HIS LONG HOME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2884, 16 May 1925, Page 2

HIS LONG HOME.

MR. AIABBEY'S LAST RESTING PLACE. AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. Under a gloomy sky, the funeral of New Zealand’s late leader moved away from Parliament Buildings to Point Halswell at 1 o’clock on Thursday afternoon, at Welligton. a great and impressive cortege standing in silence to mark their last respects. Long before midday on the sidewalk.' of Lambton Quay, Molesworth and Brown streets, people congregated, the numbers steadily growing till almost 1 o'clock, when movement ceased, and the great concourse stood in silence. All traffic had been diverted from the streets in the vicinity of Parliament buildings and the funeral ears, according to their classes and groups were drawn up. Early arrangements for traffic control were carried through smoothly and without incident. With one accord, when the Artillery hand, stationed in the Parliamentary grounds, played the first bars of the “Dead March in Saul,” the great gathering at the entrance gates and far along tlie Quay uncovered and thus stood motionless and silent. The hearse, followed by eight draped lorries hearing wonderful floral tributes to the late Dominion leader and the official cars wound slowly down the winding carriage-way to the Quay. There, the semi-official ears joined in from Bowen street and after them again, an apparently endless stream of ears from Alolesworth street, from Lower Lambton Quay and Bunny street. Still, as the college tiled slowly past, almost noiselessly, car after car, those on the roadside stood uncovered, motionless and silent. The wonder of it was that so many could stand so very quietly. Ofily the mournful music of the funeral dirge played by the Petone Baud at (he intersection of Featherston street and Lambton Quay and the slow toll of ihe Town Clock broke in upon the reverent silence as the cortege moved on, upon either side pacing veterans of South African campaign and men returned from the Great War. Through more thousands, standing in Upper Lambton Quay and Willis street all along Manners street, to Courtenay Place, t lie cortege wended its way, and when it reached the head of C'outenay Place, the veterans and returned soldiers escorting the hearse halted and stood at attention. While the funeral passed from Courtenay Plac-e to Newtown, many thousands of people lined both sidof the streets and the noble music of the dead, which at intervals ahmg the route pierced the muffled atmosphere, gave a. most impressive and inspirational touch to the last stage of the Prime Alinisters last journey. From Constable street downward the sloping road skirting the hillside overlooking Evans Bay permitted the cortege to make faster progress. Every vantage point was occupied hy groups of silent people. On reaching the level stretch along the head of the Bay, the footpaths were again lined hy continuous crowds of mourners, and even over the final portion of the journey from Miramar wharf to Bhelly Bay—a sinuous ribbon of rough road between the rippling waters of Evans Bay and the frowning hills of the Miramar Peninsula—■ there were disclosed at every turn little groups of people waiting to pay silent tribute to the great man. Beyond Bhelly Bay. the head of the procession halted and the hearse, with the otlicial party was detached to climb a road specially made to ihe top of the hill where the casket was transferred io a gun carriage, which was drawn hy N.C.O.’s of the Permanent Force a quarter of a mile to Point Halswell. Tin* band played “Nearer, my God in Thee," and the Rev. .J. Gibson Smith read portion of Psalm 103, verses 1,7 to IS, also from Revelations NIC. 13: 1 Thessalonians IV.. 13-1-1; 1 Corinthians XV., 2222, and Revelations XXL, 1-4. The body was lowered into the grave and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Very Rev. George .Miller, recited the committal portion of the service. He then engaged in a short prayer and pronounced the Benediction. The trumpeter of the Permanent Force, Sergeant Baker, sounded ■•The Last Post," the notes sounding sweetly subdued as befitting the occasion. The Masonic service was then read b\ the deputy Grand Master of the New Zealand Constitution (Bro. Oliver Nicholson), assisted by Bros. W. G. Girling, Rev. \Y. Shirer, 1L L. Michel and J. A. Nash. At 3.33 the proceedings ended with ilie Benediction, pronounced this time by the Rev. Bro. Shirer. While the last tew words were being recited, rain began to fall, and continued for some minutes heavily, while the dead Premier's late colleagues and many friends look a last sad look at the casket.