THE PRINCE'S TOUR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 185, 1 May 1920, Page 7

THE PRINCE'S TOUR

EFFECT OF THE STRIKE ; t Latest arrangements A*N OFFICIAL STATEMENT -- v■:'■ - >' t \ ■■ By TolcKrach—Press Asfioisiation.. - • Auckland,-April 30. ' Bv the'irony ot fate,, the l'rinc.o of Wales—after having.had his-visit-.:to , Rotorua spoiled hy raio,on what shouldlukvff'been .the big) day,, and' clouded .yes- .. terday by uncertainties arising out of. the. railway himself' practically"nb'tf.looso'end in' Auckland ;fq ; day, with clear skies overhead/ • .'Reaching Auckland at eight o clock,, lie walked out. pf. the. station quietly, with,, his staff, and. proceeded, to his quarters aboard' the •BenSwn.":; .Though the- hour, was early, a crowd quickly, gathered, and as ihei Prince crossed' the yueens Whan tovthe ship:the'w'ate'rsiders received him ; with- cheers. -Later in the-day'he. went out to tfe Rolf* links : at One';' Tree Hi 11,.. ■ and' enjoyed' a round with- officers ot the" Renown. In tho evening lie . af- ' tended , a p'rivato '.daiice :on board tho ' ship. r' ''. 'Sir William-Eraser (Minister in Charge, ' of the Tour) and Mr. ■ M'Villv (General ''Manager of Railways) werb in close .touch 'with. Wellington during; the. ;day. A\ hen ' news came inthe morning that the strike»ha'd been' Settled , an announcement was inade that, the Royal train would atari; for the south .at 3.45; and that 'the programme- for Taraiiaki aiid Hawke s Bay ' would 'he completed 'as originally-' arranged, except that it would be a- day late all along the line. Tlicn as it .was found I 'that'the reported',settlement-.ap-plied oiily to",a' portidn of : the strikers,; .the hour'of: departure was postponed till , 5 o'clock;; and finally it was stated that, -no starfc ■'would. be-iiiado, till iiiorn- - The Governor-General had a conference with Sir William Eraser, and :final- ,* lv .th'e i following ' .offitial . statement "\vas issued -.—"The v Government desires .to make pumic the fact that the Prince, of Wales'wishes to carry out the whole of his tour'in the North'lsland, if this can .he : doneAwithout' prejudice '£q the '.;i'e-. of Oiis-. prog^nmnu. If- i- A? strike 'is'' sottlcd'fty. to-morrow, lie-"will. ...leave Auckland by .'train oij.Snnday after-, noon, and carry- out the .whole of the North-- Island' programme,' making ''ul>. ' the..!two. days.'wiiieh. will have, been lost on : 'arrival in ,W%Jlingtou bj' ( his deerstalking ' expedition at "the 'end of next week., If'the strike is not 'set-' -. tiki tb-iuorrow, lie-will proceed to Wellington' in' H.M.S. Eciiown, so as la ' carry' out '- the . programme ' prepared for ' him. in'that city on the '.dates originally ■ intended." ..! . li.illllENOWN TO Mill IVB ON MONDAY MORNING. '.'•"Mv'-'-advice'is that the Eenown. will ar-. 1 rive here at 10'o'clock,on Jlonday-moiii-ing/aml .will leave/again at 10 a.m. pivSunday," said' the "Harbourmaster -.(Captain .-Dawson)/' when. consulted on the point yesterday/• • "0£ ! course," he added,"therii has heen an alteration 111' |he,i;.r- - rangements . since in regard'to the .Prince, •whether t'hat will.interfere in-any way. . villi -.tho movements of tho .'Renown I am uiiable to ;sa.Tv'; .•'■■.

STREET DECORATIONS : ' '' ■WILLIS STREET IN-ROYAL'. ■ • IIEOALIA. •'. ;. . The break in tho '.'weather •yesterday,; ■enabled «the staff' of city dccorators :to' make coi^idbrabl'o'progress with the big have in hand. ' By 3. p.m. : yesterday Willie Street was practicalh completed, iihd on ,every hand.- could bo heard remarks distinctly' complimentary fertile'; designers'of,••the" scheme (who, it must : bo borne; in. niind,' : were yestricted; ft. ii: (lank treatment). f This busyithoroughfare • now:'"presents'- the : appearancn of a: long arcade tricked out in red aiul green' colours. The inasts' are- united with drooping festoons of pale green ■lycopodinm' extending gracefully from the' mast-heads, and below, on a i level with the verandahs; lias been stretched the full length of the street, an awning■ of white fabric (about l\; feet-'in depth)" ■\yith Mic lovrar; eige scolloped'. ; The, mvning is ornamented with vertical, preen "'stripes, with here and there ai -stencilled wreath to break up the continuity of th'e istripe's.;.' Both edges of the'rfwnirig-are green. ' Witlrthe lights of the shops 'beliiud the; awning,. aVd the' track lights' oil the " outside.tho street presented a ,very fine-sight.' Masts- have now' been - erected along part of Coui+enay. Place—the liartow sec'tioii—and this part-of the'-'route promises to harmonise witlrthe''test of.'thc general scheme. The Cuba' Street ;Com-. mittee: will commence to'string'its greenery and .colouri t(\-da"y, 'rind. Lambton Onay will : also -Win to : show ; colour bv.. this afternoon. The work of decorating, th" nylons is .also in hand. •' j -Most, of''the'jschopls liel<l. fbanner. re-, henrsais'' in. the grounds yesterday. ' > The main entrance to the Town Hall •was in. the hands of the decorators vesterday. Tlie portico lias been boxed-iii all overhead,, and within this boxes will bo •,placed ...electric light, which willjllnmiriate'. transparencies' of. the- colours- ,of-.the Allies.'. the. . front of the portico will flash . out;'in', "electrics"'the city's motto,: "Suprenia a Situ." .• \ EARLY SETTLERS' PAGEANT

' One of the chief. attractions in ami ■ around Wellington • during' the visit of the Prince of Wales will be. the early settlers' p'iigennt, to lie held on the. ;Ve.tone "beach on Wednesday, next. Tho pneeant will' dcpict'ns nearly iis i» possible the-actual landing of the first settlers in 1810, and will be preceded bv V'.the'/ landing: of ; fii'st. Natives:-' followed l>v the coming of Captain Cook. . The whole is to.'be carried out in costume, l.„ find, is to-.lie- viewed "by-the Prince, who. (if .m weather'is' favourable) will land N on the beacli from a cutler. During > ' the*"day of- athletic: and. rnuatic events...will ..be Rone through. '.. Music' will .bo .provided by., three bauds, : while a. choir of six thousand;,children. : .will:.sing patriotic' souks. Given - fine feather the. whole ia. expected. to 'prove, a very bij? attraction. ,'

' It was".announced 'at\vsster'dny's ,'meet- • irig. of the college governors that students of the Wellington' Girls' College,/to the number of 570, would''join in- the ' school children's' demonstration in honour of the Prince of Wales oil Wednesday next. •, The primary forms were not i'"being included, in such a'crowd,. it ( was;thought'• better tliat' parents should', have the custody, of their children, The .Girls' College will have a-fine black "and gold /banlier, oil which : will figure the. •college 'motto in- Latin. ■i "■ c ;

DECORATING STREETS. OF- • SYDNEY; Sydney, April 30.' The Executive Committee which is planning the Prince of Wales's'welcome, proposes 'to erect fifty, arches along the route, giving each'street' ii distinctive colcur scheme.—Press. Assn. I

At the meeting 1 of .the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce Hi'. .T. M; Johnston up the matter of tlu* necessity of a new police station, ami gaol for tliri district,r He said tli.it (lie, present, structures were a disgrace to the town, and they had been definitely j>romised/new buildings some years ago. but. fio fat" 110 attempt had been made to keep tho promise. • It was pointed out that the present accommodation had been provided when Palmerston North was a town with only two thousand inhabitants, and yet it was made to do <luty for a population'more than four times that 'number. The; buildings had been patched iip again and again until they were in- a very bad- condition. The status of the station had been raised to an inspectorship and yet no improvement had bren made in the accommodation, and persons .who had to undergo a sentence of forty-eight, hours imprisonment had to be sent to Wanganui, which entailed considerable expense and inconvenience,. ~]t was- even-, tually deeded to (lraw, the attention of the member in. Parliament for the district to the mutter in order tlmt . it. might be brought under the notice or, tliG Department. /' \