OFFICIAL CORTEGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 12

OFFICIAL CORTEGE

ESCORT OF SERVICES MANY MOURNERS STATE,,CHURCH AND PEOPLE Leading the cortege when the procession set out from the front of the railway station were the Papakura Camp Band and the escort formed of 50 officers and men of H.M.S. Achilles, representing the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy; GO officers and men of the 21st Auckland Battalion, New Zealand IJxpeditionarv Force, and 50 officers and men of the Royal New Zealand Air Force... The escort was under the command of LieutenantCommander H. G. A. Lewis, of H.M.S. Philomel. - The flag-draped casket was borne on an 18-pourider quick-firer, with trailer and field 'artillery tractor attached, mounted by six men of the Ist Field Cadre of the Ho.val New Zealand Artillery, and attended by eight pallbearers. comprising two representatives each of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Royal New Zealand Artillery and Royal New' Zealand Air Force. Before it went a cross borne, by Father P. McKeefrv, who was attended by a torch bearer on each side, and immediately behind it was a vehicle hung with official wreaths, many of which had been brought from Wellington by the funeral train. The Chief Mourners r Then began the long official cortege, Jed by the chief mourners, Mr. A. .1. 11 French. Mr. C. R. French and 'Mr. and Mrs. D. G. Alfi'ev, and comprehensive of the State, the Fighting Services, the Churches and the people. Behind Jho chief mourners were the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Eraser; the Premier -of Queensland, the Hon. W. Forgan Smith; and members of, the Cabinet, comprising the Hons. W. Nash, D. G. Sullivan, P. C. "Webb, F., Jones, W. JO. Parry, \\ . Lee Martin, R. Semple, F. Langstone, H. T. Armstrong, and H. G. 'R. Mason, with whom wore the Hon. D. A\ ilson. Leader of the Legislative Council, and Mr. D. R. Grenfell, M.P., representing the British House of Commons, the United Kingdom branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association, and the British Labour Party. Next came dignitaries of the Roman Catholic Church, headed by Bishop Listen. The vice-Regal car was occupied by Captain Lord Dormer, A.D.C., representative of the Governor-General, Viscount Galway. Torch bearers of the Roman Catholic Church preceded the wives of members of the Cabinet. Overseas Representatives Overseas representatives were Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the L'nited Kingdom, Dr. W. A. Iliddell, H : gh Commissioner for Canada, Mr. C. E. Critchley, Trade 'Commissioner for Australia, and Sir Harry Luke, Governor of Fiji. After them came representatives of the forces, Captain '< W. K. Parry, of H.M.S. Achilles; Captain H. M. Barnes, captain superintendent of the Devonport Naval Dockyard; Major-General J. K. JJtiigan, Chief of the General Staff; Colonel N. W. MeD. Weir, officer commanding the northern military district; Group-Captain H. t W. L. Saunders, Chief of the Air Stair; SquadronLeader G. L. Roberts, of Wheituapai operational station.. Next came former Prime Ministers of New Zealand, the Rt. Hons. G. VW. Forbes and ,J. G. Coates. Legislative Councillors were headed b.v the Speaker, the Hon. M. Fagau, and members of the House of Representatives by the Speaker, the Hon. \V. F. Barnard, and the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton. The Mayor of Auckland, Sir Ernest Davis, attended by the town clerk, Mr. J. Moiling, was at the head of Cit.v Councillors and a large number of representatives of cit.v nnd suburban and other local bodies from rnanj* parts of the Province. The Maori Race The Maori race was strongly represented by' its members of Parliament nnd their .wives and leaders of various tribes, some of whom were wearing choice native mats, and wRh them was associated Mr. CJ; E. MacCormick, Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, and other Judges of that Court. Leading other representatives of the Prime Minister's Department and Ministerial private secretaries came Mr. C. Al Berendscn, C.M.G., permanent head of the Prime Minister's Department, a,nd Mr. C. A. Jelfery, C.M.G., chief private secretary to the Prime Minister. A group of ex-members of Parliament was followed by the president of the New Zealand Labour Party, Mr. J. Roberts, its secretary, Mr. M. Moohan, the president of the Federation of Labour. Mr. A, McLagan, its secretary, Mr. F. Cornwall; the president of the New Zealand Workers' Union, Mr. R. Eddy, its secretary, Mr. A. Cook; and the president of the seamen's Federation, Mr. F. P. Walsh. At the head of members ot the Consular Corps was its dean, Mr. J. G. 'Groeninge'r. Consul for the United States, and after them came representatives of all the various churches. The Public Service in its various branches was represented by the Public; Service Commissioner, Mr. T. Mark, and a large number of heads of departments and other prominent officials. Trades and Labour Tribute . Trades and labour organisations, not only from the city, but from \\ hangarei to Hamilton, were naturally very full}' represented; among the leaders being Mr. J. Sayegh, representing the Auckland Labour Representation Committee, and Mr. F. G. Young, president of the 'Auckland Trades Council. I his opportunity of paying a last tribute <>l respect was taken also by representatives of the press, the judiciary, tlm British M f 'dipal Association, by such business organisations as the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Auckland Manufacturers - ' Association, by the Donjiuion Farmers' Union, by various sports bodies, branches of the* Peturnerl Soldiers' Association, a group of the Pi'ime Minister's former fellow workers, educational institutions, and other societies and institutions. An efficient system of numbering the ears enabled the whole of the arrangement of the procession to be conducted with smoothness and precision. The official cars numbered over 120, and they were followed from the station by about 80 private cars. At the slow pace adopted, it was nearly threo-quarters of an hour' before the last of the cars passed /the starting point of the cortege.

TEN MINUTES' SILENCE WORK IN CITY CEASES All traffic was halted and work in lactones and shops ceased in the city nt nine o clock on Saturday morning, wheir citizens observed ]() minutes' silence os a .marmot' respect to the late J rime Telegraph operating rooms, the telephone exchange and rail" way traffic also joined in the observance, which coincided with the departure of ,the funeral procession from Buildings in Wellington.