PREPARATIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10986, 8 June 1901, Page 8

PREPARATIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE.

! ABANDONMENT OF THB SHILLING

PLAIFOP-M

THE ILLUMINATION ARRANGE-

MENTS

• The Executive Oomnattee of the Royal j Visit met yesterday afternoon. His Wor- [ ship the 31ayor presided. '- * j lhe Chairman, said that now the various I (nib-committees were getting to work, there j would be no necessity for the Executive jto n_eet weekly. With regard to tne popu- ; iar concert suggested for the Monday, j arrangements, it was found, could not oa I toddi for it. He had received a td.egram | statin/ that the Government would on j Saturday leave a portion of Victoria street j open. The Friendly Societies had met the j Procession _omm_tte_, and he understood ; that all the arrangements would work out | Aveil. Tha question of the popular stand, as j to Avho wou.d be permitted to take part in i the laying of the stone, and the erection i of the pavilion-would be brought up for. con- ; sideration. | Mr Cooper, Chairman of the Platform Committee, statedi that they had decided not. - (ti erect the vamp platform, because it i Avould exclude a very Large number of ! people. They had signed a contract with ; Messrs Gea Brothers to erect the platforms jin the Park at £1 2s 6d per running foot, jt) hold 2000 people. As to the pavilion. jin Victoria square, the Committee under- , stood tliat the Decorative Committee would I erect the pavilion. He now moved—"That | the vamp platform be not erected.'' | The Mayod! of Sumner seconded the [ motion, which was carried. | The Mayor said that an supplication had been received from Mrs Clank, asking permission to erect a stand in front of her building. This had been referred to the City Surveyor. Mr E. W. Roper, --airman of the Deco-

ration Committee, said that he was very gkid to state that the Freezing Companies had agreed to vote £75 each towards the erection of an arch illustrative of the freezing j.industry. He thought that the companies were entitled to the,heartiest thanks of the Executive. With regard to the pavilion, Avhich had! bcsen spoken of, he would point out that the Hon. Hall-Jones hid agreed that the erection of the canopy, etc., should come in with the Government platform. He had received a sketch and description of an ornamental derrick and dais from iMir S. Hurst Seager, which it was proposed to be erected in Victoria square. The derrick would be 28ft liigh, and on i_e summit the RoyaE Standard would be hoisted when the Duke and Duchess arrived, and a canopy would have to be arranged for. He had received a letter from Mr Bevan-Brown, asking that a place should be allotted to the High School -boys in one of'the streets, preferably Worcester street or across the Worcester street bridge. They would come in caps and gowns and colours. A place was required to be allotted to them. It was resolved! that the matter of a place for the High School boys should 'be left to the Decorative and Processional Committees to deal with. Mr 'Macdonald, speaking on the question of the proposed canopy, urged that in other places all that had been done was to erect a derrick. Mir Bestvick pointed out that if the Avalk along the carpet to the foundation stone was covered in, the occupants of the stand would not see anything of what they had paid to see. He moved—"That the Decorative Committee be authorised to erect, the ornamental derrick and dais as suggested by •jtlr Seager." •Mr A. H. Turnbull movedI—"That1 —"That tihe ceremony of laying the foundation stone be of the simplest form, in accordance with the same ceremonies in Melbourne." . • The Mayor of Sumner seconded the motion, which was agreed to, it bang understood that the resolution meant that the Platform Committee should carry out the work. Mr Graham urged that no covering should be used in the ceremony, as if this was done the people in the stand would see nothing. M!r Roper moved—"That the Platform Committee be requested to have the plat! form decorated! in conformity with th& general scheme of colouring." Mr Macdonald said that the Platform Committee expected to see the platform filled with people, which would be the best colouring.Tbe matter was referred to the Platform Committee. Tlie Mayor said that Mr Wigram had received a telegram from Captain Alexander, stating that the programme for the laying

j mortal had been approved. As to who should be in the centre on the occasion, that ; was to be decided by the Executive. • It was resolved! that hie Worship the Mayor, and Mr Wigram, as chairman of the , Memorial Committee, should be the only ones to go into .the centre when the foundation stone was. laid. , The Mayor mentioned, that the Government had been communicated with as to the giving of the signal, by the firing of guns, when the Duke and Duchess arrived '. at Auckland.

of the foundation stone of the Jubilee Mc-

The Committee decided to inform the Children's Committee" that all the stands would be at the disposal of the Committee on Monday. Dr. Levinge again referred to th© question of bonfires oh the hills. He had met Mr Buchanan, of Little River, who had informed him that there were materials for bonfires Avhich AA-ere got ready for the peace celebrations, and'this avoulc! be available. He NUggested that the bridges should be illuminated, and that a torchlight procession by the Rowing Clubs might be given on the river when the Duke and Duchess were driving to the reception. Mr Macdonald suggested that arrangements might be made whereby the Marine Band on board the Ophir should perform on Victoria square on Monday night. The band was one of the best in England, and he thought it would be a great treat. It was resolved that the Mayor should communicate with the Ophir on arrival in Auckland. Mr Bishop said his Committee had approached the various local band., and asked them to supply music. With the exception of the Elite . and the Engineers Bands, the others had agreed most willingly to give their services. They would have some six Garrison bands in - Christchurch during that week, and this had helped them in the matter of music most materially. It was suggested that an effort should be made to get a band, or bands, in the Squaton the Sunday. The Sob-Committee on illumination, with Dr. Levinge, was appointed.to- take charge of the subject of the bonfires on the hills. The meeting then adjourned.