MAIN BODY DRAFT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 142, 11 March 1919, Page 7

MAIN BODY DRAFT

RECEPTION ARRANGEMENTS FIFTEEN STEAMERS AVAILABLE Saturday afternoon and evening next promise to be memorablo among' all the' groat days in connection-with tho war. On that day will arrive jnore of the Main Body men than have hitherto como /home m one transport, and Wellington means to givo them a fine reception, A meeting, to'arrange details'was held \jii the Mayor's' room yesterday. Councillor AT. H. P. Barber occupied the chair' in. the enforced iibsonco .of the Mayor' .(Mr.; J. T. Luke), and 'tho "shipping 'an-' thonties, Harbour Board," Civil Service, Savage Club, Wellington Patriotio Society, 'Education Board, and schools wero rep'r'e- . Bented. The Press was excluded; . Subsequent to the, meeting the -chairman informed a Dominion represcuta'.t'ivo that the meeting had been a very' Successful one, and matters wero no\v v well' in train. 'He stated that the shipping 'companies had been most generous, and there was a list of steamers (including" the Mararoa and Duchess) which would' 'be available to/meet, tho Hororata in tho ' entrance and escort her to her anchoraga. These wouid.be used by the bands, the Civil Service Ladies'. Choir; the Savage .Club, and'the noxt-of-kin. . There wa9 : nlso a schools choir of fivo hundred (from tho-upper'standards) desirous, of- taking ~part, and three hundred Boy Scouts wish .to be accommodated. So far .the. school /.children and Boy. Scouts havo.not boon definitely assured of accommodation, as ;it is desired to meet.'as far. as possible the ..next-of-kin of those on board, who. will 'naturally wish to eeo their loved ones at the first possible moment. . It.is understood that; barring accidents, the vessel .will make port ,'early on. Saturday, afternoon, .but:more definite hews as' to the exact-time of arrival will bo known.to.wards the end of the.week*. '.

Half a.dozen bands have offered- the ■ committee their services; and these have . teen accepted. These are the Patriotic • Society's Band, the New Zealand Natives' Band, the Mission Band, 'Salvation -Army.' Band,' Waterside Workers' Band, and tho Wellington Pipe Band. These will be accommodated ou the variour steamers, the Patriotic Society's Band on the same boat as the. Civil Service Ladies' Choir (which'body they are to .accompany in a' number of. patriotic choruses). ■• On tho transport-coming to'anchor' the steamers will circle round her;, those on-board';oheoring the men, and singing, songs of welcome*. ■ . . As, to''the evenimj part of the programme full details nave yet to bo ar- ' "ranged. ■ Captain Dawson (harbourmaster) said that it was not advisable .that, too many -.steamers should, go out on . the harbour, in the evening, so. that it/is ■' probable'that the' participating craft will be ; limited to those-which will accommodate' the serenaders and the-bands. The musical programme will be supplied by the Civil Service Ladies' Choir, Savage Club (with-its own orchestra), the Com- , ' mercial Travellers' Male Choir, and the* bands. It was pointed out as desirable 'that the programme should be timetabled, in order 'to avoid any. vocal or instrumental' clashes during the evening. Tho committee, will not have-tho services of the Duchess in the eveningr but it was decided to ask the Government for. the use of tho Tutanekai . and * the Janie Seddon. . ' The final arrangements for the har.bour: demonstration were left' in the hands of a committee, consisting of the Captain Dawson, Captain Munro, Captaw Peterson, Messrs. AY. Bennett, T. Ronayne (Motor Boat Club), and W. Duncan (P.NA'.C;). ■ ' As the Hororata is to-arrive on Saturday afternoon tho landing will take place . on Sunday afternoon, and whilst thero are sure to be large crowds about the waterfront to welcomethe boys home, nothing is to be done that will impede the disembarkation of tho troops.- It is being arranged, however, .that every" motor-car with soldiers from-the'Horo-rata will pass the Customhouse Quay front of. the G.P.0., no matter for which point of the compass they may bo bound. This is being arranged as there is ample room thero for the public to assemble in - largo crowds. s ' . ,•"■ ■ It was mentioned that the ladies of theCivil Service' : have "'subscribed'quite a largo sum of money to bo' expended on fruit, cakes, and sweets for tho men. Anyone caring to supplement the goods to bo so purchased is invited to forward same to the Town Hall by .9.30 a.m. on Saturday, and means will be provided to transfer them to the Hororata. Another meeting of tho general committee will be held at noon on Friday ' next. , - '