NOVEL ATTRACTIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17125, 4 December 1929, Page 10

NOVEL ATTRACTIONS

MARDI GRAS PLANS ROAD ROLLER RACE REFUSED Permission for what would have been a novel and amusing event in connection with forthcoming Mardi (Iras was refused by the Borough Council at its meeting last evening. The Mardi Gras committee asked the council to allow a race to be staged between the council’s steam roller and the' (look County roller, but in view of the damage that might be caused, the council, on a show of’hands. refused to grant the request. Permission was given to the committee, however, for a copper trail to be conducted on Saturday. The organiser, Mr. John Hopkins, in a letter to the council at its meeting last evening, sought permission to conduct a copper trail on .Saturday December 7, under the control of the Athletic Club’s M ardi Miras Queen Commit t ee, and requested the consent of the council to a. proposal that a, race should be arranged in the borough on a street to be. nominated by the council between the rouneiTs steam roller and the Cook County Couticil’s petrol roller, the event to be included in the Mardi Gras programme, and to eventuate on Monday, December 30 The writer pointed out that a similar event was part of the carnival programme at Nelson, and was a great success. The respective engineers of the city and county were appointed by. their respective bodies, and these officials carried out the necessary conditions, which were'of their own making. The rollers would make a straight run down the street, no corners would be turned, and they would then return to the starting point. Referring to the advantages accruing to other towns from similar carnivals, the Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, remarked that he was pleased to sec that- such a function was to be held in Gisborne.

Permission for the copper trail was granted, but the majority of the councillors voted against allowing the race between the road rollers because of the damage that might he caused to tlio council’s roller. The Mayor mentioned, also that Mr. Hopkins had asked him if the arch used in the Jubilee celebrations could he reerected. It was agreed that the council could not re-erect the arch but that Mr. Hopkins might inspect the material remaining since 'it was demolished, and that, lie should be permitted to erqet the arch if the material were suitable.