On the very same page of the paper, there is a story about another threat to raid a store. The ship Sagona had arrived in Curling from Labrador on Christmas Eve. It reported that food supplies were very low on the Labrador coast. Around the St. Modeste area, a number of men had let it be known that they were going to Red Bay to break into the store for food.

A single newspaper can tell many stories. On the page that tells about people ready to raid stores, there is a story about the New Year's celebrations at the Newfoundland Hotel. This story tells of the food, the decorations, the music. Everything is praised. Everything was of "a particularly high order."

There must have been many parties to celebrate Christmas, 1931 and New Year's, 1932. The social notes in the newspapers tell of some of them. The newspaper ads urged women to buy party dresses for $8.99, and stores had "specials" on foods for the season, such as dried fruits, almonds and walnuts.

The letters to the papers showed many concerns and issues. People wrote to complain that the dole rations in the outports were lower than they were in St. John's. Others wrote to suggest make-work projects; everyone could think of a road that needed repair. Some wrote to urge the government to resign, since it could not solve the country's problems.

The times were as mixed as the newspaper stories and letters. New Year's Eve balls existed alongside terrible poverty. Some people had plenty. Others did not have enough. Some had nothing. Many people just hoped that they would not be next to lose their jobs. While some people bought fruit and nuts for cakes, others ran out of their dole rations and said they'd get food even if they had to break in to get it. At the Casino Theatre, ticket sales for "The Black Flag" would go to help "the city poor." And the mayor of St. John's was on the radio to tell how he planned to make things better.