ROYAL WELCOME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26915, 29 October 1948, Page 6

ROYAL WELCOME

MAORIS’ PROPOSAL P.A." WELLINGTON, Oct, 28. A proposal for a powhiri, or official welcome, by the Maori people of Wellington to the King and Queen and Princess Margaret was put forward by a Ngati Poneke deputation to the Wellington Royal Visit Citizens’ Committee to-day. The plans were explained by Mr W. Smile'r. On behalf of the Poneke Tribal Committee, he asked that a powhiri be arranged to take place as the royal party drove away from the wharf at Aotea quay. A carved gate with palisading on either side to represent a fortified pa would be across the road and on either side of the road beyond it 300 to 400 people would receive the party with war cries. Mr J. T. Martin, chairman of the Citizens’ Committee, said the proposal seemed a worthy one. “To give the Maoris the right to meet their Majesties at the very start of the visit might be a wrong to the general public,” said Mr H. F. Stevens. The committee is to give an early reply to the proposal. Hotel accommodation in Wellington at the time of the royal visit is already difficult to find. This was stated at a meeting of the 'Wellington Citizens’ Committee by the convener of the Accommodation Sub-committee, Mr W. H. Britwhistle, who said 156 hotels private hotels and boarding - houses had been circularised and only 21 had replied. Of these replies, only two were “positive.”