PROFITEERS' PARADISE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23057, 7 December 1936, Page 12

PROFITEERS' PARADISE

CORONATION PROCESSION

A profiteers' paradise has been severely circumscribed by the announcement of the unusually long route to be taken by King Edward VIIFs Coronation procession on May 12, 1937, says the New York Times. Seats for royal pageants have long been a great source of revenue for London's opportunists, but with both sides of a six-mile route available there should be sufficient competition to keep prices within a reasonable range. This is made even more likely by the number of burned fingers caused by overcharging for seats at the jubilee. Hotels along the Coronation procession route were almost completely booked for next May even before the line of march was announced. A general agreement on minimum periods of reservation and increase in price above normal—about 30 per cent. —has been made bv the more important hotels. It has been estimated that there are 5000 ranking hotels in the metropolitan area with 250,000 bedrooms. Besides, there are 27 expensive hotels and about 250,000 more bedrooms available in rooming houses.

Decorations along the route give promise of being more elaborate than anything heretofore seen in London. Regent street, which has not seen a royal procession since King George drove along it in 1927, will be trimmed with red rhododendrons, blue cinerarias, and white marguerites.

Selfridge's department store on Oxford street, which spent about £IO,OOO on decorations for the jubilee, intends to spend about three times that sum on Coronation attire.

The pageantry of the jubilee was considerably hampered by King George's desire to. keep the ceremony as simple as possible. King Edward, on the other hand, while disliking pomp, is quite a showman in his own right, and is well aware that a stirring display will be invaluable in strengthening the sentimental ties of the Empire.' Although the Coronation takes place in London and lasts only one day, it is hoped that it will greatly stimulate Britain's tourist trade throughout the summer. It is only recently that the commercial value of tourists has. been recognised in Great Britain. ~