PRINCE’S VISIT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10560, 10 April 1920, Page 8

PRINCE’S VISIT

THE DECORATIONS SCHEME SUCCEEDS THROUGH GENEROSITY OF BUILDERS. Tho adjourned meeting of the Prince of Wales Decorations Committee was resumed yesterday afternoon. Mr A. A. Corrigan presided, and there were tit teen otners present. 'xno chairman welcomed Mr M. ACaT, who repi eaeuted the Commercial travellers’ Ldub. . Air Corrigau said that since the ja«. meeting the comnmteo had done veiy well, and the success ot the scheno of decorations was now assured. the thrusand masts, which at first "Oiu supposed to be quite unprocurable, had b-en provided by noon on the day the was made AH the builders who were approached mot the committoo liberally, ouch offered so many musts aud the labour, to do a ««uoii ot the route The most they wou-d expect m tho way ot remuneration would be payment for depreciation ot the masts. This seemed to get ovei tho great difficulty they had W> begin with. There was some tala ot having to adopt a muddied Scheme, hut » teemed to him tuat any iuoaitica,ion would be quite useless, aud they could congratulate tlm-mselVcS tuat owing the goodness : of tho builders ot " ethngtou,- luo original .-.cnenio could go lunvard. The committee had met the cads of Government departments whose 'buildiugs lay along the route, an a tney im-u agreed -o' tail m wiuu the commute s p-an* nrrang©meiiis. Aiiogouher the comnni/toe k aa been vc i> sacce&biui ana Uwro wub no reason now why things bhonld not go unead. it wuuid now soem Lhat ptjsu thing lo uo was to roiegtuo tiiv work co sub-woiuuiitueeo. At hud oeeu eugg-sied that the lour or hve mi lev or greenery which was to be o.tung on Tjpes along the routes scoum -e looked to by a commntee or radms, cico that the echio.c should -axe hand in the ma.ier. ine ch.iirmau leni.ivaed that- u had been said that some people were uuiiwire that a previous lueem.g about ito be. held. The fact, was, however, that the two previous meetings !»ad been advertiser and the preseu« was an adjourned meeting, .Air L. AicKenzi© said tho Ha-room Board was agreeable to the route suggested by the committee. WHAT Ob' NEWTOWN ?

Air J Castle thought that > T owto*u should receive some' consideration. Some of the money should be pm aside for decorating the principal thoroughfares of rhat suburb.^ The chairman said the question was largely -one of expense. Mr Castle said Newtown was piepared to do the decorations itself, but thought it would ht beltci if-the committee adopted Newtown as it had adopted othir portions of the city. Ho believed that if Newtown wore helped it would help the committee. Air L. AlcKenzie moved that the Wellington South Progressive Association be elected a auh-coinraittco of tho m:in committee, and that the chairs man of that body be. a member of the executive; also, that a report on the subject raised by Mr Castle be made to next meeting, Air W. Sim seconded. The motion was carried. COST OF THE SCHEME. Mr Page said that originally it was thought the complete scheme would cost £2440. He had revised that estimate and had arranged for the masts to bo 30ft instead of 24ft apart/ and now he set the total cost down at £3470. As they were to get the masts now practically for nothing it meant chat they could deduct the cost of 1000 poles at 15s each. A member of the committee: How much money have we? The answer was £SOOO. Dther members said that the committee could not reckon on the wholn *SOOO. There would be other calls on tho amount. Finally it was reckoned that there war. about £3500 at the disposal of the committee. Air AlcKenzio said the City Council was giving £2OOO. the Harbour Board £SOO, and the £ for £ subsidy of the Government would total £2500, making in all £SOOO. Mr T. Forsyth said that the electric lighting probably would cost SSOO and the children would want another £SOO.

Mr McKenzie said Sii Francis Bell had said that the Government would look after the children entirely. The Mayor, who arrived at this stage, said he was pleased to hear of the progress the committee had made. Me did not think the people should be called on to contribute to the cost of the reception directly, but that the work should bo done by the bodies which represented tho people. He thought it would he a good idea to go in extensively for the use of New Zealand scenery instead of using so much hunting. Me thought they could go too far in tho matter of expense, and the visit was a very short one. _ He would be prepared to ask the Oitv Council for another £I.OOO if £SOO of it wore given to tho Education Board to ho used for the children. Me thought every school child should ho presented with a souvenir of the occasion. If the committee wanted an appeal to the public made, ho would make that appeal, but his personal judgment was against that idea. WHICH STATION?

It was remarked that tho Government had done very handsomely as far as the children were concerned —they were going to transport them, feed them, and give them a flag each. On the motion of Mr H. D. Bennett it was then decided to adopt and proceed with tho original scheme. The following were appointed a subcommittee to carry out the scheme: — Me.rcrs Page. TVrn. Fletcher, Morton, W. S ; m, K. Luke, Patterson, and Watt. ft was agreed to provide Newtown with £3OO on the understanding that it was to ho spent on decorations and not on labour. Mr Page; I might say that this work was started yesterday. It had to bo to get it through The Mayor thought there was nothing in tho idea that the Prince could not be brought to Lamhton station. They should go to the Minister fot Railways, and he would he pleased to head a deputation. THE ROUTES. Mr J. Hislop submitted tho following route of travel programme, which was adopted:—At 6.50 o’clock on tie night of arrival the Prince will travel

via Cuba street. At 9.20 next morning, coming to the Town Hall via Courtenay place; at 10.20 he returns to Government House via Cuba street; he travels back to tho Government luncheon at 1.30 via Courtenay place; returns to Government House at o p.m. via Cuba street; at 11.30 next morning goes to Parliament Buildings for tho children’s demonstration via Courtenay place and returns via Courtenay place; at 12.50 leaves Government House for Petone via Courtenay place and Bunny street to tho Renown at tho King's wharf, or if the weather is bad by train to Petono; in tho evening he returns via Courtenay place, and when he goes to tho hall in tho evening ho travels via Courtenay place: when he leaves next morning he travels via Courtenay place. Manners street, "Willis street, aivl Lnmbton quay and the railway station 1 Mr J. Ellis moved that the stringing of ropes with greenery bo left to the school children. This was carried.

THE MHORI CAMP 6000 MAORIS EXPECTED. Sir W. H." Herries (Minister for Native Affairs), who arrived in Wellington yesterday morning from Rotorua and tho north, informed a “Times” reporter that the _ arrangements for tho Maori camp being formed in Rotorua in connection with the forthcoming visit of tbo Prince of Wales were ail proceedings satisfactorily. The indications were that some 6000 Maoris were likely to-take part in the camp, or rather more than participated in a similar function when King George V.. then Duke of York, visited the Dominion. RECEPTION AT SAN DIEGO. REMARKABLE’CEREMONY AT THE STADIUM.

Australian an.l -N . /(. Cable Association. SAX DIEGO (CAL.), April 8. The seme at the Stadium, during the visit of the Prince of Wales, was won* derful. Around the immense open-air theatre were tiers of seats, containing many thousands of people. The Prince, with the Governor and the Mayor of San iJiego, and followed by a procession of cars, drove around the racing track, which was lined by American soldiers and sailors. A large pavilion at the end was profusely decked with flags, and was equipped with an electric megaphone, through which the Prince spoke. The conditions wore sufficient to daunt the most experienced speaker. When the Prince rose, squadrons of airplanes went booming along close overhead, and cinema operators concentratrated on him at close quarters, but he did not flinch at the ordeal. Ho talked carefully chosen phrases of warm appreciation into the megaphone, which sent has words reverberating to all sides of the Stadium.*

In the evening the Prince attended a dinner given by the Mayor at the Coronado Hotel. Five hundred guests were present afterwards at a brilliant balk DETAILS OF THE~WELCOME. IMPRESSIVE AND DRAMATIC SCENE. SAN DIEGO (California), April 7. A squadron of eight American naval seaplanes flying in formation like a fllock of wild ducks, came out of the morning mist to greet the Re nown off San Diego to-day. Far ahead a flotilla of six destroyers swept down and parting into two lines, took up positions, three on each sido of the battle-cruiser Next came fourteen military aeroplanes, manoeuvring with beautiful precision, directly averhead. It was a most impressing, and dramatic reception. The Prince was on the bridge of the Renown at an early hour and was immensely interested and pleased. The Renown saluted the American -flag with gun-fire and the shore batteries replied. San Diego is an important destroyer and aircraft base for th* American Pacific Fleet .which was represented by the flagship New Mexico. Admiral Wells Base Commandant, ViceAdmiral Williams, ActingjComman-der-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, and Captain Williard, of the New Mexico, boarded the Renown and was received by the Prince and his staff, who afterwards returned the call and lunched on the Now Mexico. • . The Prince made an official landing at San Diego in the afternoon and received a tumultuous welcome from a gathering of citizens, the Hon. William Stephens, Governor of California. and Mayor Wilde, of San Diego, leading the proceedings. Gathered near the jetty were 75 _ _ British war veterans who weie domiciled in California and rushed to the war at the outbreak, abandoning their required American nationality, also a number of Canadian soldiers and two Australians. Veterans of former British wars were also present, including one from the Indian Mutiny. The Prince on landing shook hands with the veterans, and amid scenes erf intense enthusiasm a procession of motors, drove to the immense stadium, resembling the Roman Coliseum and holding 50,000 people. Governor Stephens, Mayor Wilde, and other officials welcomed • the Prince, who replied through an etcc-trically-operated megaphone, termed the “Magna Vox.” making every word audible to tno whole audience. The Prince expressed thanks for th» most cordial welcome. San Diego was the first part of the American West ho had visited. He was very proud to be greeted and escorted by the destroyers and aeroplanes, and was much delighted with California. Ho was especially interested in meeting so many British war veterans.

'Mr Carnegie Ross. Consul-General at San Francisco; Mr G. D. IT. Gerard. Consul at San Diego; and Commodore Charlton, British Naval Attache, took a prominent part in the welcome proceedings.