THE KING’S DINNER TO THE POOR.

New Zealand Mail, 27 August 1902, Page 58 (Supplement)

THE KING’S DINNER TO THE POOR.

THE MONSTER. ••FEED” OF THE HALF MILLION. INTERESTING PARTICULARS. NOTES BY OUR SPECIAL STEWARD (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 11. Last Saturday, the day of the King’s dinner to half a million of London’s poor, was an ideal day for picnicking iu the open. It was not quite so ideal for the stowing stewards of the feasts, who in a broiling sun and thickly padded uniforms had continually to flit between marquee and kitchen and marquee and beer barrel. Lincoln’s Inn was the scene of my activity, and a description of the dimier in the gardens of the inn will give some idea of the nature of the scenes that were taking place iu all the districts of London. At 11.30 a.m. about fifty of the “Devil’s Own” lined up in tho gardens, where there were also assembled a number of barristers in mufti and of lady helpers in airy summer attire. The two long pathways between the grass lawns were covered in by long marquess open at the sides. Down the full length of these marquees extended two long lines of tables, with benches at each side. Long strips of paper served as tablecloths, and places were laid for some 1500 of the ‘•submerged tenth.” For each diner there was the King’s mug. a plain white china beaker of no artistic merit, manufactured by Doulton and Co. On one side in a ribbon was the inscription "Tile King’s Coronation Dinner. Presented by his Majesty, E.R. YII.” On the other, surmounted by a crown profile, likenesses—save the mark—of the. King and Queen, with ‘■June, 1902.” in a ribbon below. These decorations were of a dirty grey-green colour, of the ’Made iii "Germany” order. Each guest was also provided with a knife, bearing the inscription, “Coronation, 1902. God Save the King. Lincoln's Inn," fork and spoon, the gift of some of the benchers, a plate of cold roast or corned beef, a hunk of bread and a couple of bananas. Between each two was a card with the Union- Jack and Royal Standard, and the Words of the National Anthem.

The guests were beginning to gather in Lincoln’s Inn fields when we volunteer waiters—beg pardon, stewards—were marched in file to the postern gate. Hasty and meagre instructions were given us, and then the constables adopted the policy of the half-open door and let in the King's guests in batches of ten. Each steward was given charge of ten, marched them to the far end of the marquee, showed them to their seats, and gave them instructions that they were not to fall to until grace had been said.

Our proteges were the poor of Holborn, and a motley crew they were: but only a small proportion were of the class for whom the dinner was really intended. By far the larger number of the diners were women, the charwoman class, of bounteous and bulging figure, aud the prim elderly party in a rusty black bonnet of the pew-opener genus having a fair number of representatives. There were some pale, ricketty shrimps of boys, who looked as if they had never had a square meal or a gulp of good sea breeze in their lives, a fair sprinkling of the docker, coster aud casual labourer class, a broken-down clerk or two in frayed frock coat, and an occasional Hodge from the plough: but the majority of the guests looked not only neatly but in some cases smartly dressed and in good condition both financially and physically. Neat clothes are by no means a sign of prosperity, as maany a black-coated and topbatted city clerk on the verge of starvation knows, and on such a unique occasion the good folks would naturally don their Lest to honour tlie King. But making allowance for this fact, a large percentage of the diners had an air of well-being about them that made it look as if the dinner were a reward for virtue rather than, a consolation for misfortune. A comparison of impressions with otaer steward-, lias satisfied mo

that the lack of poverty of the diners compared with the squalid appearance of many of the watchers at the gates 1 who were debarred from entrance was r one of the most striking features of , the Gargantuan banquet. In corrobora- . tion of my view I may quote the post- . card from my laundress apologising for :■ the non-delivery of my “wash,” a” all ; her employes had gone to the King’s . dinner. London laundresses are sure of . constant employment and good wages. : -Auy foreigner who went round half a . dozen dinners with tho view of seeing . something of London’s poor would have come away with the impression that the ‘submerged tenth” was a myth. "Covers had been laid” for 1500, but only GOO put in an appearance. My ten' were some of the early comers, and it was hard work to keep them from "tucking in” before the grace was said. I say. guvnor, when does cook-house bell sound ?” asked one burly porter in a husky voice. A voluble ex-soklier. who had been with Buller. and the cause cf whose poverty was apparent in his face, jumped up and said grace on 'liis own account, but the united remonstrances of two volunteers kept him in check. At last tho chaplain mounted a bench and pronounced the Lincoln’s Inn grace, and in a moment the GOO were feeding like one man, drenching their meat with the vinegar and Y orcester sauce provided, and helping themselves largely to the mustard, which had been mixed up in large tin buckets by the Holboru scavengers. Hotpotatoes u ere on the menu, and were to have been brought- out to us, but eventually volunteers aud ladies in waiting had to descend to the kitchen, where cooks were busy ladling out of a huge vat smoking potatoes of first-rate quality. The vegetable question being solved, the drink question became a burning one. Here it was a case of muddling through somehow.' Our instructions were that liquor was to be brought to the tables. However, in- • stead of having a long array of men : with jugs of beer and temperance drinks, only some half-dozen jugs had \ made their appearance by the time the . diners were finishing their meat. Cries j for something to drink became urgent. • In five minutes the one cask of ginger- \ beer. had given out. Three casks" of \ Bass’s and one of eider were laagered ( under the walls of the library, and they : were promptly besieged by the army < of volunteer waiters, each with two or ,* three mugs in hand. This absurd method of assuaging the thirst of the * droughty six hundred continued all through dinner. Very little considera- s tion was shown to total abstainers, who ] couldn’t obtain any non-intoxicant at all c until some ingenious spirit as a last re- t source turned on the water taps iu t the lawn and filled a jug or two with water.

There was a long interval after the meat course. Someone said plum pudding was-to follow, and that a cab had been sent- to fetch it, hut the vaguest ideas prevailed on the subject. Eventually plum puddings dici appear, and there was a plentiful helping for all, the guests turning their plates upside down for its reception. What struck me about the guests was their’ unselfishness. Aly ex-soldier, who had been so anxious for a frontal attack, distributed the junk of plum pudding placed before him with scrupulous fairness, and while each diner showed a natural desire for the-welfare of number one, all were ready to give the children and women preference and to call attention to the needs of their neighbours.

After phun pudding cajne packets of tobacco and cigarettes for the men aud chocolate boxes for the women and children, and there were many pleading appeals to the stewards to* -get me sonio ’baccy for my old man at home,” or “a spare mug for my little boy of seven, whom I couldn’t bring with me.” As there was plenty and to spare, in several instances one was able to eratifv these requests. Harmony followed. Vocalists, sentimental and comic, performed on the platforms on the lawns, on which pianos had been placed. At this moment the bugle .went, and the stewards had to fall in to act as a guard of honour to the Duke and Duchess of Connaught Royalty was preceded by the Alavor of Hoi bom in scarlet gown.-with the* Town Clerk m his wig. The Alayor made a few remarks to the diners, now clustered round the piano. The Dube visited each marquee in turn, feading the bulletin pronouncing the King out of danger, and expressing the King’s hope that his guests had enjoyed their dinner. Amid loud aud continuous cheering and fitful bursts of the National Anthem, the Royal party drove awav to the next, gathering, and after a song or ttfo more the dinner was at an ench and the guests departed iu the best of order and the best of.humours. Iu most eases the catering arrangements seem to have been fairly successful. if of a somewhat happy-go-lucky order. There were, however, °several instances of muddle aud disorder. Atone hall in Deptford, owing to some misunderstanding between caterer" and committee, no victuals at all were forthcoming, and the guests had to stay the pangs of hunger with rolls and mineral waters. The dinner in the Chelsea Hospital grounds was a ghastly failure. Eight thousand to nind thousand people were expected, and ladies and gentlemen were present to act as stewards, one to twenty-five expected guests. At 2 p.m. a rough mob, ex-

ceeding by some thousands those who

had a right to be present, rushed in. Chaos naturally followed. Scores of people wandered about complaining they could get nothing to eat. In one place stewards were ladling out with their hands tinned beef, which the poor abominate, while at another some selfinvited guests were stuffing pudding and viands into their pockets and calling for more. The potatoes were said to be black, and tho puddings and cakes mouldy. The beer ran short. Mothers with children at their breast gave the children nature’s drink in tho most unabashed fashion. Language was painful and free. “What, ’ave yer done with the money the King giv’ yer?” was yelled at the unfortunate and perspiring stewards. “Of course the lidies ate the good meat theirselves; the cats-meat was good enough for us!” was the thanks the lady waitresses got for their trouble.

A FEW FIGURES will , illustrate the magnitude of the feast. The list shows the boroughs and the number of guests entertained at each:—

The large:; gathering was that at Fulham, visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales, where 14,000 guests dined iu one marquee, within, which there were eight miles of seating and two and. a half miles of tables. Here is an estimate of the food consumed: —Aleat, 250,0001 b; potatoes. 200 tons; pudding, 125 tons; bread, 125,000 lb; chocolate, 560,000 packets; mustard, 20001 b; salt, 11,0001 b. This does not take into account, as far'as the meat is concerned, the quantity lost in the cooking. It was to start- with at least 300,0001 bof meat. There was quite a river of refreshments to wash down the edibles. Roughly, the following quantities were provided:—Ale. 36,000 gallons; cider, 7200 gallons; cider in bottles, 1200 bottles: limejuice cordial, 2500 gallons; lemonade, ' 320,000 bottles. The Imperial Tobacco Company gave 200,000 packets, containing six cigarettes and half an ounce of tobacco, are a few other in- ■ teresting items:—King’s cups, 515,000: ! plates, over 1.000,000; mustard potsand spoons, 28,000; salt cellars, 30,000: I tins of chocolate, 560,000. , <- An army of 1500 variety artistes, 418 pianists and 50 bands entertained the guests at the close of dinner.

Borough. The City Places. o Guests. j 1.300 ■ City of Westminster... 54 21.000 Battersea .... 51 16,920 Bermondsey 42 25.000 Betlmal Green... — 21,000 i Camberwell GO 30,000 j Chelsea 1 9,000 ! Deptford Finsbury Fulham 1 1 11,984 i 19,000 t 14,000 ! Greenwich 27 9,500 : Hackney — 24,000 : Hammersmith ... 23 12,000 j Hampstead 17 3,600 Holborn 25 10,000 1 Islington 70 40.000 I Kensington 34 10,000 I Lambeth 33 20,000 ! Lewisham 27 12,000 1 Paddington 20 6.500 j Poplar ... ••• 40 25.000 I Shoreditch 16 15,000 i Southwark *47 35.145 ■ Stepney ... '86 48.000 • Stoke Newington IS . 3,600 j St. Marylebone ••• 18 10,000 St. Pancras ••• 35 24.000 ! Wandsworth ••• 19,000 j Woolwich ... 23 10,000