THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1929. THE QUEEN CARNIVAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5475, 16 September 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette. With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1929. THE QUEEN CARNIVAL.

The Paeroa Borough Council’s scheme for the relief of unemployment was first made public at a community “sing” on June 6, when His Worship the Mayor, Mr W. Marshall, announced that after serious deliberation the council had decided not to resort to a loan again, and thereby save a further burden on the ratepayers and posterity. The council had drawn up a series of proposals, which the Mayor enumerated to the meeting. The scheme in brief was the planting of trees for use in the future as power poles, etc., thereby providing an asset for the next generation, and the planting of trees along one side of Station .Road for its full length, part of Rye Lane, and Puke Road. Through the generosity of Dr. Little part of the Te Aroha road would also be done. Primrose Hill would be made still more beautiful, and the top made more accessible by means of a path’. The unsightly drains along Station Road and Corbett and Bradley Streets would be piped and filled in. The hospital grounds would be attended to. For many years, continued thC'Mayor, there had been serious reproach in Paeroa’s midst, and that was the absence of a war memorial. The council had ultimately decided to suggest the erection of a cenotaph—a replica of the one in the Empire’s heart at London—on Primrose Hill. The question remained how to finance the scheme. The Borough Council had decided to donate £206 out of the water account, which could be done without endangering the funds; £250 would be availalbe from the Ngahina wharf account ; £7OO had been allotted as a Government subsidy; the £lOO necessary for the hospital would carry a £ for £ subsidy. That meant that about £1075 was left which had to be found. Already £125 was in hand from a war memorial fund subscribed seven or eight years ago. The Ohinemuri Jockey Club had voted £350. Other donations had been promised by Dr. Little and the Beautifying Society. Mrs Sitcock had practically decided to donate the whole of the £5O which would accrue to her for stone the council would have to pay for from the quarry. That left £450 to £470 to be found. A queen carnival was proposed in ordei' ■to raise this.

The majority of the people, of Paeroa approved wholeheartedly of the projected scheme, except as far as the cenotaph was concerned. A very large number objected to the proposed form the memorial was to take, and to the position where it was scheduled to be erected. Limited space forbids pros and cons being gone into. No vote was taken on the matter, but ultimately, owing to growing opposition, it was decided that the amount to be raised should be increased from £450 to £B5O and all . money obtain in excess of £450 should be used towards erecting Ladies’ Rest and Plunket Rest Rooms. The council agreed that if the sum of £4OO was raised by the public for this purpose the council would undertake to erect a brick front wall right across the present library section, with brick ladies’ and Plunket nurse rooms on the side of the present library at an estimated cost .of £B5O. The council early in the year had placed £lOO upon the estimates towards the cost of ladies’ rest rooms, and this was available ; but under the new proposal the council would have to find at least £3OO. It was therefore proposed to spend approximately the same amount on ladies’ rooms as on the cenotaph, and it was sincerely hoped that this would enable those who favoured some useful form of memorial, and particularly Paeroa’s country friends, who undoubtedly desired a rest room because they knew how great was the need, to join with enthusiasm in helping to reach the objective, Soon the carnival was in full swing, with Miss 11. Matthews as Farmers’ Queen, Miss V. Shand as Sports

Queen, and Miss I. Masters as Business Queen. The three committees were headed by Crs. H. J. Hare, J. W. Silcock, and E. Edwards respectively. Weeks of intense activity followed, with a succession of concerts, dances, Paddy’s markets, gala days, cattle drives, etc., and numerous competitions. It is safe to say that everyone in Paeroa and district, and in many cases further distant still, entered spiritedly into the campaign and worthy cause, giving of their best, whether in cash, kind, or labour.

The eagerly looked-forward-to final came on the night of Saturday, August 10, when a huge open-air concourse assembled in the Civic Square to hear the result. Great excitement reigned as the figures for each candidate mounted up, and it was not until the very last minute that first and second places were decided, so close was the running. At 10 p.m. the Mayor’ mounted the steps of the post office and announced amid deafening cheers the Farmers’ Queen first, with £6OO 0s Id ; the Sports Queen second, with £593 14s ; and the Business Queen third, with £366 Ils 2d ; a total of £1560 5s 3d, or £7lO 5s 3d more than was aimed at.

As a result of this wonderful effort on the part of a comparatively small community it was decided to allot the extra £7lO, on which a further subsidy of £4OO had been granted by the Government, as follows : Furnishing Plunket and Rest Rooms, £75 ; towards the balance of £450 required for the ladies’ rest room, £317 10s ; entrance from Arney Street to Primrose Hill, with general cleaning up and levelling behind the Church of England and Courthouse, together with the planting of trees and construction of a 10ft motor road to the top of the hill, £317 10s ; reconstruction of old Te Aroha Road, £3OO ; formation and metalling of Fraser Street to the back entrance of the hospital, £75 ; and additional for Station Road, £25 ; total, £lllO. Work on the scheme has proceeded apace; formation of the road up Primrose Hill is practically completed, and about 40 tons of material. have been carted to the site of the proposed cenotaph. The actual erection will be commenced at an early date. The reconstruction of old Te Aroha Road is well in hand. Work on piping and filling drains and footpath formation in the Station Road area will be completed at an early date. Much stripping has been done at the quarry, and to provide further employment the stone is being hand-broken by contract. Preparations are complete for tree-planting. Fraser Street extension has been formed. Work at the hospital is proceeding satisfactorily. Nothing so far has been done in connection with the Plunket and rest rooms, the Borough Council’s last works report stating that owing to pressure of work the plans have not been completed, but it was hoped to get them done shortly and commence the work. The carnival finished with the wonderful and spectacular coronation ceremony which took place on Friday.

Praise for the whole affair is hard to bestow individually. Some of those responsible for the great success worked of necessity before the public ; others in various .ways worked no less diligently and enthusiastically in the quiet of their own homes. All combined for the one great and just cause—the alleviation to some extent of unemployment in Paeroa’s midst. And to the employed themselves who now benefit every praise must be given, for through them Paeroa is being made more beautiful and more attractive, except, perhaps, in prosecution of qne instance, where opinions are divided. However, the main thing has been accomplished, and that is what rich and poor, borough and country, worked for. Differences of opinion there are, and will be ; but men and families in need are being provided for, and that, after all, is all that matters. Perhaps the most significant part of the whole affair was the way the country , surrounding co-oper-ated with Paeroa. Nothing at no time in its history has done so much to bring them so much together, and now that pleasing accomplishment is a fact it is to be hoped the unity will remain.

And so ends the carnival. All praise and thanks are due to those who brought it to such a wonderful end, and all praise and thanks are due to those men who are now employed as a djrect result of it, in that they are giving of their best in return. Good luck to them, and in the future may they have nothing but happiness, contentment, and secure employment.