THE ROYAL VISIT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21308, 30 October 1934, Page 10

THE ROYAL VISIT

OFFICIAL PROGRAMME j ! i RETURNED SOLDIERS : DISAPPOINTED ■ The 'executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association considers that the Duke of Gloucester would like to spend more time with the returned soldiers in Christchurch than the official programme will allow. A vigorous complaint of the treatment the association had received was made by one member at a meeting last evening, and suggestions were made that the Duke would prefer to spend an evening with the returned men rather than at the dance to be held in the barracks. The association had previously asked that the. Duke be invited to attend a smoke concert in' the Jellicoe Hall, as the Duke of York had done, but a letter received from the City Council last evening said Uiat this request could not be granted. "Not Treated Fairly" When the City Council's letter was read Mr W. H. Darby complained that as returned soldiers the j executive had not been treated very fairly, considering that the application had been made long ago. The president, Rev. F. T. Read, said that the Citizens' Committee had approved of the association's proposal for a smoke concert. Mr Darby: I understand the idea is to place the returned men between the privileged guests and the outside crowd; in one sense to act as a buffer. After the Duke has been received he is to see the returned men. Who are tb_e privileged guests? Why would they be there? Mr B. O. Priddis: We would be there if we pressed hard enough. The president said that the returned men would be a guard oi i honour, and he understood that the i recepLion would be short, with only ] oiii! speaker—the Mayor—address-; ing the Duke j Mr Darby: Not 10 per cent, of the- i returned men to-day are physically fit enough to stand for any length of time. Seating accommodation should be provided until the inspection is made. The men have to be there some time, and it is not fair to ask them to stand. Mr Read repeated that he had gained the impression that the proceedings were to be short, and that i the Duke's reply would not be lon».! Several members asked whether j Mr Read, as president of the'associ- j at ion, was to subscribe to the ad-1 dress which would be presented to j the Duke at the reception. j "Informality Desirable" j Mr C. Miln considered that a smoke concert was a more suitable form of entertainment. It would come at the end of a long, strenuous tour for the Duke, and a function with some informality was desirable. Mr W. E. Leadley: When the Duke of York was here he said to me at the last moment on the station that the evening he had spent with us at a smoke concert in the Jellicoe Hall had been the most pleasant he had enjoyed in Christchurch. Mr Miln moved that representations be made to have the matter reconsidered. Mr A. L. Emerson: The Duke's desire would be to be with the returned soldiers. Mr T. L. Drummond said that representations had been made for the Duke to lay the foundation stone of the cottage homes settlement at ! Sandilands. If the present motion jwere carried it would jeopardise the j j chances of this original proposal. It j j might rob the association of both ! functions, and the association would j certainly lose one. , "Waste of Time" I Mr 11. W. Mewton said he thought I it would be a waste of time to carry | the motion forward. ! Mr Leadley also thought it would | be a waste of time. A citizens' com--1 mittee had been appointed and had ! arranged, a dance in the barracks, i This had been agreed to by the ; Duke and duly approved by the | authorities. It would be a waste of : time to try to have the Duke come ! to a returned soldiers', function on ! the night of the dance. ! When the motion was put to the j meeting the voting was even, and J on the casting vote of the chairman j the motion was defeated. | Mr Drummond asked if it were i possible to arrange after the Duke's | arrival for him to come to a smoke j concert. He might agree to do so | after the dance at the barracks. It was quite possible that if the asso- ! ciation arranged a function for its j own men the Duke might visit it I for half an hour. I Mr Mewton: Perhaps the Duke : will not want to go to the dance. ! With little further discussion it j was decided to refer the matter to j the organisation committee of the executive.