TAKAKA PATRIOTIC BAZAAR.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13913, 20 October 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

TAKAKA PATRIOTIC BAZAAR.

The patriotic bazaar held in Takaka at the end of last month wsw au unqualified success. The day was beautifully fine, and the public rolled up in large numbers to work, to spend or to perform, and everything went with a swing. The only regrettable part of the whole.function, was that it should have heon run for two nights—the -onf» afternoon and evening proved all too short to do justice to the occasion. In spite of the fact that a well organised band of capable workers toiled at the money making and taking throughout the whole afternoon and well on to midnight, there remained at the finish many valuable articles for which. thecompetitions simply could not be got off for lack of time. However, iti doesnot do to be too .'greedy, and as the net result will be just about a round £300 it will readily be seen that a fine performance was put up by the Takaka people. Seeing that most of the subdistricts had previously held very successful patriotic bazaars of their own, no small amount of credit is-due to the country sections" who provided stalls and workers as well as an army of buyers to help along the effort of the Ta'kakaites to ew.ell the patriotic funds. The two innin stalls, those -if Takaka and Motupipi, raked in over £100 each, and the others all did a noble share. So far no balance sheet has been presented, but my estimate of £300 net. should certainly be reached. A novel item which proved one of the best investments in the bazaar for the public was a farmers' Christmas tree, run by Central Takaka. In place of the usual dolls, trumpets, and so oh of the old-time tree there were suspended from the stout branches of a colossal apple tree such things as plucked geese, pieces of bacon, pats of butter, bags of walnuts, eggs and so on, each one a liberal shilling's worth. During the evening a bright and novel programme of music, etc., was run off under the able management of Mr. H. D. Williams, including Maori hakas* poi dances and singing by Maori girls in .native costume.

The stallholders had gone to infinite trouble to make their stalls attractive,, and the get-up of the whole baaaar was. far ahead of any previous effort.