ROYAL JUBILEE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 169, 1 May 1935, Page 5

ROYAL JUBILEE

THE KING RETURNS TO LONDON. CHEERED BY LARGE CROWDS. APPROVAL OF FINAL PLANS. NO VISIT TO NEWMARKET. (United Press Association—Copyright). (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 30. Owing to unfavourable weather and great pressure of work in preparation for the Silver Jubilee celebrations, the King cancelled his proposed visit to the race meeting at Newmarket today. Accompanied by the Queen, his Majesty returned to London. He will remain at Buckingham Palace until after the celebrations. Large crowds cheered their Majesties in the course of a busy day. Their Majesties inspected and approved' the final plans for the celebrations next week. The King also received General J. B. M. Hertzog (Prime Minister of South Africa). Great crowds again thronged the streets of the West End of London last night to see the jubilee decorations and flood-lighting effects. 'The main schemes of decoration are now almost complete.—British Official Wireless.

PROCESSION FULLY REHEARSED. CONDUCTED WITHOUT A HITCH. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, April 30. Early workers, on arriving in London, were surprised to find the route of the Royal procession closed to traffic, ’buses and cars being diverted to other streets. The occasion was a full rehearsal of the King’s drive to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Starting from Buckingham Palace soon after dawn, eleven processions traversed the route exactly as they will next Monday. Except that the escorts were clad in khaki instead of full dress, and landaus and brakes represented all the State carriages except the King’s coach, which was included in the rehearsal, drawn by six famous Windsor greys. Throughout the entire route the procession was carefully timed by numerous officials with stopwatches, and it was carried out without a hitch.

LONDON ALREADY THRONGED.

CHAIN OF BEACONS READY,

LONDON, April 29

London had a foretaste during the week-end of the great crowds to he expected during Jubilee Week. Hundreds of thousands of people in cars and on foot • paraded through the streets to see the decorations and to watch the floodlighting rehearsals. So great was the rush that special police reinforcements were required: to. direct the traffic.

It is estimated that London’s jubilee visitors exceed 500,000, these including a great number from the Britisn dominions, as well as many from the United States and Europe. All Dominion and other Prime Ministers in London for the jubilee will drive in procession to St. Paul’s Cathedral for next Monday’s, thanksgiving service. The latest Dominion Prime Minister to arrive is General Hertzog, who has reached from Cape Town. In a brief statement he conveyed cordial greetings from the people of South Africa to those of Britain, ending with sincere congratulations on the “great and happy event, which will shortly be commemorated throughout the Commonwealth, and which, to them, no less than to you, will constitute an occasion of deep-felt joy and gratitude.” . The chain of 750 beacons which is to be lit on jubilee night throughout the country has been completed by the Boy Scouts.

BANDS ALONG THE ROUTE

LONDON, April 30. The “Daily Telegraph” understands that 30 hands, provided hv regulars, territorials and police, will be stationed along the jubilee procession route to entertain the waiting crowds.

POSTAL CONCESSIONS. TELEGRAMS AND WIRELESS. LONDON, April 29. The precedent of Queen Victoria s diamond jubilee, when important postal concessions took effect, will be followod on the occasion of the King’s silver jubilee, the Postmaster-General (bir Kingsley-Wood) announced m the House of Commons. They include: (1) A reduction in telegram charges to a new ’rate from May 31 of Cd for 9 words and Id for each additional (2) A new parcels scale of 6d for 31b with Id for each additional lb up to 91b and a flat rate of Is from 91b to 151 b; . . (3) An extension of the telephone service making' the telephone by the end of 1936 as readily available in rural and remote parts of the countiy as in cities and towns and involving the installation of an additional 1000 telephone call offices ; and (4) An improvement in Empire com-

munications by the introduction on June 15 of an Imperial Id postcard rate instead of l^d.

As a special jubilee concession, between May 6 and May 31 standard radio telephone rates between Great Britain and the Dominions and India will be reduced by one-half.—British Official Wireless

CEREMONIES IN NEW ZEALAND. CHAIN OF BONFIRES TO BE LIGHTED. WELLINGTON, April 30. Arrangements for the official New Zealand Government ceremonies in connection with the King’s silver jubilee on Monday next, have now been completed. ' Monday is to be a paid) holiday for all Government employees, including casual labourers and those working under awards. In acquainting local bodies throughout the Dominion with this decision the Government has asked that a similar policy should be adopted by local bodies. It also invites employers throughout the Dominion to fall into line, and asks that a similar policy should be adopted by local bodies. It also invites employers throughout the Dominion to fall into line and asks that similar consideration be given to all workers where circumstances permit. Replies to hand) indicate that the Government’s request has been received favourably by local bodies. A religious service, at which addresses will be given by tile GovernorGeneral (Viscount Galway) and the Hon. E. A. Ransom, will be held at 11 a.m. on the steps of Parliament Buildings. This will be followed by a march past of troops, Lord Galway taking the salute from a dais on the steps of Parliament House. The Dominion organisation of the Boy Scouts’ Association has been invited, and has cordially agreed, to light a chain of bonfires throughput the Dominion. To this end the Departments of Land and Survey and Forestry are co-operating with various branches of the Boy Scouts’ Association, with the object of facilitating the arrangements and also seeing that due care is exercised to avoid destruction of native bush. The bonfire chain will be similar to that proposed in Great Britain.