Hokitika.

New Zealand Tablet, 10 June 1915, Page 51

Hokitika.

(From our own correspondent.) May 28. The election of the Queen of the Carnival took place here last Monday. The weather was fine, and a record gathering assembled at the racecourse. Miss Kathleen Gieseking, the commercial travellers' candidate, Greymouth, was elected Queen, the number of votes polled for her being 209,261, which represented £1743. Miss Myrtle Keller, the Hibernian candidate, came second, polling 160,187 votes, which, represented £1334. There were seven candidates in the competition, and the Hibernians are to be congratulated on the success of'their efforts on behalf of Miss Keller. So far as Westland is concerned, Miss Keller topped the poll, for Greymouth, a much larger town, had only one candidate upon whom to concentrate its efforts, whilst in Hokitika there were several. The carnival realised the sum of £5359 12s 4d. In the Drill Hall on Tuesday evening last a very pretty ceremony was carried out as a fitting finale to the Carnival Queen competition of the previous day. The occasion was the crowning of King Thomas and Queen Margaret, the winners of the contest held as a subordinate function to assist the candidature of Miss Myrtle Keller, the Hibernian choice in the principal contest. A throne had been erected at the southern entrance of the hall, and was tastefully decorated with the colors of Miss Margaret Pickett and Master Thomas Williams, the successful candidates. Mr. Henry Williams (secretary of the committee) conducted their majesties to the dais. Mr. W. Jeffries then ascended the throne, and in the customary style performed the crowning ceremony amidst tumultuous applause. Prior to the crowning ceremony, Mr. W. Jeffries delivered

a congratulatory address on the selection of their majesties, and paid tribute to the efforts of the various candidates who took part in the contest, and also expressed his pleasure at the magnificent financial result attained. After the crowning ceremony was concluded, Mr. Wormington gave an eloquent royal address. Pie dealt with the situation before and since the war, pictured the plight of the Belgian people owing to the loss of their lands and their homes, and praised the efforts of the children on behalf of the heroic Belgian people, who made such sacrifices for the civilisation of Europe. Mr. Henry Williams then spoke pf the work of his committee, and the magnificent response. A lengthy musical programme was then gone through, the following ladies and gentlemen contributing items:Mrs. Richardson, Misses Daly and Harvey, and Messrs. Stopforth' and Dudderidge. Mrs. S. Richardson, who arranged the musical programme, is to be . congratulated upon the success of her efforts. The singing of the National Anthem concluded an enjoyable function.