A GRIM JOKE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10385, 2 May 1925, Page 5

A GRIM JOKE

A MOCK FUNERAL. ' AUCKLAND STUDENTS' "STUNT." i AUCKLAND, May 1. < University students, with an eye te j advertising their comedy, "Tilly of . Tamaki," perpetrated rather a grim < joke shortly after noon to-day, when I < they carried an imitation coffin from the University, via Anzac Avenue and ; Queen Street," to the Civic Square site, . where a form of burial service was performed over "Civic Square corpse. Heading the procession was a student in Mayoral-like robes and chain ol office, and by his side was a student in <rown and mortar, suggestive of trie Town Clerk's official attire. Immediately behind this couple were four pallbearers, carrying a black box covered with a pall. A single wreath of chrysanthemums lay on top of the casket, on the sides of which was the inscription: "The Civic Square, erected 192 b, died 1925." The youths were grotesquely attired, the outstanding features ot their garb being hard bowler hats, old "too" hats, glaring blue ties and yellow buttonholes. Most of the young men had paint on their faces. A bras, band played funeral music. At least the time of the music was funeral. An invitation to "Come to the funeral of the Civic Square" was carried at the head of the procession, and by the time the Civic Square site was reached, a very large crowd of citizens, mostly girls, had gathered. In the centre of the site a platform was erected and the student in red robes and wig proceeded te harangue the crowd calling for "sobs and weeping" from the other students, which he regulated, by means of an amateur "Stop-Go" signal. Several students' songs were sung and then the procession returned to the University. . , c ~ "Although harmless m itself, the , whole affair was in extremely bad taste" ,says the "Star"). "There was » little humour about it, but no doubt the students' talent in that direction 31 has been more or less exhausted in the production of ' Tilly.' "