NO 1936 FESTIVAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18923, 27 January 1936, Page 11

NO 1936 FESTIVAL

GISBORNE COMPETITIONS LOSSES CANNOT GO ON SERIES OP BAD YEARS Acting on (lie authority conferred on it by the 'by-laws of the Gisborne Competitions Society, the committee of that body lias decided not to hold the annual competitions festival in MVACt. The decision, which was taken on a unanimous vote of the committee, was induced by the prospect of an estimated loss of £lofl or more, on the 103.1 festival, bringing the total losses of the past five or six years to nearly £4OO, This sum represents half the total funds accumulated by the society in the good years prior to 1929. The failing interest on the part of the pulblic in what is known as "flesh and blood" art, and the difficulties encountered >by the committee in further reducing expenditure to keep puce with .the fall in revenue, have brought about a state of affairs in which the committee regards itself as under : responsibility to stop the rot. In 192!>, the society had its last really good year, and accumulated funds at that time amounted to £Bl5. In 1930, the loss on the annual festival was £lO2, and though there was a slight recovery—to the extent of a surplus of £37—on the 1931 festival, subsequent years have shown further losses of greater or lesser , degree. In 1932 a loss of £7B was shown; in 1933, the society lost £39; .and in 1934, the loss was £49. For the last festival held by the society, Jhe estimated loss is £10(1 or more.

it is regarded by the committee as important that, should conditions justify a resumption of activity in the course of a year or two, there should 'be some "nest-egg" available to obviate the necessity of looking for guarantees. In view of the experience of recent years, guarantors might be hard to find, should the societs have to start off scratch with the most promising of prospects. The decision to hold up operations for the present will have the effect of securing the balance of the society's assets for a more propitious period. Expenses have been cut down as far as possible in recent years, but there are some items in respect of which the charges are fixed, and these items are beyond the control of th' eommittee. A change of conditions affecting these ffxed charges' might eventually give the society a good chance of carrying on without incurring serious losses. In view of the abundance of talent for competitions purposes available in this and neighbouring districts, much regret will be felt in eonnection with the temporary suspension of activities by the societv.