13th January 1915

The Urgency of a Pressing Need

The Belgian Relief Committee of Harrogate suddenly finds itself in a condition of partial helplessness almost touching despair. It is not a financial trouble, because Harrogate has done wonders in this respect. There is plenty of money in hand and the surety of every financial requirement being met in the future. It a question of grave and pressing need of furnished houses or apartments to meet a most unexpected demand. Holland is at the end of its resources, so far as the feeding and housing of Belgian refugees. The amount of resultant distress is inconceivable. Relief must therefore come from willing and sympathetic Britain. Government departments have promptly come forward to deal with the situation, and Harrogate is urged to take more refugees. They can only be sent to localities that have active committees capable of ensuring the well-being of these Belgian guests. That Harrogate, which has already four hundred in its care, should be asked to take more, is a compliment to the town and its splendid self-sacrificing committee. The question is : Shall Harrogate be compelled to refuse? Owing to the demands of our own well-to-do refugees from the coast towns, furnished houses are exceedingly scarce. This, then, is where the Harrogate committee has realised its temporary impotence. Relief can only come in this grave situation from the individual interest and activity of every mature person in Harrogate. It cannot be further left to the sole responsibility of the committee. They need information as to available houses which our good readers can supply, if they once realise how pressing is the necessary. They want offers of hospitality for congenial refugees. In the absence of furnished houses, empty tenements and the loan of furniture will be welcome. It may be found possible for the committee to pay some modest acknowledgement. At all events, we make an earnest and urgent appeal, here and now, to every reader to try and see if they cannot do something to assist the committee in the sudden emergency. There is not a day or hour, to spare.

13th January 1915

Choral Rivalry

At one stage in Harrogate's history the town was without a choral society. So far as memory served there has been no gap for any extended period.. eventually, the Harrogate Musical Society came into being, flourishing for several years. A rival society was inaugurated called St Cecilia Society. Why its existence should have been necessary it is difficult to explain, though it may have been due to the ambition of one of Harrogate's organists. The town could not support two choral societies and the inevitable followed. As a way out of the difficulty a new society was formed to embrace the two existing organisations. That society was the Harrogate Choral, and it has had an important influence upon local choral tastes and efficiency in Harrogate. Finally a period of depression came, and the Choral Society, owing to lack of support, was not able to pay its way. This state of things was not peculiar to Harrogate. Similar societies were in the same difficulty all over the country, probably owing to other attractions such as the picture and music halls. The committee of the Choral Society deemed it wise to rest operations, though the society was never disbanded. Many health resorts have municipal choruses to assist in providing a variety of music. Apparently Mr Clifford has been wishful that Harrogate be up-to-date in this respect. He has organised a municipal choral society. Those who have experienced the disadvantage of rival societies naturally have feared that the town was about to return to the state we have already described. Fortunately Mr Farrar, in a letter to our contemporary the Advertiser, gives us information calculated to allay apprehensions. It seems that Mr Clifford's idea is to have a choral society to work in the season in conjunction with the band. If the new society confine itself to season performances at the Kursaal of works not likely to be undertaken by the Choral there seems to us no objection to the existence of the two societies. The Choral Society's operations will be devoted to the winter, the Municipal to the season. There need be no rivalry under this arrangement, and one could be made to assist the other. It would be idle for the Choral Society during the war to renew its operations, but when peace comes they should resume, and be prepared to cultivate nothing but friendly feeling towards the Municipal Choir, and vice versa.

20th January 1915

A Welcome Relief

After many months of almost daily rain, often accompanied by gales, we have encountered days of brilliant sunshine and calm. Atmospheric conditions are none the worse for touches of clear cold weather, calculated to raise spirits so long depressed by the sodden state of the country. The wet weather has been trying to nerves and health. Not have been able to forget the discomforts which similar weather has forced upon our men fighting at the Front. All this has tended to anxiety of mind, and there can be little wonder that there has been more illness in the town than during any corresponding period of past years. This welcome change in the weather, therefore, is most acceptable. It fits us all to bear the strain of war time and to combat disease. To see our troops drilling on the slippery Stray, wet to the skin daily, has had an effect upon the townspeople that we all fain would have avoided. That the men can work in comfort and our residents move about their daily shopping under cheerful conditions is much to be thankful for. Our traders must feel the benefit of the altered conditions, because in the weather that has prevailed so long no one has had the heart for that shopping which is to keep business at anything like a normal point of prosperity. The Kursaal, the theatre, and the picture houses have done much to make the town cheerful under adverse circumstances, and we can show our appreciation of these efforts by according due support to the enterprises. Credit is due to the Corporation for their spirited resolve to devote an adequate sum fro providing attractions at the Kursaal. The more cheerful the town can be made the happier and healthier are its inhabitants likely to become, to say nothing of the duty of making the stay of an unusual number of visitors and temporary residents pleasant in the town. Harrogate has done exceedingly well towards all the various causes which have made claim upon its generosity. Whilst being conscious of this we must relax no effort, indeed even more will be expected of it with regard to the Belgian Refugees, in order that Great Britain may lift some of the load that is pressing so hardly upon the exhausted people of Holland. Before our traders lies a distinct duty. They have the sympathy and support of the town during a most trying time, but they must not forget that something is due from them. A letter to a contemporary the other day pointed out that whilst traders in this country were urging that trade should go on as usual, meaning that custom should not be withheld from them, they, on the other hand, have not always considered those who had claims upon them. It is not sufficient that our traders should be supported, but they should be asked to conduct their business on the usual lines. The letter inferred that many traders were not doing their share in supporting those other businessmen dependent upon them. There is a good deal of force in this contention, and we trust that Harrogate businessmen will see that the charge does not lie at their doors. Any other line of policy must bring its penalties.