LYING IN STATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23618, 30 March 1940, Page 13

LYING IN STATE

60,000 PEOPLE PASS MR. FRASER SPREADS ENSIGN ANCIENT MAORI CEREMONY [PY TELEGRAPH SPEC TAT. R EPORTKnI AVELLIXGTOX, Friday i All day long, from seven o'clock this morning, when the main doors of Parliament House wore opened, reverent mourners passed the bier of the late Prime Minister as it lav in the vestibule of the building. In the first hour about :?00 entered and therealter the How of people waxed and waited, but never entirely ceased. During the latter part of the morning and in the afternoon thousands of housewives from every part of Wellington took the opportunity to pay their respects, with the result that for a period around lour o'clock a broad Queue stretched down the main steps and along the driveway almost as far as the Bowon Street boundary of the Parliamentary grounds. Ensign and Maori Mat In the evening great numbers of shoppers added their quota and the queue again stretched so far that those who entered it had to face half an hour or more of waiting, which they endured patiently, thus paying what was in its I quiet way a very high tribute indeed, j It was estimated that fully '15,000! people would pass in the course of the j day, making a grand total of about ' 60,000.

Members of the Cabinet gathered around the bier this afternoon and the acting-Prime .Minister, the Hon. P. I" raser, laid upon the casket a Xew Zealand ensign. Mr. K. T. Tirikatene. M.P., 011 belialf of the Maori race, placed a kiwi mat over the foot ami briefly addressed the dead statesman, saving that the mat was an emblem ol what had been done in olden days to shield the illustrious dead from contact with the'eartli. This ceremony recalled one performed in the same hall at the lying in state of the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massev, when a number of chiefs draped mats upon the casket and made mourning orations. The Colours of France

Among the wreaths around the bier was a conspicuous broad tri-colour ribbon bearing a gold-lettered inscription showing that the wreath to which it was attached was a tribute from the Government of France. The social hall, not far away, was filled with a magnificent display of flowers sent by organisations and indirepresenting every phase of the country's life. Some of the designs were symbolic, as. for example, an anchor from the Federated Seamen and a harp of white flowers from folk resident in New Zealand. All were carried out with extraordinary richness and variety of colour, especially red. which was chosen by some, but not all, Labour organisations.

THE MAIN FEATURES TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW A SCHEDULE OF TIMES The main features to-day and tomorrow associated with the funeral of Mr. Savage are as follows: — To-day 9 a.m. —Ten minutes' cessation of work throughout New Zealand as cortege leaves Parliament Buildings, Wellington. 10 a.m. —Solemn Pontifical Mass of Requicin, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland. 10.20 a.m.—Special funeral train leaves Wellington for Auckland. To-morrow 8 a.m. —Special train leaves Taumarunui in continuation of journey north. 0.35 a.m.—Train arrives Te Kuiti. 11 a.m. —Memorial services in churches. 11 a.m. —Train arrives Frankton Junction. 12.07 p.m. —Train arrives Huntly. 1.30 p.m. 'Onward.—Auckland streets on funeral route closed to traffic in succession, beginning with Beach Road and Customs Street Fast. 2 p.m. Onward. —Diversion of tram traffic from funeral route begins. 2.15 p.m. —Funeral train reaches Auckland station. 2.15-3 p.m.—Funeral procession from station to Karangahape Road bv way of Beach Road, Customs Street and Queen Street. 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. —Funeral procession continues by way of Grafton Bridge, Grafton, Newmarket and Reniuera. 4 p.m.—Powhiri ceremony by Maoris at Bastion Point, followed by burial service conducted by Bishop Liston. 7 p.m. —Memorial service, St. Matthew's Church. LOSS TO ELECTORATE AUCKLAND WEST LABOUR "GAVE HIM TO COUNTRY" The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the Auckland West Branch of the Xew Zealand Labour Party held la-t night: "The Auckland We«t Branch of the Xew Zealand Labour Party would like publicly to express its deep sense of loss through the death of our beloved Prime Minister, tho Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage. P.C. Apart I nun the efficiency, hiimanitarianism and vision he always displayed (as recognised throughout the world), the quality which particularly endeared him to us was that humbleness which made him accessible to all classes, both as a friend and advisor. Tempered with our great loss is the proud feeling that although he was claimed by and belonged to all the people of Xew Zealand, the Auckland City West electorate gave him to the country. Knowing our late leader so well we feel that the greatest tribute we could pay and the one he would most desire is to pledge ourselves to sustain and complete tho great humanitarian measures for which he laid down his life." The meeting expressed its thanks to Canon W T . W. Averill for his courtesy and thought in inviting branch officers and members to the memorial service in All Saints' Church to-morrow morning.

SERVICE IN CAIRO (Received March 20. 5.5 p.m.) CATRO, March 28 New Zealand troops will attend the memorial service to the late .Mr. Savage in Cairo Cathedral to-morrow.