Auckland Selects Twelve Charming Rivals To The Beauties From The South.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17991, 30 October 1926, Page 1

Auckland Selects Twelve Charming Rivals To The Beauties From The South.

NORTHERN CITY IS ELATED AT BEAUTY OF FINALISTS, BELIEVING THAT “MISS NEW ZEALAND ” WILL BE CHOSEN FROM THEM. (Special to the “ Star.’') AUCKLAND, October 29. Auckland's twelve beauties have been chosen, and it is believed that the beauties of other centres, delightful as they are. will find themselves outclassed by the choice of this city’s judges, who were Dr Margaret Knight, Mr W. H. Parkes, Miss Ellen Melville, Mr A. J. O. Fisher. Director of the Elam School of Art, Mr Geo. H. Wilson, and Mr A. B. Webber, representing the “ Star."’ Yesterday was the great day, and long before the arrival of the thirty-five girls selected to be seen personally by the committee at the Hotel Cargen, a large crowd massed itself about the doors, and the girls had to force their way through.

All -were nervous but soon felt quite at home once they had gathered in the special room where the morning tea was set, and the judges chatted informally to all. Lady representatives of the “Star" acted as hostesses. An excellent spirit and general light-heartedness were shown by the girls despite the fact that most of them were feeling nervous, ail chummed up from the moment they met together. A stranger would have gained the impression that it w»as a gathering of old school chums who had known each other all their lives. After tea the girls were taken to the hotel roof where they were photographed in a group, the bevy of beauties in their multi-coloured frocks making a charming scene. The girls then changed into bathing suits and filed before the judges. A noteworthy feature of the occasion was the striking uniformity of beauty which made the judges’ task most difficult. A second feature was a happy one for it showed that the judges were practically unanimous in all their decisions. When they adjourned for their first discussion in order to elminate the first lot of girls, they were amazed to find that they had all positively agreed as to the four girls whom they were certain to place in the finals This condition of uniformity existed right till the end of the eliminations. The girls were each given a card bearing a letter as they entered the room and they went by these letters, and not by their names. The judges had cards bearing similar letters, and they made remarks on these, none

knowing what the others had decided until they met for discussion in another room. After great difficulty the judges selected the following:— Miss Gladys Bell, Miss Maisie Dick, Miss Ellen Ford, Miss Queenie Grahame, Miss M. Hickey, Miss C. Johnston, Miss Alice Ridings (Onerahi), Miss E. Joan Simpson, Miss Marjorie M. Simpson Miss C. Sutherland, Miss D. Strange, Miss Phyllis Wheeler. The Misses Simpson are sisters. At the conclusion of the judging the happy girls were entertained at luncheon with the judges and manager of the contest, after which they motor ed to the Domain where action pictures were taken and later the girls were driven to the official photographer's, the procession of cars through Queen Street attracting great attention. All this points to the fact that the final pageant here will be a sensation. Auckland, while loyal to its own girls, has had time to study the pictures of the southern finalists, and admire them. They may all expect a warm welcome in the Queen City, and when “Miss New Zealand’ is chosen the lucky girl will receive stupendous homage, be she from Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, or our own fair city. The newspaper voting commences here to-day.