MANAGATERETERE QUEEN CARNIVAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 301, 8 December 1922, Page 3

MANAGATERETERE QUEEN CARNIVAL.

;To the Editor.; Bir, —During the latter part of the winter months, a Queen Carnival was held in aid of the funds of the Manga tcictcrc school. Three candidates were in the running. After a few weeks one retired, leaving a pakeba. candidate and a Maori representative. When the conipctiliop. closed ami the votes were being counted a donation of ten pounds to the school funds given by <he Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Meat Company was plumped on the pakcha candidate, 1 a proceeding which many of us thought was not fair, and not the intention of the meat company, us the following letter written on October 7th by the manager will indicate: —“Bo far as the directors were concerned the money ’was given to the school funds, ami they knew nothing of the Queen*. On our side there was no intention of showing any favouritism.” Many felt that

th t money should have been Jivided equally between the candidates, or put directly into the school funds, ivs supporters of each and all the candidates had amongst them share-holders and employees. The Maori candidate was leading by £6 worth of votes until the (iunatjou to the school funds given by the company was plumped upon the one candidate. As so much bitterness had been created by conduct of the Queen I competition generally, it was felt that jii would be a mistake to go any further wirti the crowning ceremony, and for the sake of all parties concerned it would be better to let the whole thing drop. It is now announced that the Queen is to be crowded to-day (Friday). Meanw'hile the Maori candidate met with an accident and is in the hospital with a compound fracture of the arm. 1 One would have thought that feelings of common decency would have sugges--1 led to the committee that they might at hast wait until the child was out of the hospital before setting a match again ,to the smouldering debris resulting from this unfortunately conducted Queen Carnival. The sympathy of a large number of residents are with the | Maori candidate. To outsiders the ' whole thing may look like a “storm in a ten-cup,'' but where racial feelings have been stirred let us see to it that our British reputation for justice and Hur dealing will not be besmirched by questionable actions on our part.—l ani, etc., THOSE INTERESTED. Mangateretere, Dec. 8, 1922.