AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 60, 12 March 1927, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN TOUR

EXPECTANT SYDNEY

CRITICISMS IN VICTORIA

(From O«r Own- Correspondent.) - " SYDNEY, 4th March,

,With the tour of the Duke and Duchess of York receiving much publicity in. the Australian Press in the way of • fengthy cables, mail messages, and ...photographs from New Zealand, and "with visible preparations for the visit here, the Sydney public is being worked to a high pitcn of expectancy. Three •weeks from to-day, the Eoyal couple -will set foot far the first time on Aus■tralian soil at Farm Cove, Sydney, not fftr from the place where Governor "Phillips stepped ashore to establish the ;eolony nearly 140 years ago. For ; weeks carpenters have been busy at 'Mat spot erecting landing stages and pavilions, and passengers on the ferry eteamerg can plainly see the woodwork *«* J«& fee eowveA yotk flagSi bnafe-

ing, and greenery on the day of the Duke's arrival.

Plans have been absolutely completed down to the minutest detail for the Boyal visit to Sydney. The spectacle on the famed Sydney Harbour on the morning of 2Gth March will be a magnificent one, if everything goes according to plan. The passage of the Renown up harbour in itself will provide a splendid and stately sight, but the climax should be reached when the Duke and Duchess, with their suite, embark on the Royal Barge to come ashore from the Renown's anchorage in Neutral Bay. Their half-mile journey will be made through v deeply-lined lane of gaily bedecked small craft. A special landing stage has been erected at Farm Cove to permit the King's representatives, the Governor-General (Lord Stonehaven), and the Governor of New South Wales (Sir Dudley de Chair), the Prime Minister (Mr. Bruce), and the Premier of this State (Mr. Lang) to be the first to welcome the Royal visitors. But Labour bodies, so often termed disloyal, are taking pride in the fact that the first man to shake hands with the Duke actually on Australian soil, will be an official of a trade union, the Lord Mayor of Sydney (Alderman Jack Mostyn) who, without his civic sphere, is an organising secretary of the Electrical Trades Union. Special interest, with rather a humorous touch, centres in what the Lord Mayor will wear on that occasion, for the City Council refused him a special .allowance to buy mayoral robes.

The Eoyal procession through the Sydney streets immediately after the formal ceremony of the landing will be a feature of the day. Hundreds of troops will participate, and along the route strong posts have been organised to indulge in community singing, accompanied by bands an" orchestras. Police authorities are making preparations to deal with at least half the population of Greater Sydney, or about 500,000 people, along the route. Already special vantage points have been booked by far-seeing people, for the crush will be great. At the conclusion of the procession, the Duke will perform what will probably be one of the most touching ceremonies of his whole, tour—an inspection of soldiers blinded in the Great War and Australian V.C. 's at Government House.

An arduous programme of official banquets and receptions will follow, and will probably tax the Eoyal visitors' strength and ■ patience. This, at any rate, should make them enjoj' the mere their visit to the State's famous holiday resorts, the Blue Mountains and the Jenolan Caves. At Wentworth Palls, arrangements are being made to take the Du,ke and Duchess to inspect trees planted by King George and his brother the Duke of Clarence, during their visit many years ago. A feature of the preliminary arrangements for tho Duke's tour in Victoria' has been the strong criticism of the itinerary. It is charge that officialdom has run riot, and in forming the programme has blocked the Dukfr from seeing the "real Australia," that the Eoyal visitors have been "cribbed, cabined, and confined" to official functions at which, it is declared, they will be bon?d to tears. In the face of this hostile criticism, the State Government has decided to forego one of the scheduled functions, and to arrange a hurried day's dash through a selected district. Melbourne is really badly treated in this Eoyal tour. The visit there will include Anzac Day, a public holiday, and a Sunday, and on the remaining six days, Federal functions will occupy some of the programme. Consequently State officials and politicians are' rather grieved. The Commonwealth Ifc^i • ?: rrangements has notified the Duke m New Zealand of the chance and it is expected that he will approve