DRAMA IN THE BACKBLOCKS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 526, 22 July 1949, Page 5

DRAMA IN THE BACKBLOCKS

Sir,-The aittcle pei} in the Backblocks" in your issue of July 1, is an interesting one, but my committee feels that Mr. McDougall is something less than kind to the Community Arts Service organisations in the smaller country centres. As the body responsible for the Kerikeri Memorial Hall this committee has received indignant protests

from residents of Kerikeri because Mr. McDougall. pointed the finger of scorn at our hall and referred to it as "a converted passionfruit pulp factory." It is generally known throughout the north that our hall was originally a factory, where the juice was expressed from passionfruit, bottled, and exported to England. We do not know where Mr. McDougall got the "pulp": from; perhaps he could not resist the urge for alliteration, Had Mr, McDougall seen the building before it was converted into a hall, he would realise how much has been achieved. Even then he would not know the voluntary work involved in making improvements, nor would he know the amount of money spent on essential building alterations and additions. Only scarcity of labour and shortage of materials have delayed further improvements. When it is possible to carry out plans which have been prepared, we hope to bring the hall and stage up to the exacting standards desired by ‘Mr. McDougall. Another representative of the Community Arts Service, Mr. Harold Baigent, drama tutor, recently stated that the acoustics of the hall are satisfactory. Kerikeri residents appreciate visits by C.A.S. entertainers and we have voiced our appreciation'on many occasions. However, we feel it to be regrettable that, in the whole of his talk to The: Listener, Mr. McDougall made no mention of the work done by country C.A.S. committees, or of the hospitality shown by local members of the organisation, who have billeted visiting

performers in their homes.-

J.

KEN

DALL

(Chairman, Kerikeri Memorial

Hall Committee).

(Mr. McDougall did pay tribute to country C.A.S. committees, and to the hospitality of country people; but the hard work and hospitality of country people are not news to Listener readers and these references were omitted in cutting the interview to fit the space available.-Ed.) :