otherwise willing workers who were not free durmg working hours to undertake the duties which members of committees must bq called on to perform as and when the need arose. Nevertheless, there was amplo scope for all who wished to assist even, in their free time, since a wide variety of activities would soon be in operation. If those who wished to offer their services would get into touch with tho honorary executive secretary (Mr H* D. Stewart, Otago A/and P. Society, 83 Crawford street) or with any of tho secretaries or chairmen of sub-commit-tees they would be assured of a grateful acceptance of such help as they were able to offer. <, The executive and the various subcommittees could do no more than their best to carry out the task, while at the same time doing what they could towards looking after their own affairs. While the strain lasted there was no time available to deal with side issue* or isolated criticism. The great thing was to set all petty personal considerations aside and get on with t'-.e job of ensuring that our men would be adequately cared for on their return to civil life. The executive felt it could fairly appeal to the community as a whole to take a broad and generou* view of the position and support tho carnival in that spirit. . , In particular the public might bo asked, with all reason, to absolve 1 e executive and its officers from the unprofitable task of dealing with anonymous newspaper correspondence. Letters, critical or otherwise, addressed direct to the secretary would receive proper consideration.