THE BATTLESHIP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1714, 3 April 1913, Page 5

THE BATTLESHIP.

VISIT EXTENDED. CITIZENS' BALL DISCUSSED. SQUABBLE ABOUT CHARGES.' Tho Government Ims been adviscfl by cablegram that tlio battle-cruiser Kon- . Zealand will be hero until April 24. The ■vessel will not leave on April 22 as previously stated. . A,meeting of citizens interested in tlio promotion of tho citizens' ball, to bo held., on April 15 in honour of tho officers of the battleship i Noiv Zealand was held last night. Tho Mayor presided,/ and there were about twenty people present. Tho Mayor reported the proceedings of tho council, tho discussion on tho question of tho prices to bo charged, and tlio resolution recommending that thoy bo reduced. Ho agreed with others'that if tho ball was to bo held at all, it ought to bo done well, but 110 hoped it'might be possible to reduce prices a little if there was no champagne provided. , Mr. K. Mctcher slid that there seemed - to )>e confusion and doubt as. to whetherit was to "lo a citizens' ball or a Navy League, Ball. He asked what tho fact was. t • Tlio Mayor said tho Navy Leaguo had intended to hold a ball, and had made application for tho Town Hall. Mr. Fletcher: 1 don't know win- you call it a citizens' ball, then. ' >. The Mayor explained- that when tho meeting called by Mr. Palmer. was held' it was thought advisable that tho function be a citizens' ball. • Mr. C. W. Palmer said ho had,, births direction of tho league, applied for •tlio hall, but ho,had not asked that it bo given free of charge. The league had ireqncntly held balls at which, citizens had attended. ' The Mayor: Although there lias been 601110 misunderstanding, up to the < present, now that it is to be a citizens' bull I don (• iliiuk it is worth "\vhilc going unck oil it. i Major Hughe* explained, "in renly to Councillor Barber, that there was no intention of issuing invitations. The ball would be open to anybody, paying for tickets. ; Tho question of tlio priccs of tickets was noxfc considered. Dr. art in moved that tho original proposition of one guinea a head for gen- ' Ucmont and 15s. lor ladies be.adhered 10. JlO had no special Tcason for niovlug this except that the Racing Club run a ball annually, at these prices, aiid held a very enjoyabto ball without losing much money, Also it was not reasonable to expect tlio ollicers of a warship to enjoy . an ordinary "free and easy." Mr. Martin Luckio seconded tho motion. ~ lie said they must endeavour to nuuvc tlio ball tho . best that liad ever been held here. At the Racing Club ball thcrii was never any proiit, owl all tho men. presont paid'a guinea, and all the ladies, 15s. ,At this ball there would bo from 50 to 75 guests. ■ \ Mr. 11. Flotclier said lie thought tin motion out of order and unnecessary. In. any caso it was not within tlio means of tho ordinary citizens to attend a ball at theso prices. Jf there was to bo champagne, , and thcro wap to. bo an expenditure of .£l2O on decorations, it might bo. necessary lo charge high prices, but this would malic it a ball for a small cotcrio of'citizens, instead of a real citizens' ball, lie moved that tho charges bo 15s. for gentlemen and ss. for ladies. Mr. J. E: Fitzgerald said lie would second, tlio amendment, but 110 did not agree .that the. charges mentioned by Mr. Flotr 611er were adequate. ■ -Ho was seconding tlio amendment because it had been sug-i gesteil at the meeting of the City Council that,councillors.should attend tlio committee meeting and air their views. -If they .had ■ any objection to make lo the scheme, it had been said that they should cbiho,along -and finaks it. -111 his opinion tho prices for ladies. The estimate (.£120) of tlio cost of decorating the Town Hall was a vofy high one, and ho .believed the work could bo ,dono a, great deal moro cheaply, and still very effectively; But if it was lo be tlio ball of the season, as ho sincerely licped it would be, and things were to be generally 011 n lavish scale, the priccs must necessarily :be'high. If -it were to be a ball .held by. tho Navy League, of which ho-was a member,' lie would havo no 'objection to any priccs that might bo fixed, but us it was supposed to : be a ball for tho citizens, he would liko ' lo koo tho prices reduced, as.t.hcro wero many good citizens who could not in view <tf their responsibilities, afford to pay 41 Is. find 15s;. lie hoped the ball would boa great' success whatever the prices might be. Mr. Luke said (110 ball ought-to be don# decently if it were to l>o ddno at all, and ill. this, tlio capital city, they should not 1)0 parsimonious. In Auckland they were waiting open-armed ( to receivo tho guests, ; aild (hero would.lie 110 talk of economy. ' .there. They vwuld vio with Wellington. Mr. AV. 11, 1' llarber endorsed tlio re- . marks of Mr. Fitzgerald. , Mr. Lo Grove suid the Navy- League had incurred a deal of odium about tho Ixill, but he suggested Mint if tltero had been no Navy. League there would very probably have been no battleship to welcome. He hojicd the function would 1m a 'successful one, and: not a ball so cheaply , conducts.;! that it might !>e tho subject of 'comment in. tlio'inus-room afterwords, • Mr. R. Fletcher said ho would :iavn 110 objection to thy, Navy Leaguo running a ball and charging ;iii,v price they pleased, but so tiip,'ciKzoi)s were, brought in, such prices should not be. charged,ili Would exclude the majority; of. Citizens.'. He declared the whole thing had bcou "a bungle from beginning lo end." ill'. Fletcher's amendment:' was lost on the voices. The Mayor moved as an amendment Ihai champagne be omitted from tin?.bill, ami that the .prices l;o .reduced, I',v. ss. for ladies and gentlemen.' Mr. 0. Samuels .seconded /(Itc'niiic.iidmcnl pro forma, and spuke against- it, llr. .I. D.vkes urged thai Iho higher price be charged, in order to assure'tLo suneess of the ball. "Lei's ,'ix it up, and go ahead," he said. "We're wasting time now. .After all, what's live Ikilj? It's nothing." Mr. Fletcher supported the amendment, protesting that the ball should have been hold'.at, the Wellington' Club,' or somesuch place, if the desire was to charge so . much us the original motion set forth, Tho amendment was lost, and the motion earned. After tho motion was carried, .Mr. If. Fletcher withdrew from (ho!ine?ling, saying "1 apologise..for having be?n hero taking up to much of your time." The.following wero added to (110 cun-' mittee': Mrs. F. M, 13. Fisher,' Mrs. Chatfield, "Miss Conies, and Mr. W. IT. D., Bell, M.l\ ' " " ; At a meeling of tho Wellington Garrison ■ ilon-c:,immissioned ollicers, held last night, 1 very strong Committee was formed for lie pnrposo uf arranging a smoke concert. :o entertain the patty otiirers and noncommissioned ollicers 01" H.M.lj. New Zenand, Mr. C. AV. Palmer, secretary of tho iVellinglon branch of the Navy league, las written (0 Mr. 1?. M. Wilson*, fonvardug (ho names of oilicials connected with ho leading yueht ing'aml motor-boat clubs 1 .uggeslijig that these todies should 1» ■ isked lo co-operate in a harbour rccep- : ion to the botlle-cniisir. and that a ! mii'sha! should bo appointed to control 1 md direct tho fleet of small craft which ; s expected (0 assemble for tho reception. { AUCKLAND ARRANGEMENTS. | (By Tclcsraiih.-Prno! Association.! ; Auckland, April 2. The' Harbour Hoard lias communicated . ritli tlm Hon. Ih D. Hell and. asked hiui 0 arrange for tiro-battleship New. Zea> mid to take berth at tho north end of he new wharf, where (ho P. [ind 0. learners moor.'"'The Minister'has'pro- '■ lised (o put the matter boi'Bro Capliiin lalsoy. ,There' is berthing room tit iho ■linrf J2llo'feet, long, will). ,'ls feet of water t lowest (ides, with'a depth reaching 10 : jet. The New Xealaud is MO feet long, nd draws 30 feet. - .