SOUVENIR HUNTING

Evening Star, Issue 19585, 17 June 1927, Page 4

SOUVENIR HUNTING

LOSSES AT CANBERRA SHIPS TAKER FROM HISTORIC CHAIR Parliament House Ims had timo now to lick its wounds after the battle of May 9. Recently the staff has been engaged in a stocktaking, with the object of ascertaining how much the souvenir habit cost the nation in the few days of the festivities. Hundreds of flags and pennants disappeared from the streets. These were taken often in broad daylight. The hotels also suffered, but nob to any great extent—a few shillings would cover the entire losses. It was Parliament House which had the worst experience (says the Sydney .‘Sun’). Crockery, stationery, books, desk furnishings, electric light fittings —anything which bore the coat of arms of the Commonwealth, and quite a lot of things which bore no impress at all. The souvenir-hunter was not at all particular, and his motto was apparently “Take all.” An astonished official caught a distinguished gentleman in the act of vanishing through a side door on the day of Hie Royal reception bearing an office wastepaper basket in his hands, la one instance a woman was politely invited to return cutlery. She complied without a blush. In other cases opportunity was given for the return of cut-glass inkwells, several of which had disappeared from the desks. Actually the guests must not be Warned entirely for the rush for Bouvenirs. Notwithstanding the extraordinary precautions with which admission to Parliament House was supervised by police and officials of the Commonwealth and of the Commission, many unauthorised persons gained entrance to the building probably through the kitchen door, which was

unguarded. One immaculately clad gentleman actually forced his way into the Royal presence at the reception, his morning clothes probably staying any questions. It was not long before officials decided that he could not be accounted for, and he was removed—and not gently either. There is still a stream of sightseers pouring through Parliament House, but the attendants are on the watch to restrain them from vandalism of any sort. A favorite vulgarity is to be photographed in the Speaker’s Chair in the House of Representatives, with one’s feet on the table. Mr Waring Tavlor. who has the supervision of the furnishing of the House, caught a man some days before the ceremony in the act of chipping a piece of the historic chair away with a penknife. His efforts were rewarded with a kick which sent his sprawling. Owing to the fact that little of the Parliamentary crockery and silverware were used, and that, for the most part, table equipment was borrowed from the hotels for the functions at Parliament House, it is proving difficult to reckon up the losses until all the hotels have sorted out their belongings. It may be that later investigations will show that the losses are not so extensive, as was at first thought. The loss will be entirely the Commission’s, ns the Parliamentary caterer had not taken over from the Commission until after the functions.