RETAILERS' QUEEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 278, 22 November 1915, Page 7

RETAILERS' QUEEN.

Another fete in aid of the Allied Retaileis' Queen's candidature, though not attended by such dense crowds as their last bazaar three weeks ago, doubtless owing to the other attractions at Ponsonby and Tukapuna. was held in Queen Street on Saturday afternoon. The morning gave promi.se of excellent weather conditions, which were essential for the success of the outdoor attraction, but when towards midday the sky assumed a leaden hue and a few large drops of rain were fplt in the outlying districts, many of those who otherwise might have ventured forth chose to take no risks of a wetting. Fortunately, however, the rain held off. and beyond a few drops, which did little more than scatter the pleasure-seekers for temporary shelter beneath tbe.ehop verandahs, the fete was uninterrupted, although the wind was at time* rather boisterous. By 3 o'clock the bazaar was in full swing, and the stalls, heavily stocked with produce, and the many sideshows which lined the footpaths, were surrounded by busy purchasers till well on for l> o'clock. It was the sideshows that attracted the greatest attention, and the attendants at some of these were kept at high pressure all the afternoon. The Kaiser as usual came in for a mereile-ss buffeting at the hands of enthusiastic bomb-throwers, who came forward in responee to the cry of "Knock him on the boko," etc., but in almost every case this form of amusement consisted of "co many shots for sixpence." l'ierrot companies and brass bands, some on lorries and others parading the street, were followed from place to place by large crowds, and the extended hat or fishing net was many times emptied of its contents of silver and copper. The many "hoop-la" stalls and "spinning wheels," in which the success of the patron depended more upon luck than skill, were also attended all the afternoon by keen competitors and onlookers. At the end of the afternoon there was hardly a soul who could confess that he had not contributed in some small way to the fund for the assistance of the wounded.