CITY PARADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 43, 20 February 1940, Page 8

CITY PARADE.

UP QUEEN STREET. OFFICERS AND MEN. WHOLE SHIP'S COMPANY. 1' . '• " X '-*• . MIUTABT FORCE &UO. ; . . .... " 1 • ,fi ■ 1, . .• Elaborate arrangements for a welcome i on an unprecedented scale, with which other part* of New" Zealand will be associated, are being made in Auckland by the Government, City Council, Harbour Baard and Anned Services, acting in conjunction. Details of the programme were outlined this afternoon in * statement famed jointly by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, and the chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr. W. B. Barlow. It is planned to have Queen Street on the day of arrival decorated as befits the occasion. At the Intersection of Quay 1 Street, facing the waterfront, a large introductory banner will be erected on behalf of the Government, bearing the inscription: "Well done, Achilles! The Government and people of New Zealand welcome you back." The next banner will be smaller, reading, "Haere Mai, Haere Mai, Haere Mai." Banners Across Street. At regular intervals across the width of Queen Street will be suspended other ban Hera, numbering 35 in all, provided by the principal cities, towns and boroughs of New Zealand. They will be inscribed with, greetings, such, for example, as "Welcome from Dunedin," "Christchurch Greets You," "Napier's Congratulations." The last banner in the line will hang close to the Town Hall apex aid will be in Maori, reading "Ake, ake, kia kaha.* Appropriate flags will be hung, and all business places in Queen Street have been written to end asked to display flags and bunting in generous proportions. The first banner to greet the Achilles will he that of the Harbour Board,."suspended between the shtds at the end of Central wharf and reading: "Bravo Aohilles! The Auckland Harbour Board thinks you." Leave For Employees. ' In honour of the occasion employers 1 are appealed to allow, where practicable, special leave for their staffs between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the day of arrival. The location of the civic reception will be the apex of the Town Hall, where a sufficient area will be reserved for the accommodation of the officers and members of the ship's company, and, as well, for the supporting naval, military, and Air Force detachments, and for parades by the Returned Soldiers' Association, and ex-Koy&rNaval Men's Association of New Zealand. Suitable loud-speaker installations will enable, the Speeches of welcome to be heard down past the intersection with Victoria Street, it lieing anticipated that upwards of 50.000 people will- congregate In tlio, space available in the locality.

| At Central Wharf. J Achilles will berth for the week-end at the Central wharf instead of Calliope Pock, and official' calls will be made by his Excellency the Governor-General, chairman of the Harbour Board, Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, and the Mayor. During these visits the first official welcomes to New Zealand will "be briefly made. The civic reception will be held at 11.30 a.m.. and is timed to last 40 minutes. The speakers will be the Mayor, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, the chairman of the Harbour Board, the French Consul, Mr. H. Tai Mitchell (representing the Maori race of 'New Zealand), and Captain Parry, in reply. Queen Street, from Quay Street to the Towrf Hall, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The ship's company will leave Achilles at approximately 11 a.m., and march direct to the Town Hall, where the Bpace in front of and flanking the apex will be ropedoff for accommodation of the Achilles detachment, the previously assembled detachments from the Naval Base, Pwpakura Gamp and Hcfosonville Air Base, and parades from the Returned Soldiers' Association and Ex-Royal Naval Men's Association of New Zealand. Territorials and Cadets. For the march of the Achilles detachment, the tram track and the portion of the carriage-way to the left-hand kerib ■ will be reserved for tlie length of Queen Street, from Central wharf to Myers Street. On both sides of Queen Street for its entire length from Central wharf to Myers Street, there will be a barrier of troops provided by 1200 territorials and 2500 senior cadets, who will be at their positions by 10 a.m., and who will automatically dismiss when the civic reception is under way. The supporting military detachment, comprising 1580 men, will arrive at Auckland from Fapakura at 10 a.m., march from the railway, station along Customs Street and Lower Queen Street •to the Central wharf, and halt. At 10.10 a.m. this detachment will contact with the naval detachment (250), and the Air Force detachment (250). At 10.20 a.m. the combined column, with the naval detachment at the head, will leave* the assembly point amd march up Queen Street to the Town Hall, in order to take up positions in the reserved area at 10.50 a.m. Returned soldiers participating in the parade will be a/sked to assemble at Victoria Street West at 10.5 a.m., and be in readiness to march at 10.20 a.m. to the reserved are®, in order to take their position by 10.30 a.m. •Portion of the military detachment will assemble on the Grey's Avenue side of the apex, from Cook Street, and join with the Air Force detachment. On the Queen Street side of the apex, the balance of the military detachment will assemble, and behind it, the parades of the Returned Soldiers* Association and the Ex-Royal Naval Men's Association of New Zealand will form. The naval detachment will assemble in front of the apex behind the position allocated to the Achillea detachment. There will-be. three military and two naval bands in attendance. These will assemble at appointed positions behind their respective service*. Traffic Control. One hundred and thirty constables will I be available to assist in controlling the j traflic, and 100 members of the National Reserve will be at the disposal o*f the j Superintendent of Traffic for duty ih the

vicinity of the Town Hall, with special reference to the keeping of the cordon in the space provided for the next-of-kin. At the conclusion of the speeches a» the civic reception, His Worship th<j '• Mayor will qall for three cheers for the I captain, officers and ship's company of! H.M.S. Achilles, after which the National Anthem will be sung. At approximately 12.15 p.m. the detachment from the Achilles will move off, up Queen Street, to the main entrance of the Town Hail, on the main floor of which an official combined luncheon to the captain, officers and ship's company will l>e held. It is expected that there will be present 300 men. 30 officers and about 70 guests, including visiting Ministers of the Crown, members of the Judiciary, 1 City Council, local members of the Legislature, consuls and suburban mayors and chairmen. The toasts to be honoured will be "The King" and "The captain, officers and ship's company of H.M.S. Achillea." Music will be supplied by an orchestra. Lunch for Next-of-kin. During the same period the Mayoress, Lady Davis, will entertain at luncheon in the Concert Chamber the next-of-kin of the Achilles, together with the wives of the invited guests to the Town Hall luncheon. Special arrangements have been made on behalf of the next-of-kin. They will be admitted to the Central wharf, and ono relative of each rating will be accommodated at the civic reception in the special enclosure, roped off on the footpath on both sides of the apex, and invited to the next-of-kin luncheon in the Concert Chamber, and admitted to the balcony of the Town Hall after the luncheon. The public office of the Town Hall will be used as the ticket-issuing office, next-of-kin having been notified to apply there for the various tickets. Harbour Board Luncheon. The Achilles' detachment .will be dismissed from the Town Hall after the luncheon. The supporting naval, military and Air Force detachments will leave the reserved area at the Town Hall at' 12.30 p.m. and march down Queen Street to the Harbour Board shed, where they will be the guests of,the Harbour Board at luncheon at 12.45 p.m. It la expected that the luncheon will be completed at 1.45 p.m. The St. John Ambulance offlcem will be on duty in Queen Street between the hours of 10 aon. and 2 p.m. Opportunity will be given members of the public to file past the Achilles at the Central wharf. Control of traffic on the wharf will be undertaken by Harbour Board officials and those of the Achilles, and outside the wharf entrance by the police. Free Cinemas, Captain Parry will be consulted on a suggestion that a sports meeting for the men be organised during the week following arrival, and also as to a dance for the men in the Town Hall which the City Council wishes to give. Arrangements for the subsequent entertainment for the officers will be discussed with the Navy League. A free . transport pass, available for seven days after arrival of the Achilles, for travel on trams, omnibuses and ferries, will be issued to the men by the combined metropolitan transport operators of Auckland. * Arrangements are being made with the theatre interests to admit free to all performances for seven days Achilles men in uniform, accompanied by partner.