LEBRINA .
Mr J. Lockhart, Clover Hills, Lebrina, writes : Kindly allow me a small space in your widely-read columns to make a few corrections in your correpondent's report on the Red Cross concert, held in Mr Keogh's Hall, Le brina, on 19th inst., 1915, in which he says the programme was a scratch one, but notwithstanding this, a large and good-humored audience was entertained and amused for the full concert span, which is very misleading.
Although the concert was advertised to commence at 8 o'clock, the chairman did not take the chair till 8.45 p.m., and after going through about ten items, he announced he had come to the end of the programme, and closed by asking the audience to rise and sing "Rule Britannia," and after doing so, many of them left their seats and began to move about the hall, waiting for the sale of the bag of turnips. Then the chairman hushed them to silence, and announced that Miss Watson would recite, who, as your correspondent states, journeyed from Wyena to assist ; but this was not the case. She was just one of the audience, and had no intention of reciting when she came.
After the pause of a few minutes, when the audience had become restless, the chairman announced that Mr O'Rourke would sing, and I remarked that it was a funny way to arrange a programme, and was informed by one of the intelligent committeemen that it was the right way, and I said, 'Yes, to take a man down for his shilling." He replied if I was not satisfied I could take my money back, which I did, and handed it over to the Belgian Fund. Then, when a lot of us left the hall to get a breath of fresh air, the chairman announced that our Tunnel friends would favor us with an action song, which proved very amusing, and when one lad went to look in the door one officious member of the committee tried to shut the door in his face, and, no doubt, this was the cause of the unpleasantness which your correspondent refers to. The concert then really ended with a song by Miss Flood.
Your correspondent goes on to say: For the Belgians, a wonderfully large pumpkin, given by Mr Albert Hill, weight estimated at from 140lb to 160lb, was offered, and realised £3 is, is also very misleading. It was nothing to do with the Red Cross commiitee at all, but the facts are these: The pumpkin, which would from 35lb. to 40lb, was given by Mrs A. E. Hill to be raffled for the Belgian Fund, and was left in the capable hands of Mr and Mrs Higgs and Mr Trail who brought it to a successful close on Saturday night, the creditlable amount of £3 5s being netted. Now, I do not think that your correspondent would wilfully misrepresent things but he has either been prompted, with the desire to make the best of a bad job, or else been misinformed by some person with the same desire.
LEBRINA (1915, April 28). Daily Telegraph (Launceston, Tas. : 1883 - 1928), p. 8. Retrieved September 18, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151954344