CITIZENS' PEACE BALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1919, Page 4

CITIZENS' PEACE BALL.

AT KEW PLYMOUTH. A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE. "A thousand hearts beat happily; and when Music arose with its voluptuous swell, Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again, And all went merry as a marriage bell." .. .

So was it at the citzens' peaee hall at the Coronation Ball on Friday night. Hearts were beating happily, and in high expectation, as eager feet waited for the first swell'of the music which shoilld set them all in motion, and when the first strains arose it was as though a fairy tvand had been waved over the gay assemblage, and man and matron, youth and maid yielded themselves as the willing slaves of the godess of gaiety. If the children's night was a success .the citizens' night was a triumph in exceisis. The hall decorations were, of course, the same as for the first night, the only alteration in the arrangements being the erection of a small platform adjoining that occupied by the orchestra for the guests of honor, including the Mayor and Mayoress, and the judges for the costume cokpetitions. When uie attendance was at its full strength it was estimated that there must havo been nearly 1800 people present, and tho taking of just upon £IOO in cash at tho k doors indicated that the estimates were """ '

I The ball was set iti motion in tli# I orthodox manner for such occasions, the | grand march being led by Mrs, U & I Weston and Mr. H. A. Stratford, follow.. |ed by Mrs. and Mr. J. W. Hayden. Soma 200 participated in making an effccft which was s.triking and spectacular. When dancing became general the in« (crmingling of the fancy costume# wltH the many beautiful and dainty evening dresses made a picture that will be memorable to those who formed i,t and those who were spectators. The general opinion was that there lias never been anything like it in Taranaki before. Those who had gone in pairs in the march quickly became separated, and were found with partners, sometimes of quite opposite and extreme effect. The lady of the "crinoline" danced with the modern youth, side by side with dainty demoiselles whose costumes were created in conformity with the latest fashion plates. The Indian and his squaw separated and were "tripping the light fantastic" with representatives of the moat modern civilisation, while the demoniao Mephistopheles waltzed beside . .the Herald of Peace. A war bride and her groom appeared inseparable. America and Australia found themselves dancing in the same set, while there was an appropriate interweaving of the national colors of the Allies throughout the piece. Cowboy and gipsy, Red Crow nurse and golliwog were at home as partners with each other, whilst the seda,te Quaker-girl was piloted round the hail by the baker, a much more willing partner than might have been supposed from her garb. During an interlude Miss Anderson repeated ,tbe butterfly dance given on the children's night, while a Spanish rimring girl also took the floor during an interval in the course of the judging. The character of the evening was undoubtedly "The Tramp," who broke all the conventionalities of the ballroom. He strolled here and stayed there, jostled dancers, picked up a partner here and discarded the same partner without ceremony and for apparently no reason bu,t his own whims and fancies. He applauded when no one else saw occasion for praise, and showed a genuine disgust for some of the things which fonnd popular favor. Whether he wearied of the judges in the time they took to select the winners in some of the classes or whether he became bored with the whole business is hard to say, but during ths process he calmly stretched liimylf on I the floor in the middle of the hall, put hia swag under his head for a pillow, tnd "slept" until disturbed by the progress of events. He was the source of much ! amusement, and well deserved the prise for the best "comic" of the occasiotu THE COMPETITIONS. \ /

The grand parade for the judging o£ the costumes wag a spectacular item, there being some 60 competitors to all the classes, and they presented * gay sight as they marched round the hall to their respective sections while the judges selected the winners from each group. The first to go round were the national costumes, and in this were 22 competitors, representative of some dozen or more different countries. The Briton and the Scot, and the Scot and the Belgian marched side by aide, whilst the Red Indian and his squcw made a distinctive setting in-thepsrade. A brave Canadian escorted Indian squaw, while America and Au»tralia walked side by side, followed' by France and Italy, who were in turn succeeded by a pair of quaint Butch figures.

The comic and original costumej were « conglomerate lot. Many of them were distinctly clever and some veiy grotesque. A clown in a gaily colored dresV led a masked figure in brilliant greeo, while Mcphistopheles in duplicate pamcU ed in full fiendishness. Sailors cod Ml« diers joined together, while pierrot And Pierrette tripped around the tall with lightsome lilt. The class comprised 32 competitors, almongst whom was the übiquitous "Down and Out" tramp. The class for historic costumes wm a small one, but the representations were striking. "Queen Elizabeth," trifle by side with "Crinoline," -was in the van. leadmg with stately step and gait of grace, the next mos.t conspicuous figure being that of Joan of Arc, who also appeared on the first night. With this class were also sent round the poster class,'which consisted of two liquor ad* ver.tisements and one for Three cigarettes.

The final class was that for peace costumes, which was the smallest in all tha competitions and displayed nothing of originality in its get-up. Perhaps, after all, its merit lay in its extreme simplicity, the competitor, being merely dad in white, carrying a laurel branch bearing a surmounting coronet,

The judges were Mrs. C. H. Weston and Messrs A. M. Bradbury and R. Macrae, and the awards were as follow: Poster costumes.—"Continuance," Miss Frank, l ; "Three Cjttstle Cigarettes." Miss - i h 2. -oil i costumes.—"Queen Eliza* beth. Miss D. Bradbury, 1; "Joan of Arc, Miss Bennoch, 2. Fancy costumes.-« Crinoline," Miss D. MVn»l'J'\r Pe n al9 , for fant * Coßtun » eß ' Zelda Hogg^ 1 '! ' l ' "Folly," Miss National costumes.-« Red Indian," S,IL," •" " a " v »"

Allied costumes.—"Belgium," Mis* Jinx Is Australia," Mrs. Richards, 2Bouttell°l ,gmal Coßtumeß --" lt »)y>" Mils )w.fi PeC »ri r "' izo ? for best coatiiaicg in nJr"i v 1, b(,th '" Mi »s Brad, bury, l, Crinoline, Miss Jordan, 2,

MEN'S CLASSES.

Coimc.- Tramp," Mr. T. Montague. Original. Mophtetopheles," Setgk.' Williams, 1. ' g National.—"Scotch," Sergt -Malor Williamson, 1; "Indian," Mr. F. Honan, ?. ~T lio ™ ne f' s were announced by the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) and received their prizes at the hands of the wimTih' <4 hUge lnu = h W4S created when the Tramp," in making B de^p a n r' /;™ aved llia >»«. With which also came off his long, shaggy hair. the HiTTf Pel ' CCptibly lc69ened the distribution of the' prizes, and aZ'"tV° ,ltilUled for 80me time there- „ f ' , ° p ] )RCO on the floor being mow comfortable for those participating The same committee had charge i.r amingements as for the children'.. ■! htr +u~ A'x- l lw * °* *' ie evening oy the Citizens' Band and later bv .Mrs George s orchestra. The M's C.' were Messrs J. w. Haydeii, li. J. Deare, kl; p d fT eavo3 ' W - H. Preece, W. JenKins, I'. Moverley, and A. Roberts. The ladies committee, who had charge of the supper arrangements, consisted of Menwi m ? ) llh , am 3 (convenor), Parkinson, Whyte, Gardiner, Inch, McKonnie, Tozer, Courtenay, Bell, Wyatt, Bennoch, and ales. They had a heavy task, but panie through the ordeal with satiafac--1 mLm eVor£? "® predit jo. tfeem.