THE KING'S DINNER TO THE POOR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4740, 23 August 1902, Page 4 (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 in the open. It was not quite so ideal for tho stewing stewards of the feasts, who in a broiling sun and thickly padded uniforms bad continually to flit between marquee and kitchen and marquee and boor barrel. Lincoln’s Inn was the scene of my activity, and a description of tbe dinner in tho gardens of the inn will give some idea of tho nature of the scenes that were taking place in all tho districts of London. At 11.30 a.m. about fifty of tiie “Devil’s Own” lined up in the gardens, whore 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 tbo full length of those 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 “The King’s Coronation Dinner. Presented by his Majesty, E.R. VII.” On tho 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 “Mado in Germany” order. Eacli 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 liunk of bread and a couple of bananas. Between each two was a card with the Union Jack and Royal Standard, and the words of tho 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 thcm_ 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, and the prim elderly party in a rusty black bonnet of the pew-opener genus having a fair number of representatives. There w'ero 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 and 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 moans a sign of prosperity, as maany a black-coated and tophatted city clerk on the verge of starvation knows, and on such a unique occasion the good folks would naturally don their best to honour the 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 other stewards has satisfied me that the lack of poverty of the diners compared with the squalid appearance of many of tho watchers at the gates who ivere debarred from entrance was one of the most striking features of the Gargantuan banquet. In corroboration of my view I may quote the postcard from my laundress apologising for the non-delivery of my “wash,” as all her employes had gone to the King’s dinner. London laundresses are sure of constant employment and good wages. Any foreigner who went round half a dozen dinners with the 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 600 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. guv’nor, when does cook-house [boll sound?” asked one burly porter in a husky voice. A voluble ex-soldier, who had been with Buller, and the cause of whose poverty was apparent in his face, jumped up and said grace on his own account, but the united remonstrances of two volunteers kept him in check. At last the 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 tho vinegar and Worcester sauce provided, and helping themselves largely to tho piustard, which had been mixed up in largo tin buckets by the Holborn scavengers. Hoi potatoes were on the menu, and were to have been brought out to us, but eventually volunteers and ladies in waiting had to descend to tho kitchen, where cooks wore busy ladling out of a huge vat smoking potatoes of first-rate quality. Tho vegetable question being solved, tho drink question became a burning one. Here it was a case of muddling through somehow. Our instructions were that liquor was to bo brought to the tables. However, instead 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 for something to drink became urgent. In five minutes the one cask of gingerbeer had given out. Three casks of Bass’s and one of cider were laagered under tho walls of the library, and they were promptly besieged by tho army of volunteer waiters, each with two or three mugs i-a hand. This absurd method of assuaging the thirst of the droughty six hundred continued all through dinner. Very little consideration was shown to total abstainers, who couldn’t obtain any non-intoxicant at all. until some ingenious spirit as a last resource , turned on the water taps in 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, but the vaguest ideas prevailed on the subject. Eventually plum puddings did appear, and there was a plentiful helping for all, the guests turning their plates upside down for its reception. What

struck mo about the guests was their unselfishness. My ex-soldier, who had been so anxious for a frontal attack, distributed the .iunk 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 plum pudding came packets of tobacco and cigarettes for tho men and chocolate boxes for the women and children, and there were many pleading appeals to the stewards to - ‘get me some ’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 gratify these requests. Harmony followed. Vocalists, .sentimental and comic, performed on the platforms on tho 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 Mayor of Holborn in scarlet gown, with the Town Clerk in his wig. The Mayor made a few remarks to the diners, now clustered round the piano. The Duke visited each marquee in turn, reading the bulletin pronouncing the King out of danger, and expressing the King’s hope that his guests had enjoyed their dinner. Amid loud and continuous cheering and fitful bursts of tho National Anthem, the Royal party drove away to tho next gathering, and after a song or two more tho dinner was at an end, and tho guests departed in tho best of order and the best of humours. In most cases the catering arrangements seem to have been fairly successful, if of a somewhat happy-go-lucky order. There were, however, several instances of muddle and disorder. At one 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 nine thousand peoj le 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, exceeding by some thousands those who h,ad a right to be nresent, rushed in. Chaos naturally followed. Scores of people wandered about complaining thev could get nothing to cat. In one place stewards were ladling out with their bands 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 the puddings and cakes mouldy. The beer ran short. Mothers with children at their breast cave 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 iidies ate the good’ meat theirselves: the cats-meat was good enough for usj” was the thanks the lady waitresses got for their trouble. A FEW FIGURES will illustrate the magnitude of the feast. Tho list shows tho boroughs and the number of guests entertained at each:—

Tho largo - gathering was that at Fulham, visited by the. Prince and Princess of Wales, where 14,000 guests dined in 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: —Meat, 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 cook.'-ig. 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; limejpice cordial, 2500 gallons; lemonade, 320.000 bottles. The Imperial Tobacco Company gaA j 200,000 packets, containing six cigarettes and half an ounce of tobacco. Here are a few other interesting items:—King’s cups, 515,000; plates, over 1,000,000; mustard pots and spoons, 28,000; £-dt cellars, 30,000; tins of chocolate, 560,000. An army of 1500 variety artistes, 418 pianists and 50 bands entertained tho guests at the close of dinner.

Borough. Places. Guests. The City .. 2 1.300 City of Westminster .. 54 21,000 Battersea .. 51 16,920 Bermondsey .. 42 25.000 Bethnal Green... .. — 21,000 Camberwell .. 60 30,000 Chelsea ... .. 1 9,000 Deptford .. 52 11.984 Finsbury .. 32 19,000 Fulham .. 1 14,000 Greenwich .. 27 9,500 Hackney .. — 24,000 Hammersmith ... .. 23 12,000 Hampstead .. 17 3,600 Holbom .. 25 10,000 Islington , ... .. 70 40,000 Kensington .. 34 10.000 Lambeth .. 33 20,000 Lewisham .. 27 12,000 Paddington ... .. 20 6.500 Poplar ... ,. 40 25,000 Shoreditch .. 16 15.000 Southwark .. 47 35,145 Stepney .. 86 48,000 Stoke Newington .. 1 3,600 St. Marylebone .. 18 10,000 St. Paucras .. 35 24,000 Wandsworth ... ,, — 19,000 Woolwich .. 23 10,000