MERRY UNDERGRADUATES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10783, 3 June 1911, Page 4

MERRY UNDERGRADUATES.

CAPPING DAY AT AUCKLAND. (Daily Times Correspondent.) Auckland, June 2. University undergraduates, who for 3(?1 days of the year obey the sober laws of decorum, more or less, and in their leisure intervals "swat" for examinations. hold the odd day, yclept "Capping Day"' in the calendar of the college, sacred to themselves, and for such a day to pass without a demonstration of more or less youthful vigor would be to these embryo lights -of learning a sorry evidence of decadence in Auckland, ilereioforo the undergraduates have contented themselves with good-natured interruptions and parenthetic remarks and songs during th© august proceedings of degree-giving in the Choral Hall, but this year the spirit of budding genius moved them to Digger things in the shape of a parade through the city, interspersed with mock addresses along the route. Preparations had been afoot- for'some time, and about I o'clock this afternoon a triumphal procession left the vicinity of the alma mater at Parliament street, in tolerably line weather, and set off citywards, headed by what was facetiously "termed "the banned," drawn on a lorry by four line gre.v-s. Following "the banned" and its uproar came a motor car containing "Sir Joseph Ward."' "Mr Massey."' and a number of lesser political lights, the get-up having an much regard as circumstances would permit to physical characteristics, and the car being placarded with such inscriptions as "Ward, Massey, and Co., to say nothing of I'arr," and "We are the people.'' The "Scentsus" lorry had nest lionor, bearing a number of painted ladies and whiskered gentlemen labelled variously, according to the humor of the presiding wits, "Wellington, All Wind." "Christchurch, City of. Flats:" "Dunedin, Wants more Parritch." and "Auckland, the Fullblown Champion," being some of the pleasantries. The agricultural display appealed to the risibilities of the onlookers along the route by its quaint conceit, agriculture itself being by the portrait symbolised liv a sorry-looking cow.-whose tail was kept off by lustylooking young natives from swishing the milkers in the shape of land agents, produce exporters, lawyers, and sundry others. The A.l'.C. coffee palace on win-els came near a divorce from the procession altogether, for the horse that dragged this peripatetic restaurant showed a- disposition to walk out of the shafts. "The Prison Reform," "Pakatoa," "Military Training," and "Sheffield Choir" lorries were others which tickled the crowd hugely, while among the remaining displays were caricatures entitled "Law Display," "Wowser," and "Miscellaneous." which last term could in truth be applied to the whole-turn-out. Some of the makingtip showed ingenuity and originality, while the vocal energy shown by most of the students would have done credit to a zoo. At the Grev Statue a halt was called while several of the eminent politicals delivered speeches, the parade. ending rather hurriedly by way of the Choral Hall back to the University where the motley "rigs" assumed had to lie doffed in pretty quick time to enable the wearers to present themselves in more becoming garb at the Choral Hall. ■'