THE CARNIVAL BEGINS

Evening Star, Issue 18999, 22 July 1925, Page 8

THE CARNIVAL BEGINS

STUDENT REVELS TO-DAY A TIP-TOP PROCESSION This is one of Dunedin’s days out I The first day of tho Capping Carnival invariably draws our folk train their homes to the streets to “ see what the students do this time.” Those portions of the main street and back streets along which the capping procession passed at midday to-day were thronged with eager sightseers, and laughter and exclamations of praise wore aroused by the nature of the exhibits on the carious lorries and ot her conveyances.

The procession this year was distinctly good. The subjects of satire and burlesque were well chosen, and the results wore often clover pieces of work. One very satisfactory feature was the entire absence of anything that anyone could take objection to. There was plenty of fun, nevertheless. The procession was headed by a band of Hie “Gargle and Smother’em Highlanders.” There individuals were weirdly garbed, while the instruments which they used were still more weird. The “Vice-regal ” motor car contained His Excellency in military costume and our mayor in his robes. It was a good “make-up” in each case, except that the latter has yet to grow a little in rotundity in order to catch up with his real Worship’s proportions. A telling hit was the exhibit of onr war memorial. From a. base ol rough concrete rose a few forlorn-looking rods of iron—the result of seven years of effort. Tiie Abrams’ machine was satnrisod. as might he expected from those who hope to bo “duly qnaliiieds ” some day, and the fearsome instruments of torture displayed would surely be sufficient to drive, sufferers to the M.D.s. The “ Bolshie Butchers ” were shown decapitating with appropriate, ferocity their victims and turning them into edibles. For of such (we are told) is the Kingdom of Russia. Then came along a. carload of “ Rustproof Rogues,” ami placarded as “ Born in 1820 and still going wrong’’—and looking it. An nnvthing-hnt-polo-pony-like horse boro four “ all Blacks,” presumably the polo team which returned from Australia recently in sackcloth, hut without the ashes. The visit of the American Ueet_was_ anticipated with a party of “Wo Mon the Mar ” Yanks, who paraded alongside their good ship “ Rum Row,” and chewed gum industriously. A gang of laborers was seen next, working none too laboriously on the long-expected and long-detained Leith Bridge, a placard voicing the natural question (in view of the obvious frailty of the structure), ‘‘Will it sumwt Tapley?” The Prince _of M ales amongst his various subjects—black, white, and yellow; a group of horsemen representing the parliamentary parties, each with a “ Facing-both-wffys ” mask, and bearing a placard relative to fusion and confusion; a lingo cross-word puzzle that went by too quickly for correct solution; and a gentleman taking a bath and being helped to acquire a “ Kme-shnn ” feeling by several willing attendants, who obviously delighted in “Rubbing it in,” u*re amongst the other exhibits noticed. There were fewer than usual “walking cases” in (lie procession, which was, taken all in all, a very creditable one indeed.

After parading over the specified route the processionists retired to the Town Hall steps, whore the usual “mayoral speech” was delivered. From that on they paraded in couples or parties, and indulged in the harmless fun which is expected of them on these occasions.