COMMERCIAL REVELLERS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 151, 1 August 1914, Page 2

COMMERCIAL REVELLERS

MAKING THE PUBLIC PAY. i OPEN-AIR HOME CAMPAIGN. | It is anticipated that the Open-air iFuud for the Children's Homes will benefit to the extent of £SOO as the result of the endeavours this morning of the commercial travellers. Quite early I in the day large numbers of people had congregated in and aboiit Cathedral [Square and along tlic jrpute, which the gaudily attired procession, took. Many ladies were already stationed at the most populous spots, and with many boxes and mercenary intent, levied toll lon all passers by, sold, wherever possible, the little badges that told the world that the wearer 'had. contributed a shilling to charity. Long before the procession arrived these badges were distributed liberally among the crowd, and the boxes of the persevering ladies grew Heavy 1 with the 1 corresponding shillings. ' ; b THE START. The procession left Latimer Square shortly before 10 o'clock, and proceeded to the railway station. The route then lay via Manchester Street and Armagh Street to the Square. After the concert troupe had submitted its persuasive ragtime here and the energetic collectors had rattled boxes beneath the - noses of the people all around, the procession moved on again, proceeding along High, Street, Tuam Street, «Manchester Street, Lichfield Street, Colombo Street*, Oxford Terrace, and back to the Square, where the J second assault on the, cash holdings of J the people was carried forward with great industry and success. A MOTLEY CROWD.

The small boys, whose temerity was ajs great as their ctiriosity, heralded from their- [coigns of vantage, the; approach of poly got. army, and thereafter" for a,considerable time despairing motormeh fall hope of keeping to trsiiaifr'ay time-table. Considerable ity had been displayed* i&;the arrangement of; the proeessioni>and the garbing of the participants: were c boys arrayed in the owi&dox picture '■ fashion,-who rodef head and cleared back -the too members of the '■'public, ..fh f e?e,.were bumrangers quaiatly of fierce aspect, who-baeked u^p^ljdemands of the others,'for a the lie coin. A parson superintended the performances, and : nrged to ,ini|ifiy vocal efforts. extravagant combination lacked invftYusieal quality it made up for with the.iwhole-hearted energy of its at: every stop a ragtime parody; the burden of which was, "Everybody's giving it." Soldiers of many 'nations; in unif orrhs more or less faithful to the toley displayed their gold and braid with pride, and obviously regarded feather dusters as the very-best embellishments that>l military helmets ; could r-'have. There were policemen; who looked approvingly on the depredations of vagrants, and who, when the< paVje appeared ; *o slacken, sprang into thickest of the

throng and demanded, money and more money. A dusky fire brigade advertised its ■'ability to extinguish fires, and pToved its capacity to extinguish cash accounts. John Bull was there ("with his bulldog), and so was Uncle Sam, hot on the train of the almighty dollar. An equestrian ballet "-girl" succeeded with winsome 1 cajolery where blustering coercion failed to extract shillings,, while the gentleman with the organ let | loose on the town a " monkey V, of pre- \ datory instincts and great persistence. i There were of hers'--—many of them—in j all sorts of grotesque raiment aiid ! weird disguises. The gentleman with | the polished "'tile" and grey spats, j conspired with low born niggers and ; dissolute-looking Pierrots, and perfected j shady plans to get at rehie'tant pockets, j Neptune with his crown' and trident j shattered fory ever his' respectable reputation, and 1 disclosed , a nature wholly grasping and mercenary. The public, at whose loose silver this campaign was directed, enjoyed the spectacle immensely, buying shilling' exemption badges, admitting readily that the show was worth it., Those who escaped in the main assault., were hunted: out after the procession" broke up, and interest was demanded on their overdue contributions. , , MONEY COMING IN. At one o 'clock it was reported that the* chances, of getting the amount required were excellent. By that time the boxes were coming in fast and nearly all were well filled. Silver coins appeared to predominate, with a large number of and a few halfpennies. Gold was riot common, but a number Of half sovereigns had accu 1 mulated on the desk before the teller; when the SUN representative looked tfrito the office at 1 p.m. ; l . '' The Dark Town Fire Brigade was busy at 1 p.m. putting out small paper fires in the square and ceasing suddenly to demand shillings from the curious who had collected to watch their exploits." Brisk business was still being done. j For the, concert to-night la stage has been erected in the Square} at the; corner of Chancery L"ahe. ( It is expected of patrons'that fhey will attend with well-liried fiipekets.' '-. ;