COMPETITIONS FESTIVAL

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28894, 14 May 1959, Page 16

COMPETITIONS FESTIVAL

Fourth Day’s Events In spite of the cold, wet weather yesterday, attendances at the Christchurch Competitions Society’s annual festival were higher. For the fourth day’s events the attendances increased greatly over the corresponding periods of previous years. Of the ,2812 entries, about 2000 have now performed and as the end of the week draws closer the confidence of many of the youngsters is such as to promise an excellent programme for the two demonstration concerts on Saturday. Although the 10 to 12 year classes for fancy dancing were usually the outstanding sections the judge (Miss Colleen Edmonds, of Wellington) considered the 8 to 10 year group as very promising. Of this class she said their technical ability and neatness of footwork was good, musical interpretation, timing and rhythm being very evident. Full co-ordination of arms with legs was lacking, however, and needed careful attention. “Broken wrist and fancy arm movements are more suited to musical comedy, whereas in true classical form they are out of place,” said Miss Edmonds. Of the older age groups she said there were not as many entrants as she expected. The majority had a good feeling for the classical line but constant practice was still needed. In the national character sections there was often a lack of understanding by competitors in their chosen dances. Often steps were very well done but were rather more balletic than in the style of the country concerned, she said. Throughout most of the fancy dancing sections the children’s costumes were of a consistently high standard. In the following results, competitors are from Christchurch unless otherwise indicated: — Jellicoe Hall Recitation Test, Girls, 12 and under 14 years.—Wendy Baxter 1, Susan Haughey and Frances Kennedy (equal) 2. Recitation Test, Boys, 10 and under 12 yean.—Peter Stokell 1, Warren Helm 2, John Potter and Roger Austin (equal) 3. Scholarship, Boys or Girls, 10 and under 12 years.—Rhonda Dickson (Dunedin) 1, Gilda Parkin 2, Warren • Helm and Marcia Clarke (equal) 3. Monday.—Reading at Sight, boy or girl. 12 and under 14 years: Sandra Coe and Jonnie Seabrook (equal) 1, Susan Haughey and Neil Mitchell (equal) 3. Tuesday.—Children’s dialogue, two competitors, 12 and under 16 years: Anthony Ford and John Ballinger 1, Anne Meredith and Mary Meredith 2. Children’s Dialogue. under 12 years, two competitors. Lois Thomas, Christine Thomas 1; Lynette Hughes, Pamela Homiblow 2; Jennifer Forbes. Susan McDougall 3. Y.M.C.A Hall Solo, Lleder, Men.—R. Gray 1, D. Pryke 2, K.» Cutten (Auckland) 3. Begg’s Concert Hall Solo (Sacred), Girl or Boy. 12 and under 16 years.—Barbara Truscott 1, Sonya Black 2. Beverley Cornelius 3. Piano Solo, 10 and under 12 years. —Graeme Humphrey 1, Helen Gilmore 2, Carol Smith (Rangiora) and Carol Johnston (equal) 3. Duet, Any Voices, Adults.—Alastair Stokes and Anson Austin. 1, Mrs J. Van Koten (Invercargill) and Miss Margaret Smith 2. Solo, Soprano, Test.—Miss Margaret Smith (Clark ville) 1, Miss Lorraine Graham (Greymouth) 2. Miss Carol Collins and Mrs Beryl Herbert (Hawera) (equal) 3. Operatic Aria, Solo. Men.—R. Gray 1. Alastair Stokes 2. K. Cutten (Auckland) 3. Tuesday.—Solo, English song, men: Alastair Stokes 1, D. B. Holdgate 2. lan Lloyd 3. Saturday.—Piano duet. 12 and under 14 years.—Jillienne Buck and Catherine Petch 1. Nan Cross and Carol Kendrew 2. Karen Moyle and Brent Kiddey 3. Civic Theatre Classical Ballet Dance, eight and under 10 years.—Lee McMenamin 1, Simon Garrett 2. Pamela Hutton (Timaru) 3. Tap Dance, under eight years.— Christine Cunningham 1, Glenys Jones 2, Dianne Baxter 3. Tap Dance, eight and under 10 years.—Lynne Robinson 1. Bettina Bradley 2. Gillian Stokes 3. Poetic or Classical Barefoot Dance, under 12 years.—Carol Thompson (Timaru) 1. Julie McMahon 2. Lee McMenamin 3. Classical Ballet Dance, 12 and under 14 vears.—Maureen Coulter 1, Rhonda Steele 2. Sharyn Houison and Raylene Squire (equal) 3. Song and Tap Dance Solo, under 10 years.—Mary O’Connor (Greymouth) 1. Lynne Robinson 2. Betina Bradley 3. Irish Hornpipe, open.—Brian North (Ashburton) 1. Alison Brown 2. Barbara Dick 3. Tuesdav.—Reel o’ Tulloch, open.— Joan Wildermoth 1. Brian North (Ashburton) 2, Barbara Dick 3. Sword Dance under 16 years.— Grace Wilson (Ashburton) 1, Rhonda Webb 2, Wendy Cannon 3. National Dance (costume and dance must be authentic). 12 and under 14 vears.—Raylene Squires 1. Maureen Coulter 2. Robyn Hamburger 3. __Paa da Deux, 12 and over—Karla gfflw and Sharon Martin 1. Ravlene end Dianne McClurg 2. Karol. m Boon and Sharyn Houison 3.

Mr Southwick said that one factor that had a “devastating effect” on hotel trade in Te Aroha was the impact of the wholesale licence in the town. Mr Southwick submitted that closing the hotel would not impose any hardship on any section of the public. He presented a grapn of accommodation figures in Te Aroha for nine months showing that 15.000 beds had been available in the time. He said about 5000, or 35.174 per cent., had been sold. A hotel had a reasonable chance of avoiding a loss if it had a 70 per cent, occupancy. Lost Investment Lawrence Elder Angel, licensee of the Hot Springs hotel since June, 1957, said that taxation had had a marked effect on the profit of the hotel. He had bought the lease of the hotel but had now been forced to sell again. During his time as lessee he had doubled the turnover of the hotel, but could not make it pay. Import restrictions had taken 30 travellers a week off the route and bar takings had dropped £lOO « week when additional taxation had been placed on liquor. This had gradually built up again, but additional taxation had removed profit. He now had no interest in the hotel and had lost what money he had put into it

Lloyd Wilfred Woods, secretary of New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., Wellington said there was insufficient trade to warrant the continuation of the licence. “No hotel could continue to provide accommodation at that level of demand,” said Mr Woods. “If the Hot Springs hotel were closed the available accommodation in Te Aroha would still be greater than in any other town in New Zealand under normal conditions. ’’All Should Close”

“On economic grounds all the hotels in Te Aroha should be closed,” said Mr Woods. "The price control policy has had disastrous results; one of the hotels should be closed now in the hope of keeping the other two going. The owners of the other two hotels are prepared to try and carry on providing no further capital expenditure is involved.” Mr Woods commented that one aspect of the 1948 act had not received the consideration it required.

“The whole act fails unless the survival of an hotel as an economic unit is given absolute priority over all other circumstances,” he said.

The chairman: Your company is interested in one of the other hotels in Te Aroha, is it not? Why do you not relinquish the licence of one of your two hotels here? You are aware that if a surrender of licence is agreed to, your company will make a claim for compensation?

Lack Of Demand Mr Woods: The company i s not asking to surrender the licence on the figures presented—it is basing its contention on lack of demand.

The chairman: In view of the fact that this commission’s figures are not acceptable in a higher Court, a very large sum could be fixed as compensation. The chairman later commented that people still buying hotels with substantial goodwill were heading for disaster.

If they have not already reached it,” added Mr Woods. “The implications of this case are so serious from the point of view of the public that the commission has no intention of giving an offhand decision,” said the chairman in reserving decision. “During its deliberations the commission will keep the matter of public interest, as outlined in the act, firmly in view.”