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Carnival Days

The idea behind the Wellington decision to hold a National Carnival Week within the next few months is certainly one which the public generally will acclaim.

From the earliest days of the British race its people have found an unquenchable joy in gathering together for fun and frolic.

Foreign trade and price fluctuations did not seriously interfere with the good old days of sports on the village green, or with archery competitions and other such-like diversions of the Middle Ages.

The people of those days may not have had much money, but they liked to play around—a habit, of course, only found among the higher vertebrates.

It was their inextinguishable desire to make the best of things and to turn into a play, or a play-time, every object which would lend itself to the purposes of amusement that kept them fit and courageous for the hard and bitter “inevitables” of life.

The bubbling up of that joyous spirit in the prevailing circumstances is a sure sign that New Zealand is right.

The plan of the Carnival includes very definite instruction in New Zealand's progress and resources. Education will go hand in hand with the merry-making of a carnival-time.

When New Zealanders understand more fully even than they do now, how prolific is their country, how diverse are her products and how fully she is supplied by Nature with all the essential elements for health, wealth and happiness, that confidence which precedes every effective human action will be usefully strengthened in the combined effort for better times.

That the “National-Confidence” Carnival will do this there is no doubt in the minds of those who have studied its basis or considered the greatly diversified and nationally-conceived programme outlined at its inception.

Amongst the objectives of this Magazine is included that of helping to make New Zealand better-known to New Zealanders. In that respect the Carnival to be held in the coming spring must be cordially welcomed, for it will draw people from all parts of the Dominion to the Capital City where, with due regard to facts bearing on the history, romance and economic development of the country, a colourful pageant of New Zealand's progress will be graphically presented by actor, display-artist, singer and orator.

Given that restoration of confidence which may be anticipated from a national-stocktaking of this nature, business generally should become better—it already shews signs of doing so, especially on the railway barometer—and production and industry gain a much-needed fillip.