"GALA WEEK" PROPOSAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 315, 14 January 1908, Page 4

"GALA WEEK" PROPOSAL.

'•Townsman" writes as follows:—I quite agree with your suggestion to hold a gala neck—call it wiiut you like—tor tue delectation of visitors to New Plymouth at Christmas time, ai.d to encourage an even greater inllux that we have now. Y u u are quite right in enumerating the town's natural attractions. But natural attractions are not everything. Other parts oi the province have natural attractions, too. Ami they make the most of them. But they don't rely on the "natural'' attractiveness. No fear! They organise all sorts of "artificial" attractions along. Here in New Plymouth the visitors frequent the beach in the morning. Then they are ready for something more enlivening, but nothing more enlivening is provided for them. How woidd this do for a programme for Christmas—New Year week in I'JOS-0? Saturday (Boxing Day), TJ.C. races; Monday, TJ.C. races; Tuesday, swimming sports and aequatic carnival; Wednesday, seaside picnic; Thursday, military tournament ami horseleaping competitions; Friday (New Year's Day), garden fete in Recreation Sports Cruund. On Boxing Night a display of lireworks; and on New Y'ear's .s:giit aquatic display under electric light at the Muncipal Baths. On Saturday we might have excursions to Mokau or Mount Kgmont. Such a programme sßVild 1* carried into effect without any very large ei]>ensc. This gala week must be arranged year after year. A "Mash in the pan' business is "not sufficient. Every year Ave can bring additional hundreds of |ieople and hundreds of jjaiunds to the town, besides providing amusement at home for our townsfolk. : Holidays are expensive things to a town if all its people proceed elsewhere to spun! tin ir ready cash. lam glad you have brought this matter up, and trust that the live section of our community will take up the idea and work at it.'