PRINCE’S EMPIRE PUDDING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21530, 30 December 1931, Page 10

PRINCE’S EMPIRE PUDDING

TEN TONS OF INGREDIENTS THE MIXING CEREMONY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 24. The Prince of Wales’s Empire Christmas Pudding was formally stirred this afternoon by the Lord Mayor of London, High Commissioners, Mayors of London boroughs and others. The ceremony took place on the platform of the Royal Albert Hall under the glare of searchlights, and was recorded by kinema cameras for the benefit of those attending picture theatres throughout the Empire. Now that such ceremonies are seen by the millions they are worth doing well, and the new Lord Mayor, like his predecessor in office, thoroughly appreciates the importance—indeed, the paramount importance—of the cameramen, and he does his picture work with naturalness and zest. Total ingredients weighing 10 tons were represented on the platform by a ton of them in a large aluminium container. According to the official list the individual contributions to the pudding were: — United Kingdom: H tons of bread; 12Jcwts of minced apple. Canada: 15cwt flour. Australia; tons of currants, 1) tons of sultanas, tons of stoned raisins. New Zealand: 14 tons of suet. South Africa: 16jcwt of cut candied peel. India: }cwt of ground cinnamon, Jcwt of pudding spice. Irish Free State: 14,000 eggs, 400 gallons of old beer. British West Indies: 16cwt of Demerara sugar, 701 b of ground nutmegs. Cyprus: If gallons of brandy. Zanzibar: 701 b of ground cloves. Apocryphal information has it that the time available to arrange for these gifts was rather limited, and some of the dominions were not able to get all that was desired. The spirit was willing,-however, and it is enough to know there are no foreign ingredients. One interesting fact was revealed by one of the speakers. The High Commissioner for Newfoundland, having no produce of his country suitable for a Christmas pudding, remembered that the customary threepenny pieces had to be provided. Now Newfoundland has just minted a new currency, so Newfoundland’s gift was a bagful of newlyminted silver coins, which the High Commissioner of that dominion scattered over the materials and mixed out of sight. A USEFUL ORGANISATION. The occasion of the mixing was the Christmas Fair of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, an organisation not heard of, perhaps, so much as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, but doing equally good work in this country. Its purpose is to supply free veterinary attention to the working animals and pets of poor people, and a million animals receive treatment in a year. The officers of the society, in the course of their work, have come in contact with great poverty in the homes. At a committee meeting it was suggested that the society might do something to help these people. A Christmas pudding was suggested. “It must be big,” said the first member. “It must be very big,’’ said the second member. “It must be enormous,” said the third member. “ And it must be Empire,” chorussed the three enthusiastically. So was born the idea of the Prince of Wales’s Empire Pudding, a scheme to which the Prince himself gave hearty approval. The Army and Navy Stores have undertaken to boil the 10-ton pudding. When it is well and truly made it will be divided up into 21b puddings and sent for distribution among the poor and needy in the chief cities and towns of England and Scotland. ' NEW ZEALAND’S SLOGAN. A fanfare of trumpeters announced the arrival of the Lord Mayor The National Anthem was played when the procession om Mayors and Empire representatives came on to the platform. There were formal speeches of welcome and other speeches before the stirring ceremony. The High Commissioner for New Zealand was one of the speakers. “New Zealand,” said Sir Thomas Wilford, “loves to be associated with any movement which spells Empire. We are delighted to have the opportunity on this occasion to assure those who are associated with this movement that New Zealand is heart and soul with them. The slogan of New Zealand in regard to Empire is: ‘ Keep the money in the family.’ ’’ Both the Lord Mayor and other speakers described the scheme and the Christmas pudding as a symbol of Empire unity. New Zealand, with other dominions, was represented at the P.D.S.A. Fair (which lasts for two days) by means of a stall featuring butter, cheese, honey and tourist trophies. “ You get - your money back if you buy New Zealand produce. New Zealanders spend it in British manufactures,” were the words prominently displayed over the stand. An officer of the Publicity Department is on duty to reply to inquiries.