“COME TO WAIROA”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 21 January 1936, Page 11

“COME TO WAIROA”

CARNIVAL ATTRACTIONS FUN FOR YOUNG AND OLD (I tern hi Correspondent.) Year in and year out the people of Wairoa, are engaged in the hard task of providing for themselves and their families, (allying on tile work of tiie district and generally playing the part that is expected of every man. But once a year, for at least a week, or a few days over, general activities are suspended while the people, imbued with tile carnival spirit, take a holiday respite from toil, and co-operate with their wives and other relations in giving the young people the time ol their lives.

Tile Wairoa 1936 carnival is lo open on Saturday, when electric light spoils are to he held in Hie Hamilton Square sports ground. For this event the ground has been specially prepared and Hood-lighted, and those who recall last year’s function of the same type are net likely lo be disappointed. A good programme has been prepared, and includes some novel events. The other carnival events comprise a grand procession which is set. down for the .'londay, the chief prize being the Deacon Chili. It is hoped to carry out swimming races on the Tuesday ol Carnival Week, mid on the following day I lie retailers are lo put. on a big sports programme somewhat similar to that ol last year. Wednesday will be show day. a fitting wind-up, .with other functions, to the A. and I*. Show. Thursday will he devoted to the first day’s racingFriday, for some, will he a day of recovery after the racing excitement, but tho day will practically mark the final function of all the carnival queen coinmil tees.

Saturdnv will see the finish of the races, and in the evening the excitement will, no doubt, reach fever heat as the figures in respect to the Queen candidates will bo post-el till the poll doses at 8 p.m. The final in the contest will he the coronation on February 6. It is understood that, Hie applications for space for the carnival side shows will he larger than last year, and that the hot ter class of shows will this year he in the ascendant. There now onlv remains to lie said that every effort will he made, to decorate and light up the town, anil provided the weather is good the influx of visitors is likely to prove a record.

as well as their folly in having given away for the proverbial “song” the Rauwa block —the present borough site. The Maoris of his day, lie said, would, at the Kupenga racecourse, risk their great, heritage in the same way as did their forefathers with the precious wheat. When Wairoa first grew this valuable grain they crushed it in rude hand-mills and made a pasty kind of porridge they called “paraoa” (flour). But one day a Wairoa tribesman, visiting Hastings, saw the people making and eating delicious bread and he came back and made the same comparison in regard to the bread as Sir James made about, the land, and out of the rebuke grew Wairoa’s first flour mill, aml the camp oven followed.

LATER DAYS The records of the club were all destroyed in a fire which a good many years ago swept away half of the Alarine .Parade premises from the old bridge site to Raul street, supplemented by a couple of newspaper office fires, which otherwise might have furnished much racing history now missing. This was in the days when the late Air Leonard Storey was secretary, and the club was making rapid strides under his very capable management. The area embraced in Kupenga was in a very rough state, being mostly a swamp, fringed with tatnramoa, or sweet brier, six or seven feet high, and considerable sums of money have been spent in improvements, until now the club possesses a well-appointed, and centrally situated racecourse, and to judge by Lhe general expressions of opinion the patrons of the 1936 racing carnival will have no cause for complaint unless they find it in the dividends, hut these matters are all in the, lap of the gods. These results were not, achieved without, much hard work, anxious limes, and set-backs. Prior to the 1933 meeting the financial position was so critical (hat, it, seemed impossible lo carry on. The club was crippled by heavy Government taxation, and only for the loyal maimer in which the captain and crow stuck to the ship she must have suffered shipwreck. Among these must he mentioned that prior to the 1933 meeting, as already mentioned, one of the members, Air. it. L. Darker, volunteered to carry out all the secretarial work free of charge, and similarly arrangements were made for the staff to do the work voluntarily that season. The following year half rates were paid all round and the secretary was pant a. small bonus, and last year 1930, the club was able to' pay for all services, and this year it is hoped to largely retrieve the losses of the past. One of the tilings that stood to the club in the perilous times ;vvas the way the owners of horses put up with difficultand expensive transport, and even then many came to Wairoa in the true sporting spirit when it. might not have paid them to do so. Now the club is assisting owners in some way in the matter of transport in connection .with the forthcoming meeting, and also has introduced a district race for each day, for which considerable support, is forthcoming. The officers of the club for this year comprise: Patron, Mr G. 0. Ormond; president, Mr A. G. Nolan; vice-presi-dents, Messrs W. 11. Brady and G. V. Chamberlain; stewards, Messrs A. J. Anderson S. At. Asiihimi, A. K. Beckett, \V. Brady, C. Burridge, T. E l . Byrne, A. T. Carroll, J. J. Carroll, C. V. Chamberlain, S. Orator, A. J. Devery, O. Evans, J. R. Gillespie, D. Glengarry, F. Harrison, W. J. Hill, J. R. Meagher, J. Macrae, A. Law, A. G. Ormond, G. E. Ormond, J. Ormond, and R. Phillips; lion, treasurer, Air A. .J. Anderson; lion, timekeeper, Mr J. L. l’relihle; judge, Mr F. Tqiferton ; lion, starter, Mr A. J. Devery; handieapper, -Mr 11. Coyle; clerk of scales, Air F. 11111; lion, clerk of course, Air T. Gedye; lion, surgeon, Dr. J. Ross; secretary, 11. L. Darker. The hulk, if not all of those named are devoted to the sport, and in past days many of them have rendered valuable financial assistance in tin* lean times. The course and plough arc both reported to he in tip-top order, reflecting credit on the caretaker, the interest is keen, and the nominations satisfactory.

In conclusion, nil lovers of tlie sport must feel like joining in wishing that the YVniroa County Racing Cluh may enjoy a long period of success, commencing with the carnival of 1936.