NELSON CARNIVAL SUNSHINE COMPETITION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 30 October 1922, Page 5

NELSON CARNIVAL SUNSHINE COMPETITION

cTo flip Editor) . Sir, —The Carnival. Committee are to be congratulated On the unique scheme they have evolved to boost both the coming Carnival as well as Nelson's sunshine asset. Blit on reading the published announcement I was immediately struck by what I think is a grave error in the committee’s arrangement, so I ask for the use of your columns tor voic- . ing my-suggestion. Prizes are to be awarded on guesses made as to the total hours of sunshine recorded in Nelson for the month of November. So far so good, but entries do not close until midnight on 20th November. Therein lie* a fault that I am sure will prejudice the success of the competition. Surely the competition resolves itself into one for guessing the hours of sunshine from 21sfc and 30th November. 1 take it that the competition will be advertised throughout the Dominion. The prize money offered is a large sum, so every possible entry is needed to make the competition a financial success. Well, my point is this: Will the average prospective competitor from outside of Nelson (the person it is especially desired to interest), who must needs devote a little time and thought in formulating bis guess, care to compete with the Nelsonian who will be not only conversant with* the exact amount o! sunshine recorded from Ist to 20th November, but will also on the: evening of 20th November when landing in his entry have some idea of the weather for the coming day at the least? To avoid this difficulty, the committee would need to not only publish throughout New Zealand the sunshine records for past Novembers (they will probably do this in any case), but they will also need to broadcast the daily records of the first 20 days of November to give everyone an equal chance. Even among local competitors, it is not certain that each , one would be able to have access to the daily record for these days. I will not monopolise your space with further obvious arguments. I have no doubt but that confusion is likely to arise in the minds of many competitors, resulting in their abstention from the competition, with the consequent loss of revenue to the committee. The obvious remedy is to make the competition for the month of December, with entries closing on 30th November. It is not-yet too late to alter arrangements.—l am, etc., ' WELL-WISHER. 28/10/22.