The Press. TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1901. THE RECEPTION OF THE ROYAL VISITORS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10940, 16 April 1901, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1901. THE RECEPTION OF THE ROYAL VISITORS.

The resolution .passed yesterday at the joint meeting of the Finance Committee and Chairmen of Committees in connection with tho Royal visit, seems to us a very fair and business-lika solution of the problem which has arisen as fo tho proper apportionment of the cost of the. reception. The outlying local bodies, not immediately connected with Christchurch, such as the Amuri County (Council, Selwyn Council, Ashburton, Kaiapoi, etc., ara to be asked to subscr.be liberally as they may feel disposed towards th. fund. Th. balance of the money required, the Christchurch City Council and the local 'bodies .whose dis- ■ tricts are immediately contiguous to Christchurch, ars to be asked to contribute in the following proportions: — City of Christchurch, 9-18ths; Sydenham, Borough Council, 2-18ths; Linwood Borough Council, 2-18ths; St. Albans Borough Council, 2-18ths; Heathcote Road Board, l-18th; Riccarton Road Board, l-18th ; Avon Road Board, l-18th This seems to us to be a very equitable arrangement, and we are glad to see that the City Council at once fell in with the proposal at its meeting last night. The people of Christchurch have ever shown themselves earnest and sincere in their loyalty, and it is their ardent wish that the visit of tho Duke and Duchess of Cornwall shall pass \ off well—that in this English-looking town ' we shall give them a hearty English i welcome. The Reception Committee and all • the various sub-committees which have been formed for the purpose are willing to give their services to make the necessary arl ransrements, but it is necessary for them to 1 have an assured finance. This tha resolution : referred to, if it is carried into effect, will ' give them, and the cost will be equitably » distributed in a way that will not be felt : op-oressive by .any portion of the com- • munity. The outlying districts are not asked to commit themselves to any definite sum,

! but we cannot doubt that they will readily give some substantial proof of their desire to take part in the Royal welcome Very properly the chief share of the cost falls upon tho city, and the Council has cheerfully consented to bear one-half of the balance required in addition to the voluntary contributions. The adjoining boroughs are really part of Greater Christchurch, but hare each been asked for only two-eigh-teenths as their proportion, and this Sydenh_m and Linwood hf_ve agreed to give, and we have little doubt that St. Albans will do the same. It then only remains for the neighbouring Road Boards to agree to contribute the one-eighteenth that is asked of them, and the problem of finance will have been satisfactorily solved. It is estimated that each eighteenth will represent

about £150, but it is, of course, impossible to fix the amount exactly beforehand, hence the expediency of making each contribution a certain ratio of the whole insts,_d of specifying exact amount-. We

have no doubt that great care will be exercised by tha Executive in spending the money, but it would be only fair that the local bodies contributing towards the cost should be allowed to elect delegates on the committee, so as to give them direct control over the expenditure. We have no doubt that this would be readily agreed to