MR. SMITH'S FUNERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 23 April 1907, Page 3

MR. SMITH'S FUNERAL.

BIGGEST SEEN IN TARANAKI. Half-masted Hags on the post i.flice. public buildings ami business premises, lluating lazily, heavily, almost mournfully in the slight breath of air on Aion- ,_ day morning, served as a reminder, if ' reminder were needed, that ere the evening shades had fallen the Mother Earth would have closed over the. mortal remains of one of Taranaki's foremost lighters and best-known public men; that she would liave taken to her liosoui the inert body of the late Ldwaid Metcalfe Smith, representative of the Tara uaki electorate in the council of the ' people. Hi" House of Representatives. " The dav had come for perforiniii:. Ihe last ~lli,-es for the dead, and for fi'iends, ' admirers, and acquaintances to join in the last solemn rites ere commit till" the body to eanh. lint no reminder was needed, for from 1 far beyond 111' view of the bunliir; in ■ the town came friends from (lie country districts, arriving by various ineam of conveyan-e during ihe whole of Ihe forenoon. A lifrlinie spent in active service for his country's good, a life of energy, kindliness of heart and full of action, had endeared ihe late member to thousands. Not only bis immediate neighbours and coiLslitueiits contributed to the immense cortege that accompanied the body to (lie graveside, but men at the summit of the democratic ladder of this lolony, holding the highest positions it is in the power of New Zi'alandcrs to bestow, gathered here to show respect to t!ie mall who had been so long identified wilh the history of the colony and of Taranaki, his more immediate care. During the morning a special train brought tlie Acting-Premier, Hull. W. llall-dones, the Minister for Native Affairs, lion. James Carroll, Hon. W. F. (.': (.'aria ross, AI.LC, Mr. A. L. D. Eraser, M.D.K., and Mr. C. E. Major, M.H.i;., whilst from-the north by steamer came the Hon. Minister for Lands, Mr. E. McNab—all Parliamentary friends and co-workers of the deceased politician. Scores, hundreds, of sympathetic messages from all parts of" the colony and beyond testified to the respect in "which the late member was held and to his popularity. Floral emblems reached the family from friends near and far. In the afternuon as the hour of halfpast two o'clock drew near, many hundreds of people congregated in the road way near Mr. Smith's late residence, and at all points of vantage hundreds more could be seen watching for tho passing of the funeral cortege. The procession, marshalled by Mr. Samuel Hill, an old friend of the deceased gentleman, was as follows: Firing Party. Taranaki Garrison Band. Hon. J. Carroll £ Hon W. Hall-Jones (Native) Minister) B (Acting Premier) Mr W. T. Jennings, £> Hon. R. McNab M.H.U. a (.Minister for Mr CE, Major, 5' Lands) M.U.H. <g Mr Byrnes, M.H.K. Relatives of the Deceased. Representatives of Houses of Pariliaincut. School Cadets. New Plymouth Fire Brigade. Volunteers. Veterans. Battalion Officers. Representatives of Local Bodies. The Geueral Public. Carriages. In accordance with instructions from the .Minister of Defence, a military funeral was accorded the late armourer to 1 the forces and the headquarters eompan- i ies, headed by the. Garrison Rand, par- ] aded at full strength. As the casket i was borne from the house to the. gun- ; carriage .Maori women, garlanded with I native leaves, set up a mournful and s weird, ear-piercing lament, which was t continued as the procession moved off. i The muffled rattle of the side-drum i served as a prelude to the "Dead March t in Saul" played by the baud as the i cortege slowly gathered weigh and the •) hundreds fell into line. The female re- i latives of the deceased, following closely i behind the coffin, covered with (he Union s •lack, were:— t First carriage: Mrs. Smith (widow), < Mr. N. (iohling (her father), Mrs. Blair, t Mrs. Waite, Miss Smith (daughters;'. 1 -Mrs. Holding. , ' f .Second carriage: Mrs. Hickman, Mrs. J. 1 W. Smith, Mr,-;. S. (i. Smith, Mrs. Sam t Smith, .Mrs. .1. C. Smith. 1 Third carriage: Wreaths, Mr. S. i llrookes iu charge. Fourth carriage: .Miss A. Blair, Miss . Hickman, Mrs. C. dunes, and oilier relatives. ] Other than (he pa!l-bearevs, the Lee/is- -, lalure was represented bv Hon.'\V. Camcross and Hon. T. Ke'llv, M.LC.'s, I and Mr. A. L D. Eraser, M.11.R. The , Taranaki llattalion officers on parade, i were: Lieutenant-Colonel Okey. Major Malonc, Captain and Adjutant Weston, Captain-Quartermaster Cock, and Sur-geon-Major AicClclland, Sergeant-major Ari.iilnge. Volunteer officers: Captain 'Okey, Captain Mills, Lieutenants Lever, Beilringer. and Boon. The pedestrians marched seven abreast, followed by over fifty carriages, the first vehicle having turned into Lemon street before the last had left Devon street. Amongst (hose present were: Messrs. A. 11. O'Longhliii, stationmaster at New Plymoulli, representing the Railway Department; Mr. W. .). Chanev. Chief' Postmaster, the Postal Department; his Worship the Mayor (Mr. K. Dockrill), Councillors Oollis, Browne, aud Wilson, the New I'lymouth Borough Council; Mr. G. Tisch and Mr. ('. M. Lcpper, Taranaki Hospital aud Charitable Aid Board, Mr. .1. B. Council. Mr. Newton King, . Mr. R. Price, and .Air. C. S. Reiinell. New I'lymouth Harbor Board: Mr. .las. Wade, Taranaki Education Board; Air. ,L Brown. Taranaki County Council: Mr. A. ■Morion, Waiwakaiho Road Hoard; Mr. 11. Trimble, Aloa Road Board; Mr. R. liurns, representing railway guards: Revs. S. S. Osborne. T. (!. Brooke, Rev' Father AlcAlamis, and representatives of most of the professional and business firms in Northern Taranaki. The cortege took just uver twenty-live minutes to pass a given point, and was the largest and most representative funeral ever accorded to a resident of New Plymouth, independent of those who merely watched it pass. At th" cemetery (here were hundreds in waiting, and the main entrance was lined with people. At the mortuary chapel iter. Ilrocklchurst headed Ihe procession, which moved onwards until the gun-carriage had reached the open eraee. The firing party formed up as (lie mourners took (heir places, and the l!e\. Brockleliurst read (he beautiful service most impressively. The hill at the rear, and the grounds for a considerable dis- ' tanee on cither side of the grave, were densely packed with people, and the impressive scene was a fitting tribute to a popular man's memory. The remains of our late member were committed to cnr(h, and the thud, thud, of clumps of clay followed the clear intonation . "Karlh to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust lo dust/' Then the firing party, under ■ Captain Okey, fired three volleys „vei the grave, the bugler sounded "Tho Las:. I'osl," the 'Maoris cast inio the open tomb (he leal'v emblems of their "rief i and the people left the sad scene, many as I hey passed dropping a little clay on Hi" coffin below, (he Garrison Band ,' meanwhile ple.y-:- .:.,.,-,,1 ~,»■, .\ a ,\ ■ Iben Ihe crow.' „,Mv four IhoitI sand people ret- , ;!j,.ii- home-.

Floral tributes Km senMvv the fo lowing: Sir ,1. G. Ward. Acliug-Premi, and .Ministry of New Zealand.' Air. an Mrs. K Wli'itllc, H.iit. 1!. .McNab, 11 Taranaki Licensed Victuallers' \ssneilion, New Plymouth. Mr. uud Airs. Ah lone, Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworlb, J] v . ar .Mrs. C. E. Bellriuger, Sir. and Air Clarke. Aliss Uopkinson, Mr. and Air Fabian. Air. and Airs. W. H. Free al family, Mr. and Airs. S. Hill aud fatnil Mr. and '.Mrs. F. T. Bellriuger. Mr. Abbott ami family, Department of u„, and Surrey and lioads, Air. and Mrs. i

Davey and fainilw .Mrs. .lohiison and ' family, ilr. ;,„d Mrs. .lell'ivvs ami family. Mr. (ri)ri>coll. Mr. I!. OT)riscoll. Mr ; ■I. ■). M,-. and Mrs. .1. Hawkins. Mksc, c. and C. liarriball. Mrs Hark and familv. Miss A. ISalchel.'.r Mr and Mrs. \V. Smith and familv. Mr. and Mrs. n..-1-..ni. Mr. and Mis. X. Cddimnnd son. Mr. and Mrs. IJ. Cork, Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Williams, Mr. 11. .]. Ibuker Mrs. Oldlield. Miss M. Russell. Mr. „iul Mrs. I). I'enwarden. Tlailwav Departmenl, New I'lvnnailh: liailway Deviation stall (per Mr. Williams!, Miss Da vies, liailway Works (per Mr. liarreltl. Miss King. Mr. and Mrs. 11. Zealand. Mr. and .Mrs. O. W. S.de, Mr and Mrs D. lierry and i'amilv. Messrs W. 11. and J. if. l'ellew. and Mis. I'ellew, Mr. and Mrs. lioss and familv, Miss liobsmi, Miss It. Simpson. Mr. and Mrs. It. .lurv. Mr. and Mrs. 11. "Ballot and familv. Mrs. Collelo and family, Mr. and Mrs. I). O'Brien. Mr. and Mrs. llach, Mr. and Mrs. Dock rill and family, Mr. and Mrs. I ('. Kinitli, Liberal and Lalior Federation ol N'ch /calami, iliss D Copestake, Stai Foothill Club, Mi and Mis J Kee gan, Liberal nnd; Labor Federation, of

I New I'lymouth. Miss Clarke, Mr. anil I-Mrs. Arile.H and I'amiiy (Xgairei, Mr. and Mrs. J. Loyeridg". Mr. and Mrs. 11. Russell. Mr. and 'ill's. A. Owens, | Taranaki Harrison Maud. Ibival fanoujeers (Auckland), Mr. and Mrs. Oravson. I Air. and Aliss 0. Cook. .Mr. and Mrs. IJ. '| ■lames. .Mr. S. Brookes and family, Air. 'land Mrs. A. Standisli and family. .Mr. jaiid Mrs. Boultou and family. Mr. ami , j .Mrs. Kennington, Airs. Salisbury and family, Mr. T. Thompson, Air. anil Airs. J. Avery. Air. and Airs. W. Gordon, .Mr. | Nash and family. Air. and Airs. 11. .1, | Movcrle.v, Air. E. Van Delden, Air. and jAfrs. '!■]. P. Webster, Mrs. M. Wroth, Mr. j Bannister, Air. and Airs. Tnnbridge, Air. and Airs, liraiind, Air. and Mrs. W'.'Uiiasell, Air. and Mrs. Per, v Leal.md.