"WELCOME WEEK"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 151, 29 June 1931, Page 6

"WELCOME WEEK"

! WAS IT A SUCCESS? g y CITY MEN’S OPINIONS. i A urieil opinions were niel bv I Chronicle” reporter when he inti’i viewed a number of business exeeu r fives, and heads of trading Jirnis ii ■ Wanganui on Saturday as to the sue cess or otherwise of "Welcu.m Week.” Some condemned the whole it 1 no uncertain terms; other- stated out i right that the effort had been to th. good of the city, while others again re served their opinions. ’ . y ie , rag” to most was the fret gilt “spotting” competition. The ma jortty were of the opinion that the competition had drawn the people into thi shops but they had not been buying, or ha-, done even less buying than usual. Several stated that the basic idea of the competition to draw the people ini. the shops had been right, but it Wind been wrongly applied. What they considcrcd should have been done was to offer gifts to the value of so much for so much spent. In talking with the chairman of the committee the reporter was told that the committee had estimated that thev could spend up to £16(1 on the week, but as matters had turned out they would be able to spend up to about £2OO. Believing In Wanganui. That tho week had been an undoubted success, was the cpinion of one man who had been closely associated with it. It had attained an object in creating a keener sense of civic responsibility. It had helped to engender a spirit of confidence in the soundness of Wanganui. Two outstanding events in the sueecs had been the entertaining of the primary school children at Aliss Wanganui’s Birthday Party, and the old identities’ reunion. In the messages from the Prime Alinister and from the Alayor, read to the children, the committee had aimed to guide the child mind. All pupils in Wanganui primary schools had taken part in the writing competition. The subject had been. “By using Wanganui manufactured goods we assist in the progress and the I prosperity of our city.” That was to create a sense of their oWn responsibility in the welfare of Wanganui. Some of the pioneers had not met for

30 years, and it had amply repaid the committee to have organised such a function that had given so much joy and pleasure. Out of that reunion was to be formed an Early Settlers’ Association, through which a ’complete record of early Wanganui could be compiled. Thus would be completed a link between tho early days and tho present. Without such an Association, much information, which is at the pre sent time available, might be lost. Full benefit from the week could not be assessed immediately. But it should be evident, on tho publicity that had been given, that Wanganui should be more favourably known throughout the North Island. There had been advertising on all railway stations between New Plymouth and Wellington. Evening talks had been given over the radio. If ever repeated, it was his opinion that the week should bo held in the summer, when more inducement could be offered to visitors. At first it had been intended that “Welcome Week” should not be for the purpose of raising funds. Yet one of the pleasing fvatuers had been that at least £lOO would be available for tho Mayor’s fund for the relief of distress in the city. Business Men’s Opinions. > The first of the business men interviewed said that it had to be remembered that the weather had been any thing but favourable. Even so there were a lot of extra people about, and they were looking in the shop. It was a case of “A looker to-day and a buyer to-morrow.”

Th > next, a hairdressing saloon, was outright in his condemnation. “Welcome Week” had been the worst week for him in years, as far as takings had been concerned. People had crowded his shop, “spotting” the cards for the free gifts. They had not been buying. Further, they had kept others out that would have bought. The Friday when the “spotting” first came into operation had been his worst day for eighteen months. Practically the same views were held by the head of a men’s clothing firm. His shop had been busy throughout the week, said a grocer who has a considerable trade, and he thought that the week had aided the city. The head of a prominent footwear business said that business men should not expect too much from the week straight away. The week was like newspaper advertising. They should not expect a big result immediately, the result would come, but it would be spread 1 over a period and could not be assessed in immediate returns. If the week bad not cost too much he would say that it had been a success. A men’s clothier quoted another as saying that he did not know that ‘‘people could look in a window ami not see anything.” As far as he was concerned, the week had not been any benefit to him. He thought that the week was run for the stimulus of buying. That had not been realised. Asked if he thought that the week would have had the desired effect in normal times, he thought that such a week would not be held in normal times ami there would be no use for it then. Bouquets For Organisers. Praise for those who bad been work ing in the organisation, and praise for the project, was coming from the head of a large drapery concern. There had been a lot of people moving about the city while it was in progress, he said, and that would be good. The organisers wen* to be highly congratulated on their efforts. Perhaps it was not all it could have been or should have been, but they had had the right spirit. There was no doubt that with a little more co-ordination and co-operation between the business people and the citizens generally, it would have developed into a very tnuch better and brighter affair. He thought that they had produced splendid results. That was only from the hard work that they had put in. There had been more of a cheerful and bright atmosphere in the city while “Welcome Week” was on and that was worth a lot, although it was difficult to see whether it had been a success for the business firms. From the community point of view it must have done quite a lot of good. It had probably been a success, al though he would rather keep an open mind on the matter, was the view taken by the head of a large store sell ing fancy goods, crockery and house hold wondriaa The people ' power for

“P end i."g had been reduced just then Jong thnT'tlm thev'‘ eSS PC ? P ' O fOr a .1* ‘ , • "anted to bring nt‘ P . C ' be Avcnu ° and frZ doubt 'l' ° V ' CW h had l,eeil >■"- that h-'id h'!. tCe '''' S ’ ! be On '- V difficultyha had been met by the retailers w», the whoU Pe °f P H - Ud scemed ‘o devote the whole of their time to searching tor free gifts. But without that in® dueement they would have staved out ot town altogether " n Jk Detracting Factors. s .,J hou i gh t,l . e - v had not f elt immediate a , , Im pointed out that the ten per* '' :ut ‘a "ages bad just been coming to operation and there had also beeS I lie partial suspension o f the No. 5 Unemployment Scheme. Even-one was ooking tor an excuse for their drop in takings and they were unfairly blaming non to the Welcome Week. 1 ’ ■''Hither draper gave “Welcome •Ok nothing but open condemnstmn During the « e ek his cash sales in one department had dropped from 550 I" -•!.•. There were bargains in his . windows that had not met with public approval, yet if they bud been there eighteen months ago they would haie been snapped up in a day. He could see no immediate good coming from the woe . and no ultimate benefit. I hat the value ot the week had been in introducing new customers to the shops was the view taken by a chemist. He said that there had been hundreds of strange faces in the shop dur ing the progress of the ‘‘spotting.’’ If those people had been pleased with a free sample, or had been struck with the price of any line, they would return, where they might not have known of the shop before. He instanced that some who had lived a long time in the town did not know where some o f the important businesses were situated. “Welcome Week’’ would have taught them that.