TO WELCOME THE PRINCE
RECEPTION IN WELLINGTON . MEETING OF CITIZENS y VARIOUS COMMITTEES SET UPWith a view of arranging a-fitting welcome /to His 'Royal Highness tho Prince of Wales, a meeting of Welling' ton citizens wns held in' tho City Council Chamber yesterday afternoon. The Deputy-Mayor .(Mr. G.' Frost) presided, . ■ 'and -there-was an attendance of approximately 100, including representatives of various .local.-.niithorities, the Navy. League, sports/organisations; Returned -Soldiers'. Ajsocintion; 'Commerce, and other bodies."
; Mr. Frost eaid ho had received a number of, offers from various bodies'who were ■ willing ■to take, pnrt in the celebrations. The Prinea iwas lexpect'ed to arrivo at- Thorndon- Station at ten minutes to 7 o'clock on, tho evening of Monday, May 3. It had been thought, However, that the surroundings at Lambton Station were more < suitable than those at Thormlon for the purposes of a ,reception : therefore the General Manager of Railways had been asked if the Royal train .could he brought on toLambton Station. Although no reply had yet been received from Mr. M'Villy it_was hoped that r the request would 'be acceded to..'; .It ; hntl, been suggested that the streets from the station to Government House should be 'illuminated. This matter would be discussed by the Street Decorations Committee which would be sot .up. The civic reception on Tuesday- morning,-May 4,- would be arranged byihc'City Council, and the military display at Newtown Park on the 'Tuesday would bo controlled by the Govern-; ment. Tho.ciry would be enabled to do something worthy of the occasion, for the.City Council had.made.a grant, of. .£2OOO for the reception, and the Harbour Board had donated ,£3OO. This money ' would be subsidised ,by the Government .'£ for &. ;• A demonstration-by -.school children was'also'.bei , ng.;',arranged. ', \ "
Military Parade at Newtown Park. -Colonel C. W'. Mclvill, Officer ■■ C'omi ihanding the .Wellington Military' District, detailed the tentative arrangements which had been made for the military review at Newto.wn Park.,on ..Tuesday afternoon. There would be no military reception at the railway station'on-the evening of tho Prince's arrival, he.on.id, nor would any salutes bo fired, as military regulations forbade tho'firing of salutes or the provision of guards of honour after dusk. Should the citizens desire it, however, a. guard.of honour might be arranged, outside : the ' Town Hall on the morning .of tho civic reception. The guard would consist of n detachment from the sth (Wellington) Regiment:, with colours and band. Arrangements could also lie made for the firing of n Royal salute of 21 guns as the Prince arrived:at the.Town Hall. The parade at Newtown' Park, on -Tuesday: afternoon '.'would" be. : attended by. • the veterans, ■ returned sailors and' soldiers, any returned members, of women's orgnnsiations which were recogiiised during the war/'Terriforisls; embracing'representatives of each arm of the Service, and Senior Cadets! None of the troops would be mounted, and, as far as he know, none of them would be annedi The first item of the afternoon's programme would bo : the presentation by the Prince of decorations to returned soldiers: These woiild bo restricted to Distinguished Service Orders, . Military Crosses, Distinguished Conduct -Medals, and Military .Medals, but he hoped thai it would' bo possible for a number of foreign decorations to bo handed ,to tho recipients by the consuls of the countries concerned. Aftor tho decorations had .been presented, the troops would be inspected by the Prince. Two genera! salutes Tould be given—one when the Prince, arrived on tho ground, and the second-".'after "the.'inspection'.'if ; -troops; The,longest item on'the programme' would be tho reaentation of dewiat : oils. ; There were about ICO returned "soldic-rs :;in Wellington who had earned de'eora- • tions which they had not received. These •had all been asked to attend.the parade, ;«o he was hoping that there would be a good "turn out. The returned eoldiers would parade in mufti,''but - it was de.'sired that they should wear their Medals oases where these had been received, 'or else their medal ribands. The veterans I.would hold the v place of honour on the ■right of the.parade, and next would come tho returned sailors and. soldiers. The Prince would inspect nil ranks of _ the veteran and returned sailors and soldiers, but he would only march down the front rank of the Territorials, who would be •formed up in close column of companies, 'so that as niany as pc-ssible would 'ho able to see him. When JI.M.S. Renown ■left tho wharf, on' the Sunday. of.tho Prince's departure, a sahto would be 'fired by the shore.guns. A guard of i honour of three officers and 100 other 'ranks, with Colours, would parade on tho iwharf.
'■ The meeting decided to request tho military authorities, to, arrange for tho ■presence of a-guard of honour -and the firing of a Royal salute on tho occasion of tho civic reception. -
Harbour Board's Intentions, ■Mr. -J. G..Harkness, chairman of tho Harbour Board, naid that tho board had toado a grant of .£SOO, and if all the illuminations and decorations (vere carried out on the- wharvesias-IToposed-it. would probably cost another ,-iiIOOO. The .•board had set aside a shed for the use' .of the men of the Renown, and this could v nlso be used by the children who would, bo visiting the ship. It was suggested 'that a.? .subscription's wore not being asked for, tho citizens might arrange for. street decorations on their'own account under the supervision nf an u-ngineor of ••the Citv Council.. Tho Harbour Board vcnld do its utmost to co-oper.tta withtho military authorities in .■whatever filj.-ction w.is arranged to take place on the wharves. '"."!
Mr. It. ,T.' V. Aldrich, secretary of 4he Wellington ' Returned Soldiers'; Asspcia.tion, promised the nsßistunce cf that body-in. whatever arranirements were dccjded npo]i.' ' In answer to Mr. Aldrich. Mr. Frost said it was not proposed that the returned soldiers 'should 'march to'Newtown Park, hut that they should merely assemble theile.
■ Superintendent S. P. Norwood s,v'<l the Police Department would fall in -with 'iwhatever arrangements were made. When the Prim: arrival nn the Monday evening, the mounted police would meet Hie train and form an escort to Government House. He would keep in touch with the committee.
Mr. Frost said that Hid various committees might have the use of rooms in the Town Hall for tho purposes of their meetim?- - The Children's .Function.
Mr. W. Foster," headmaster of Clyde Quny School, said it wan estimated that 70,000 children would ho on parade" on the occasion of the children's deinorisbiition on Wednesday morning, May 5. Whether the children would assemble nn the" grounds in front (if Parliament Buildings wouldnot be definitely settled until the Government gave nn assurance that the ground would bo reservcdyexeliisivcly for the children. As the Education Department was making arrangements for the supply of refreshments only, it was desired that • the Finance Committee should allocate „!300 towards, the cspenso of providing the children with sonic permanent record of the occasion. Ho moved in that direction.
■ Mr. Frost said he could not accept the motion, but promised that the representations of Mr. Foster would be considered by the Finance Committee. The Minister of Internal Affairs had indicated that the Education Department would deal with the children,-"a.nd had distinctly asked that the meeting should not take anything into consideration except the setting up of committees ' to make . Iho necessary arrangements for the welcomeMr. Foster replied th.it he hoped the Finance Committee would consider tho request favourably. Constitution of Committees. The following, committees wero set up, and they were given power to -add to their numbers:— Street/Decorations.—Lieutenant-Colonel A, A. Corrigaii (convener), Captain .Guildley, E.N.R., Contain HaU.Munro, Messrs. Pagt.'Fcciron, *Eiils. Maitland, ~C. M.
Luke, 11. Can, H. D. Bennett S. Kirkcaldie, L. E. Pavtridpc. L. George, A. A. Marryatt, Sim's, W. Hollis, Haughton, ]i. S. M'Kenzie J. 0. Shorlaud, a\ul tho-. managers of the five banks in tho city. Ball. —Mr. R. W. Shallcrass (convener), Mesdames J. P. Luke, C. Earlo, Duthie, J. P, Firth, Darling, 11. Nathan. Sleeman, Frank Dyer, Miss Sybil Nathan, Dr. Collins, Colonel Roberts,- Messrs. Lan Duncan, C. A. Ewan, A. E: Whyte, 0. Sutton, A.. W. AVirenrJ. B. Hareourf, and H. Oakley Browne.
McnVEntertiiinmont (H.M.S. Renown). —Tito Mayoress (Mrs. Luke) and Mrs. Ha«kino. ; ' (joirtt-convenois); "' the Navy League ai:d Indies' Auxiliary;- Mosdnmcs Fuller, Righton.'Clarke-Johnston; Nimmo. Hist, and Mr. M. Carr (Commercial Travellers' Association). -' : SHOOTING MATCH•'ARRANGED. In response to a cablegram sent 10- • cently the Wellington'Snburbs Rifle Club has received advice that a team from (he Renown will ho prepared to"fire a rilie chooting match against, the Suburbs Club oh Thursday, May G. After the match, the member's of the Renown's team and others of the ship's company will' be entertained at a so'cial and daneo in St. Peter's Hall.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 153, 24 March 1920, Page 3
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1,429TO WELCOME THE PRINCE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 153, 24 March 1920, Page 3
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