AKITIO COUNTY CARNIVAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5353, 9 February 1916, Page 2

AKITIO COUNTY CARNIVAL.

RAKAUNUI NOTES

The burning question of the hour — | apart from inferior whiskey—is whether we will withdraw our candidate from the 'competition. Of this more anon. Meanwhile Pongajroa. iretain the lead, and Waihi, ranch to our delight, have shown they are alive, and by taking over £125 at tlieir picnic on Wednesday have secured, the third position. Other districts appear dormant. Tire Puketoi ranges must be the CatsgiU Mountains of Rip Van Winkle fame, and the coast has apparently teen inundated with a tidal wave. Let us hope otherwise. To take public functions first, our big event "Flag night” took place on Friday. The attendance was ample, though several useful bidders were blown back into their armchairs and carpet slippers by the wind. Mr W Thomas’ steel engraving was won by a relative of. the family, who purchased tickets while visiting Rakaunui recently. The winner has presented it back end the Bank will doubtless credit us with £lO for it in lieu of cash. About 1 a.m., by which time supper was fully digested, and the auspiciou-ness of the moment was observable by the smilingness of the hundred or so pairs of cheeks present, a halt in the dancing was called, and Riflema n SKx-f oot-one- finnl-leave Thomas advanced to the centre of the hall with the flag. The National Anthem was rendered with a fervour that surprised even patriotic Rakaunui, and the auctioneer, Mr Griffith, of Pahiatua, entered with his myrmidons. Mr Griffith disdained any of the ruses do querre adopted hv some of his profession, hut appealed in an absolutely straight-forward way to his audience which look them by storm, being straight people themselves. We only regret that our dark horse policy prevents ns from publishing the results at present hut, thanks to the auctioneer, they were really magnificent. The syndicate, engineered by Mr F. Eustege, and also Mr X. Sorensen. who required cover for his numerous bids, greatly assisted matte, s. But tlie outstanding feature of the auction nas the superb and entirely successful work of Mr Griffith. In awarding this gentleman the V.C., the I) 5.0., the freedom of of Rakannui .and the C'hiltem Hundreds, our Committee tender him their grateful tl anks. Mr .1. Walls a-n<l others contributed excellent musical items, and the last waltz, as

usual, did rot require artificial light. Our Carnival Shiboo this week consists of a cricket match and dance on Saturday. Two fine photographs of Royalty, donated by Mr Hans Kansk, and other articles, will be sold and a brief statement will be made to all present on certain matters intimately

of interes''. to our supporters. The departing recruits. who decimal pre-se n tut ion s on Friday, have agreed to attend and receive the good wishes <»*' their friends during final

leave. (r. Riverton, who became tho

owner of the Hag, is considering « method o? making further use of it to assist the fund. At the Central Executive nicotine on Friday great cordiality and good fellowship prevailed among the district delegates. Messrs W. Pickett, C. R. Burling and your correspondent. who represented Rakaunui, lost every motion they put forward, and in consequence arrived home highly eluted at such a novelty and simply buhl ling over with indomitahleness. We have ample funds in hand now to win the Carnival, and it is only the qm stion of diversion or the lunds that prevents us from doing something l a di. Midi as offering the Imperial authorities half-a-dozen Fokker aeroplanes or a sii)>or-l)n'«id-inoughf. One proposition, unanimously rejected, proposed by the writer, was worded as follows: “That the treasurer be instructed to receive no cheques nor cash on polling day except in sealed envel<q>es, these cm elopes to remain sealed till after the close of the poll, and to be opened only in the presence of tin' d'striet scrutineers.” Comment is needless. * Secretary Coo is qualifying for Pnrirua otter parting with the value ov our art union sales. The total amount we have sold (and paid in') is just over C2oo. We do not consider it. necessary nor of any use to conceal these figures. The amount would have been much larger had we adopted thg )>luli of other districts of issuing coupons to value for oil ‘'dummy'' bids at auctions. We did not do this because wo considered wadi, never mind what wo considered. Meanwhile, all our public functions la-c-dpts frotVi, Novendier. our Flag receipts and other donations remain intact, and our rivals have about as much chance of winning os the snail has of heating a hush fire. The writer cannot help thinking that there’s *

touch of the ‘ ‘orthrophoitosukophantoclikkotataiporos” about the Pongaroa Committee. “The Wairarapa Age.” ore advocating the abolition of teaching the dead languages. Has it ever occurred to them what a lovely vehicle for invective they are sacrificing.

Our own Committee met on Saturday, under Chairman Pickett, and the question of the Carnival wool was solved by an offer of a cheque to the Approximate value of the same. Very many thanks, Messrs Won’tallow your names to be mentioned. The writer gave notice of motion that a vote ol Rakaunui subscribers be taken on the advisability of withdrawing from the’ Carnival. Tins matter will be immediately proceeded with, and a special meeting of the whole district lias been called. Your correspondent, who accepts all responsibility, considers there are ample grounds for taking this step. He lias

strong support anti it is very possible that our rivals may therefore learn our “strength” sooner than they anticipated. It is unanimously agreed, however, that wo are still to continue our utmost efforts to raise money for the cause after we have withdrawn. The only difference will lie that the

lamounts collected will be paid in probably to districts that are not at present in the running. The importarit question of adnfinistration of the funds lias been -helved till after the Patriotic .Societies’ Conference on the 17th. There is a strong feeling

here that the County should watch its ov ii wounded men and take in hand each local case immediately be requires it. We also feel that a slightly wounded man has a far better chance of rapid recovery in his own home and among his own kith nna kin.

The motor-raids last week were extremely thorough and energetic in their work. In our own boundary parties of picked grenadiers were driven by Cr. Liverton, Or. Darlington and Cr. Lassen in their various cars, and what, they missed in Carnival contributions could have been put in the waistcoat pocket of a sand-fly. The extended tour in Mr W. Terry’s car. with the Flag, came through with an unblemished repu-

tation, as there was not a single refusal throughout the trip. The bombthrowers consisted of Chairman Pickett (“therd’s a very sharp turn here, Walter”), Mr F. Herbert, of Pongaroa (“a man lives there whom I haven’t seen for twenty years”), Secretary Coe ("20 pounds and 15 make 35, and 10 more, etc.”), and your correspondent (“I wonder how they’rp off far luggage”). Leaving on Monday we spent fen minutes in the enemy’s lines, and while at Pongaroa induced Paymaster Roliertson. Colonel Sammy Gibson, of the Kilties, Adjutant Ward, of the Commissariat, and others to capitulate—at a price.

Storming parties attacked ©very residence to Akitio. where Jlr Smith, Mr Armstrong, and otliors experienced material damage to their hanking accounts. A\"e conceived an abiding respect for Cabbage-tree Hill, and 1 after placing Messrs Stewart Brothers, Hart gill, McLean, and many others hors de combat we came to rest for the night at Herliertville.

which is a pretty little settlement, near Cape Tumagain. “Pretty little'’ is an accurate description of the place which, like the scribe, lias two names. The inhabitants were all amenable to discipline, and leaving many dead men (no. gentle reader, nor marines') behind us we slaughtered AA'imbledon, Ti-Troe Point. Weber, and all interlying stations. Messrs Bond, Harvey, C. Hales and many j others made a note of our moveI ments —in their dheque hook-—and Messrs Speedy Brothers, who humorously produced a gun, took our breath away by their patriotic generosity. On Wednesday wo lijad a day out at \V limiro sale, and afterwards at the I Kaituna picnic, at which places wo spored on the Flag on behalf of the Waihi candidate, this being her territory, Stayed to the evening festivities, and arrived home early on Thursday morning. Good work. Aren’t we jusi us! It is thundering over Pongaroa as we write. AVhat a mercy wo have got otir O.irnival cosh here in safety instead of in the Bank over there.

Supposing it were* struck by lightning. We art* asked ad nauseam how much we are holding and we are holding, and we are thinking of issuing a Diploma o( Merit <>l' anyone who cam guess within a hundred pounds of our present total, this competition to close immediately-we withdraw our candidate, if we decide to do so. If you have borne with u.s thtiH far, gentle reader, wo are sorry for you and fear, you must be easily led away. AVhat ho, Billiam Coe! Produce us a throe-half-penny stamp and a lip moistener that we may seal) the envelope on this alleged (by them what don’t know) bundle of mendacity. F. H.