THE HUTT VALLEY QUEEN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 126, 29 May 1915, Page 6

THE HUTT VALLEY QUEEN

"Petone" dominates the Hutt Valley. That locality has selected its queen, and she is employed at the Wellington Woollen Mills, b,ut the support of the whole Valley is given to her. She rode in the Clothing Trades procession through the city streets to-day, by the side of Mr. W. H. P. Barber, chairman of the Woollen Company, in his car. At the head of the procession marched a company of burlesque soldiers in bearskins and scarlet tunics. Then followed a regiment of clothing factory girls, from all local establishments, most of them wearing khaki military uniforms. Some were dressed as nurses, and others in a variety of costumes — as Pierretes, Maoris', Dutch girls> and other quaintlycostumed folk. Jupp's Band enlivened the proceedings with martial music. Lorries with/ girls at sewing machines making garments and favours of gold and scarlet (the queen candidate's colours) took part in the procession. The girls were most active in their collection of cash, and let no likely contributor escape them. Incidentally, ii/may be mentioned that they all looked remarkably well, showing that factory life under New Zealand conditions had no effect upon their rosy cheeks and generally well-set-up figures.