THE SITE QUESTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9122, 23 April 1915, Page 4

THE SITE QUESTION.

STATEMENT BY THE CARNIVAL

CHAIRMAN

In reference to the article appearing in Wednesday's " Guardian" in regard to the question of where the evening part of the forthcoming Carnival m aid of the Belgian Relief. Fund should take place, a reporter, in conversation with the chairman of the committee (Mr H. P. Nicoll), was told that, the .committee had no intention of altering the present arrangements to hold the iete at the show grounds during the day time, and in the Ash bur ton Domain at 'night. Mr Nicoll 'said thero was a. ■p'reponduianco oi aiguraent in favour of that arrangement, and the agitation to continue the lete at the show ground •> during the evening came from »i lery binnll Mx-tion of the public He said it was absurd to suggest that to chnngo from the fchow grounds to the Domain would break 'up the crowd. "Do you think," he went on, "that persons with young children, who attend the fete in the day time, will care to stay there all the evening as well ? Not they. They will be glad to got away for a coupltl of hours to look sifter their family and to have a rest and freshen themselves up for the evening's festivities. It it, not to bo imagined that they will stay at the show grounds ■from about 11 o'clock in the morning till late.'in the evening, and if they once lon re, do you think it is likely that they will want to go out all the ■way to the show grounds " again at night? They will much rather go to the Domain, which is close and handy to -their ••homes; It has been suggested that an auction .sale of tho surplus ''eatables—that is, : the food that tho .ladies' committee thinks it will;not require,. be held in the afternoon or the evening, and ji held in the afternoon there wotild be no shifting ■"■ to .. do. But in .'any case, if any refreshments'' have to be removed, that task will not fall upon the ladies. The mon's committee' will arrange that. ' It was a very great relief to the committee when the ladies came forward with their offer to look after the roiVoshments,' and they have worked splendidly. Further, arrangements hrtve l>oen made; with the Ashburton Electric Supply Company 'to light the Domain •up ■at night.' .'This, the committee considered a xnagnifi-, cent offer of holp. The work of reticulating the Domain is already being done, and, if this werenot so, the committee could not "ask the company to run, mains'all tho way to the show grounds. _ The cost would be enormous, and, in any case, there is no necessity for it. Arrangements in connection with side-shows: if or the Domain at night have also, .been-com-pleted, and it is not the ■pomniittee.'sintention to. alter,;them at this ethge. I'would like to mnko it quite clear that - the-sole aim of the committee is ■to: assist the' Belgians, and in making dteeof the Domain in the- evening it is considered that better results will be achieved for the pause, and.*#ie women and children ,will bc.&udied'at tihe , same time." . - ' xa't'--'~'-