THE ROYAL VISIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11604, 19 March 1901, Page 4

THE ROYAL VISIT.

The arrangements for the reception of the Duke and Duchess of York have been advanced a step by the formation of the necessary sub-com-mittees and by the final declaration of the Government that in this matter the various cities of the colony must bear the necessary expenses ■without State assistance. This question of expense is necessarily of primal importance and should be settled as soon as possible. It is unfortunate that owing to the condition of tutelage in which New Zealand municipalities are held we are not in the % position of those great British municipalities which have the power to expend civic funds on great civic functions!. But as the Government has indicated its intention of exonerating civic authorities for exceeding nominal power of expenditure in connection with the Royal visit, we may assume that our City Council has, for this occasion, special financial power. It would certainly meet the general feeling of citizens if this special power were reasonably exercised. The calls upon private generosity during the past year have not only been utterly unprecedented, but have been most generously met by loyal and patriotic citizens. It is neither wise nor just to rely unduly upon private subscriptions in the fulfilment of public duties, for repeated demands gradually become a burden which presses heavily upon those most willing to share it. We all know that the burden of continually recurring and ardently-pressed sub-scription-lists is often severely felt by those who are imbued with a strong public spirit and recoil from seemingly ungracious refusal. It is therefore peculiarly desirable, on the present occasion, that the city itself should do its duty. Since this is not to be in any way a Government matter, we must make it a civic matter. The Premier has been kind enough to give us a great deal of advice, but since he is not going to give us any money we are most distinctly obliged to act under our own direction as to rely upon our own resources. This is the emphatic feeling of Auckland, as we are equally assured it will be of every other New Zealand city. A movement of this nature requires an official head and front, but it is obvious that the centre to which we should look is not the Premier and Parliament of the colony, but the Mayor and Corporation of our municipality. All we need ask of Government is to be allowed to discharge, without restraint of inadequate law, those civic dignities and hospitalities which otherwise will be thrown upon an informal organisation however much the formal authorities. of city and colony may appear as figure-heads. We trust that our City Council will meet the emergency in a dignified and worthy manner. The energy and generosity of private citizens will not be relaxed or found wanting if it is laid down that the reception of the Duke and Duchess of York in Auckland is a ceremony in which every citizen takes actual pai*t through our Corporation and that, while private subscriptions are welcomed to lighten the call upon the public funds, the financial responsibility will be assumed and the necessarily large deficit made good from the municipal revenue. This step, with the distinct understanding that those who find the funds alone control the expenditure of them, would be warmly welcomed by the present energetic committee and_ by citizens generally, and could excite no antagonism .among any who have the honour of our city and the credit of our colony equally at heart. It is most emphatically desirable that we should avoid from the commencement any diverse control or insufficient source of supplies, so that when it is all over we may look back:upon this great function with complete and unclouded satisfaction.