JUBILEE PROCESSION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 303, 22 November 1937, Page 2

JUBILEE PROCESSION

AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS. MAGNIFICENT FLOATS. Batlied in bright sunshine, -the Diamond Jubilee procecsion to the Showgrounds on Saturday presented a spectacle which will be long remembered by the many thousands who witnessed it. Ingenuity, perfect taste and a command of materials were combined in many of the floats to make magnificent presentations, and in the representation of the changing of the years from six decades ago .various old-time vehicles presented a striking history.

The order of the procession was as follows: The Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs A. E. Hansford); contestants in the inter-house lad.es sports; a bullock wagon ami a Maori canoe, sledges; members of the City Council and their wives and Mr J. Hodgens, meml>er for the district; oldtime horse drawn vehicles, equestrian groups, cars of former days. Friendly Societies, commercial and industrial displays, decorated cars, juvenile displays and tableaux, decorated motor cycles, push cycles, tricycles' and perambulators and pedestrians in fancy costumes. The procession was under the guidance of, Shaff-Sergeant-Major j. Ryan and Mr H. J. Smith (city traffic manager). FEATURES DESCRIBED. Following the Mayor and Mayoress’ car, with the Palmerston North Garrison Band leading, playing swinging miisic, came the eleven inter-house girls’ teams, presenting a striking picture as they marched ill step mid wheeled with precision at the corners. The costumes were eminently suitable and the group depicted admirably feminine youth, beauty and physical fitness on parade. Each party was. headed by its instructor, carrying a banner. The City Council members cars were followed by Messrs L. Burling mid D. iScott’s bullock team from Aokautere. drawing a canoe mounted on an old-time wagon, the canoe carryying its full complement of Maori warriors under the leadership of Mr R. Carkeelc (Rangiotu). A decorated sledge gave a touch of the past .also, and Roman chariots and Roman soldiers driving beautiful greys formed a striking picture. Buggies a.nd traps, not to mention a pack horse, again typified the advance of the years and then came a group of mounted sol-, diers, representing the Legion of F rontiersmen, Mounted Constabulary, the Rough Ridera of the South African War mid mounted units in the Great War. Further horses, one ladv rider being on a side saddle, depicted the past/and the present on horseback. OLD CARS. ...

Bought at the Paris Exhibition in 1898, a Benz car of 1895 was running well as it carried its .two fancy dressed occupants, in top hats, round the Square, and there was accompanying it a De Dion Bouton car of 1907, also carrying passengers in garb of long ago.* Two “penny-farthing” bicycles wended their way here and there with the procession, and a tandem machine, all three being decorated, added to the pageant. Ex-Palmerston North - R’fte Volunteers, 1879-1912, about 30 strong were led by two men in the scarlet ceremonial dress of English standing Army regiments. As mi offset- to the old ears a little earlier in the procession, the latest in motor trailers and caravans provided a striking contrast, and nearby were two Automobile Assoovition cars, from the Manawatu and Wanganui Associations. Of the decorated cars there were many. All the arts of illusion and beautification, were employed in making some of them, outstanding exhibits, and their number and the standard set did credit to all who had entered. The trade displays were numerous and of a high standard, that entered by Messrs Collinson and Cunninghame bein'* deserving of special mention. "Shasfes of green, heliotrope, purple and cerise combined to make the float a magnificent presentation. Mounted on a large motor-lorry chassis, the whole 'was arranged in small terraces from the main decking, each rising toward a central platform- Deep green “skirts” concealed all the lower portion of the float, and 500 paper flowers, made by the school children, marked the edgings of the whole design. Across the rear was a background, purple on one side , and cerise on the other: Five girls attired m heliotrope organdie, with. ' picture hats and baskets of flowers, with one of the girls attired in the mode of 60 years ago, presented a most creditable picture. The Commercial Travellers’ Association float caused much amusement, especially for those who know the representatives of various houses who visit Palmerston North. Girls in male attire, with dark glasses to add to the disguise, made merry at the expense of many whom they knew; they were each bearing a placard, .showing “his” identity. The Lodges were well represented. Court Manawatu, Ancient Order of Foresters, included on tlieir lorry, the decorations of which we*e on 1 in greenery, not only Robin Hood, but Friar Tuck in all liis geniality. Little John, Maid Maran and “Truth” and “Justice.” Another entry showed M.U.1.0 O F. as the .balance between “up” and “down.” Gigantic scales weighed the lodge members high; seated in the opposite end of the scales were some who were not so fortunate as to belong to such a lodge. They were “down.”

The Druids’ Lodge was also in the procession with a prominent placard on their display showing the great age of. the order. Three horse-drawn floats made a most pleasing picture.

THE FIRE BRIGRADE. The part played in the profession by the Palmerston North Fire Brigade created considerable favourable comment. Typifying the progress mode in the city’s fire-fighting apparatus through the last half-centnrv, this portion of the pageant was led bv the earliest pump used by the brigade. This interesting relic, which was first employed in 1983, was proudly mounted on a wheelbarrow; Next came the Kind reel pulled bv members of the hr'eade. This machine dates back to 1900. Following it was the ladder motor —Urn first to be used in Palmerston North —which 00-nmenccd its active commission in 1912. and is still an integral part of the brigade’s equipment. Bringing up the rear, and fully manned as an air raid protection unit, ppme the station’s most modern machine, rmrchased aljout thr°e years ago. Adding a touch nf_ realismi. the men wore gas masks, while part o' 1 the apparatus carried was a foam-making branch 'pip 0 . The whole unit, which v.*as under the command of DepntySuperintendent J. W. Hepburn, presented a very smart appearance. CHILDREN’S PART. The Junior Division of the Municipal Librafv .entered three lorries, all carrying children in fancy dress and on one a “pirate ship” with fierce buccaneers therein. The staff of an engineering works had constructed a most ingenious battleship whose tin guns crackled and echoed at explosions within, while officers and crew

A motor-boat m white, brought by Mr S. Ward, a decorated motorcycle in the form of a speed boat, complete with “glassed-in” cabin, representations of their style of business from a great number of firms all added to the attractiveness. Messrs Coles, Ltd., entered a float in yellow, orange, silver and white with the Pall merston North Aceordeon Band playing popular melodies, while a little girl made a winsome “Music Hath charms.” “The Precious Years,” to be presented next week, was ;not forgotten, and Girl Guides and Boy Scouts also had their place, while not a little amusement-was brought by a “horse” of the stage type which capered and a rJf p ' f °^ eGde ; l ha PP>ly along. J\ot a little of the charm of the procession was created bv the large entries of children’s bicycles, tricycles permabulators, and carte. AIL in fancy dress, the young folk added their touch to the pageant of , Palmerston North s history 3he four bands of the city also added their, measure of assistance, for in addition to the Garrison Band there were on parade the City Silver Band, the Salvation Army Band and the Manawatu Scottish Socio.ty s Band.

To all w ho. took part in the procession redounds the greatest credit Had the v' lole been going round the Square at once., the'beginning would have overlapped the end, and it demonstrated again the spirit which has carried the city through its sixty years to the present jubilee. -