EMPIRE DAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14212, 13 May 1908, Page 2

EMPIRE DAY.

CELEBRATION ON MAY 25. A meeting- of citizens, convened by the Mayor (Mr J. M'Donald), was held in tlie Town Hall last night to determine wbat steps should be taken in Dunedin to celebrate Empire Day (lo be observed on Monday, May 25). About 30 gentlemen wore present. j Tho Major said ho had called tho mooting in compliance with tho wish of I the City and Suburban School Committees' Association. Ho remarked that as the 3rd of Juno was rcoognisod as a holiday throughout tho Dominion it was hardly possible to declare" a holiday on Empire Day. Mr G. Moir suggested that the celebra'Hon should take tho form that was observed on last Empko Day, with, tho difference that the proceedings should be considerably curtailed in the interests of the children. Last ycair the young people asscm.bled in the Triangle, and afterwards marched to tho Fallen Soldiers' memorial and the cemetery. He moved that a committee be set up to carry out a demonstration on tho lines of that of last year. Mr G. C. Israel seconded tho motion. Some visitors to Now Zealand, he said, had remarked thai our Imperial sentiments were skin-deep, and ho was afraid there was too much truth in the assertion. Mr J. Waddoll Smith introduced to tho meeting Colonel Loveday, tho officer com- , manding the School Cadets of the j Dominion. I Colonel Loveday, who was welcomed by j the meeting, gave a brief address on the progress of the Cadet movement in tho Dominion. He approved of a field day for tho Cadets, with one force, attacking tho city and the other defending. The weather at this time of the year, however, was often unfavourable, and it would bo well to postpone any turn-out of the Kind until tho weather improved. When the Cadet movement was started by hirn in 1902 there were 4026 members, and now there are 15,000. Dunedin, ho remarked, had been a "shining light" in the Cadet movement. Tho motion was agreed to, and tho following committee was appointed:—The Mayor of Dunedin, Mr A. R. Barclay, M.F., Lieutenant-colonel Smyth. Major Murray, Major J. W. Smith, Captain Macdonald, Chief Inspector Goy.en, Cr Tapley, Cr Dole, Messrs G. 0. Israel, J. Loudon, J. H, Wilkinson, W. J. Moru'U, and ti. C. Baker (secretary), with power to add to their number. Tho Mayor suggested that on Empire Day citizens should woav a small piece of red, white, and bluo ribbon, and, where possible, ltoitt flags on their business premises and private residences, also on tho shipping. A general discussion followed. Mr W. Scott said tho executive of the School Committees' Association was opposed to a fictdl day. It was risky to take boys out of town on the hills, perhaps* in cold, wet Weather. He thought it would bo well to have a celebration of a fitting kind under cover, say, in the Garrison Hall. Lieutenant-colonel Smyth advocated a demonstration of a ceremonial nature for the Cadets. A member of a school committee said his committee had decided that tho boys of their school should lako no part in any field day at this time of the year. Mr J. W. Smith said a meeting of officers held on Saturday decided that there should not be a field day at present. .Mr J. Loudon, referring to a remark made by Mr Israel, said that tho Imperial sentiments of tho pooplo of New Zealand wore not skin deep; they were strong, and the world kno\v it.—(Applause.) The Mayor wild ho would do all he could to assist Colonel Loveday in holding a field day of the Cadets in the summer time if it was considered desirable. A letter was read from the secretary of the Flag Interchange Committee of tho British Empire League in Australia, in reference to a flag exehango between'public schools in different part of the world. The course followed was this • On a Union Jack wo.s fixed a strip of linen with an inscription, such as "From tho children of Aberdeen, N.S.W., to Aberdeen, Scotland, 1903." Dunedin and Edinburgh -would exchange greetings.—The letter was recoived with considerable enthusiasm. A meeting of the committee was held subsequently, tho Mayor in the chair. The following items were agreed tjitoh : — Ceremonies to take place at tho respective school in the morning; Demonstration by school Cadets at, the Tri?.nglo at 2 p.m.. where the Mayor and Lieutcnant-colonel Smyth will- address tho. Cadets, and Empire flag will bo hoisted, • March to Troopers' Memorial in the' southern .Oval, where wreaths will be laid and bugles sound tho "Last post." Rev. D. Dutton will briefly address the Cadets. Citizens to be asked to wear badge of red, whito, and bluo on the day, and to display buntin'-. That Colonel Loveday be asked to take charge of tho Cadets on the occasion. Tho Garrison Band will be in attendance. It was also resolved to ask tho consuls resident in Dunedin, representing foreign countries, to attend in uniform. Tho matter of oxehanfins- a Union Jack lwtwcen Dunedin and Edinburgh was left in the hands of tho Mayor, and it was agreed that on Empire Day next year the flag from across the seas would form a very interesting oxhibit.