DOMINION’S GRIEF

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 45, 22 January 1936, Page 8

DOMINION’S GRIEF

EXPRESSION TO QUEEN. LORD GALWAY’S MESSAGE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 21. The Dominion’s sympathy with Queen Mary in the death of the King has been expressed by the GovernorGeneral, Viscount Galway, in a cablegram addressed to the Queen at Sandringham : ••riie Government and peoples of New Zealand, with whom my wife and I s’eg to join, offer Your Majesty their most respectful condolences ana sympathy. The death of His Majesty ,is mourned by all classes. ' His magnificent example of devotion to duty and his carrying out of the highest conceptions of sovereignty havft left, a permanent mark in history and on the relations between this Dominion and the Mother Country. The hearts of all are grieving with Your Majesty in your overwhelming sorrow, and they pray that the knowledge that your grief is shared by the whole Empire may be a consolation.” The Governor-General has also sent the following cablegram to the Prince of Wales at Sandringham:-—“The Government and peoples of New Zealand with whom my wife and I beg to join, tender to Your Royal Highness the profound grief of all classes at the death of the King. His noble example of lofty patriotism will enshrine his memory lor all time. > May it please Your Royal Highness to convey to the members of the Royal Family the sorrowing condolences of the Dominion.” In order to attend to affairs of State arising out of the death of the King, Viscount Galway, accompanied by Captain Heber-Percy, A.D.C., left for Wellington by the Limited express tonight. His Excellency will go into residence temporarily at Government House, Wellington. A period of court mourning will be observed in accordance with advice which will be received from England.

It is expected the court will be in full mourning for six months and thereafter will remain in half mourning for a further period. MESSAGES FROM AMERICA. The sympathy of the United States' with the people of New Zealand in the death of the King has been expressed in a cablegram from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which was received by the Governor-General. The text of the cablegram which was sent from White House, Washington, is as follows: —“On my. own behalf and on behalf of the American people I extend to Your Excellency profound condolences upon the death of His Majesty King George, a ruler whose kindly statesmanshin lias set lip an example to the world.” His Excellency has sent the following cablegram in reply:—“On behalf of the Government of New Zealand and the people of New Zealand may I express, Mr President, our most grateful thanks for your kind message of sympathy on the death of our beloved King.” The Prime Minister lias received the following communication from Mr Cordell Hull (Secretary of State for the United States): —“I extend to you and the members of your Government an expression of my sorrow on the death of the King, whose passing is deeply grieved by the American peonle.” The Prime Minister despatched the following reply:—-“On behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand I desire very warmly to thank yon for your expression of sympathy on the passing of the King whose death is a matter of personal sorrow to the people of the Dominion.”

A Neiv Zealand Gazette extraordinary, bearing a thick black border, Avas issued this afternoon containing the announcement signed ’by Mr M. J. Savage (Prime Minister) “that the Government has received with profound sorrow the announcement of the death of His -Most Gracious Majesty King George V., on the evening of the 2Uth instant, 'just before midnight.” PERIOD OF MOURNING. REQUEST TO THE PEOPLE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Jan. 21. Ail official announcement savs that Government offices throughout the Dominion will he closed to-morrow (Wednesday), which' is to be observed as a day of mourning. Until the dose of the day of the funeral the blinds in all tlie Government offices are to be drawn. The Government offices will reopen on Thursday. A Government Gazette Extraordinary, bordered in deep black, contains a formal announcement of the death of the King, also intimations that all ministers of religion and all congregations are invited on Sunday next, and also on the day appointed for the funeral, to hold solemn services of public worship and mourning on behalf of the people of the Dominion. The New Zealand ensign, with a scarf of crepe attached to the flagstaff one foot above the flag, shall be displayed at half-mast on all public buildings till sunset each day and including the day appointed for the funeral. All ships in harbours are invited to display their ensigns at half-mast each day until and including the day of the funeral. All officers of the Government are enjoined' to wear mourning until further notified, and all other subjects arc requested to do the same in such manner as their feelings may direct. Generally Until after the day of the funeral it is enjoined that all festivities of a public nature be suspended, and oil that day all places of business and public entertainment shall be closed.

With respect to wearing mourning it is understood that it will be appropriate for ivonien and girls to wear a ldack rosette on the breast and men and boys a black ribbon on tlie lapel of the coat. The Minister of Employment (Hon. H. T. Armstrong) stated that relief workers ivho would normally be Avorking oil Wednesday and who are engaged on classes of work in respect of which holiday concessions are customarily granted will not lie required to work on Wednesday and will be paid as though they had worked. I n tho case of men whose relief earnings were supplemented by the employing-., authority payment of the amount of the employing authority’s contribution will be a matter for that authority’s decision. This statement applies to the bulk of relief workers. As far as the Government is concerned State activity will be suspended for the day and it is expected business houses will folloiv this lead. SORROW IN CAPITAL. “SPIRIT VOICE” TOLLS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Jan 21. A fitting tribute to the memory of Britain’s Sailor King sounded in Wellington when, at tlie request of the Internal Affairs Department, the Carillon Society had the five-ton Bourdon bell, “Reo Wairua” (Spirit Voice) tolled 95 times. The great bell tolled at one-

minute intervals, once for every year ! of His Majesty’s life. A three-minute interval was' observed, and the bell tolled once for every year of his reign, a total of 25.

The. news of the King’s death reached the passengers of the Cook Strait Airways machine bound from Nelson to Wellington half-way over the strait. Fliglit-Lieuteruint G. B. Bolt heard tho broadcast announcement over the machine’s radio set and communicated it to the passengers. Sir Henry Horton, chairman of directors of the United Press Association, to-day sent the following message to Her Majesty the Queen: — “The members of the Press Association of New Zealand respectfully tender tlicir heartfelt sympathy to Your Majesty and members of the Royal Family. His Majesty was eminent for righteousness and for loving service to his people.” The Mayor of Wellington (Mr T. C. A. Hi slop) lias sent the following message to the Secretary of State fpr tho Dominions:—“On behalf of the citizens of Wellington I desire to express their profound grief at the death of our beloved Sovereign.” . CHURCHES’ TRIBUTES. “In an hour of universal mourning for the passing of our beloved monarch, the Salvationists of New Zealand unite with all loving and loyal hearts in recording their appreciation of the gracious personality and distinguished reign of our late ruler.” said Commissioner Fred IT. Adams, Territorial Commander. “We bow to the Providence which permitted the Royal Family and the British Empire to sustain this heavy loss *hiul in tlie time of darkness and sorrow we lift nur hearts in gratitude to Almighty God for tho nobility of His Late Majesty’s life and character.”

Archbishop O’Shea, Metropolitan of New Zealand, who is presiding over the annual retreat of diocesan clergy at St. Patrick’s College, Silverstrenm, sent a message to the Governor-General expressing the grief of the Catholic people of New Zealand at the death of a great and good king and asking His Excellency to convey a message of sympathy from the Catholic people to the Royal Family. “The members of the Methodist Church associate themselves with millions of folk who to-day feel deeply that they have suffered a very great bereavement.” said Rev. Percy Paris, of Taranaki Street Wesley 'Church, speaking in the absence from Wellington of Rev. J. 11. Haslnni (president of the Methodist Church). “We humbly desire to _ add our sincere tribute to those which are being paid to the character, worth and work of our beloved King. There has never been a time when lie was not honoured and respected, not only because he was our sovereign, but because ho was a man of a deeply religious spirit, of a wise and thoughtful mind and of a humble and generous heart, bringing to the duties of his high office the habits and painstaking thoroughness which counted no work too difficult or tedious and no hours too long.” CHRISTCHURCH MOURNS. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 21. ihe whole city went into mourning as the newii of the death of the King became widely known. The Government offices in tlie city closed their doors and drew the blinds. Shops were closed throughout the city as soon as shopkeepers were advised ot the wish of the municipality, and all public and private offices and some of the bigger ousiness houses closed immediately on receipt of the news. Theatres closed promptly for the whole day and night and to-morrow. The Stock Exchange abandoned its afternoon call. Hotels dosed all over the city following a request from the Licensed Victuallers’ -association.

CITY IN MOURNING. SOLEMN ANNIVERSARY DAY. SPORTS POSTPONED. With the day proclaimed as one of mourning for tlie late King, residents or Palmerston North awoke to find to-day, instead ol being observed as tiie the customary Anniversary Day holiday, hushed in a Sunday-like quietness. Activities in the city were stilled at an early hour this morning. Grey, leaden skies seemed to emphasise the solemnity of the occasion.

Business houses in the city, when the death ol the King became known yesterday, displayed broad bands of mauve and black in Royal mourning, while the windows of several shops were appropriately dressed in exceedmgly good taste. Flags are flying at half-mast, Avitli the black pennant above, from all the principal buildings in the city. Prayers for the repose of the soul of the King were said at devotions ui St. Patrick’s Church, Broadway, last evening. There was a hutch larger attendance than usual at Holy Communion this morning in All Saints Church, where special sendees will be conducted on Sunday. Organised sports fixtures arranged for to-day were all postponed or cancelled, Aviiile the golf links at Hokowliitu were declared closed for the whole day. Bowling competitions Avere abandoned and the Manawatu Lawn J eimis Association’s district tournament postponed, probably until Saturday.

Picnics arranged by the Manawatu Scottish Society, Salvation Army Church of Christ and Baptist Sunday School were all postponed, also the motor-cycle racing to have been held at Park Road. . The Ashhurst race meeting will now be held to-morrow, while tile cricket match between the M.C.C., and Munawatu was postponed. The start of the JNeiv Zealand croquet championships at this centre has been postponed until to-morrow. Picture theatres in Palmerston North were closed to-day. and there Avill be no screenings to-night EXPRESSION OF GRIEF. At an interval in the presentation of tlie ’play “White Horse Inn,” at the Opera House, last evening, tlie Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) took the opportunity of expressing, the grief felt by tlie citizens of Palmerston North. “With the King’s passing, all members of the British Empire realise that the Joss is not merely a national one but a personal one,” said the Mayor. “The late King Avas a shining example of all that a true British gentleman could be. He was upright, just, sympathetic and fair. At all times his first regard was for the tvelfare of liis people, lie set an example to the whole world; an example that can be followed in all stations of life. On occasions of suffering and distress, none was more ready than he with sympathy and material assistance. Wo deeply and sincerely mourn liis passing.” A period of silence Avas observed at the close of the performance.