MAN WHO “REMEMBERS.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 168, 15 June 1927, Page 6

MAN WHO “REMEMBERS.”

OFUICIAL’S EVENTFUL LIFE. A TALK WITH THE KAISER. For 14 years City Remembrancer in London, Colonel Stuart Sankey retired a few weeks ago He lias a tale of “remembrances” such as can have fallen to the lot of few of his predecessors, oven in a list going back for centuries. With a seat under the gallery of the House of Commons the City Remembrancer must attend Parliament and watch all the proceedings affecting city interests. His ceremonial duties at the Guildhall include making out lists of invitations and arranging the guests in order of precedence. Colonel Sankey has talked with many royal and distinguished personages, and several heads of States have conferred decorations upon him. “Ono conversation which I remember well,” said Colonel Sankey, in recounting his experiences, “was with the Kaiser. That was when I was vice-chairman of the County Council. He talked to me about education for about a quarter of an hour, and at the end I ielt he knew more about Loudon's schools than I did myself. Tho amount of his knowledge impressed me very much.” ■ One of Colonel Sankey’s first duties on behalf of tho city at the House of Commons was to do lobbying in support of tho Act for acquiring the Crystal Palace. Other private bills promoted by tlie corporation included the amalgamation of the City of London Court with the Mayor’s Court, the abolition of slaughterhouses, the improvement of Spitalfields market, and the rating of the property on the Victoria Embankment. “Under an Act of George 111. land reclaimed from the liver between Blackfriars and the Temple was exempted from rates,” said Colonel Sankey, “ancl it was thought it had been exempted long enough.” ESCAPE OF MANY CHURCHES. Setting forth the city’s objections to the City Churches Measure, Colonel Sankey sent a written statement to every member of Parliament, besides personally canvassing as many as possible. ‘ Had that measure been carried, any church might have been destroyed, even St. Paul’s itself,” said Colonel Sankey. “It was like asking for a blank cheque. Churches would have been marked out for destruction, not because of redundancy, hut because of the great value of their sites.” “Ono of the biggest Royal functions was on July S, 1918,” said Colonel Sankey, “when the silver wedding of the King and Queen was kept and they received an address at Guildhall. On that occasion 30 members of the Royal Family were present. For the big Guildhall luncheons about 800 invitations are usually sent out, and 920 for tlie great banquet on Lord Mayor s Day, when the guests overflow into two extra rooms.”

Colonel Sankey recalled that on ono occasion ail aggressive foreigner called on him and asked point blank for an invitation. “But what is your qualification ’’ asked Colonel Sankey. “Here it is,” said his visitor, and he held up five £5 notes. .“I told him that was no qualification in this country, whatever it might bo in his own,” added Colonel Sankey. A WAR-TIME SERVICE. In the early days of the war Colonel Sankey asked leave of the corporation to go on active service and obtained it. “But I was over GO and tho War Office knew it,” lie added. “So I had to be content to command tho West London brigade of volunteers. That brigade sent 10,000 men to tlie front and we received the thanks of tho War Office for our services. Wo dug trenches on the eastern side of London for defence in case of invasion. We had two •mounted squadrons, tho only mounted volunteers there were.”

Colonel Sankey also commanded for some time a division of 750 special police with whom he was on duty during many of the air raids. “I estimate that I was under one German machine for half an hour during one of the early raids,” said Colonel Sankey. “Our guns could not hit it, and the German airman was probably laughing at their attempts.”