CAPPING PROCESSION INCLUDED NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING FLOATS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27078, 12 May 1949, Page 6

CAPPING PROCESSION INCLUDED NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING FLOATS

The scene in the city streets was reminiscent of a Mardi Gras yesterday as hundreds of costumed students held their annual Capping.. Procession. The students seem fated to meet the bleakest of weather on such occasions and yesterday was no exception, but thousands of citizens thronged the streets to enjoy the fun. Few features of public interest missed boisterous interpretation in the long line of floats, and several of the major items were outstandingly good.

Heralded in traditional style by the capping band—more musical than of yore—the procession was led by “ Sir Charles’s Cercus.it a caged and roving mixture of extraordinary animals. These included an elephant with a delicate lion, turtle and a cage full of assorted apes. The zoological motif was repeated in the covey of “Fraudland” denizens —a parent notornis and its chicks such as Dr Orbell never dreamed of in his wildest nightmares. The activities of the recent scientific expedition to the southwest were also reflected in some of the other floats. < The papier-mache zoo had another monster recruit in the form of Arana Hall’s prize-winning camel—the students’ suggested solution of the city’s recurrent water shortage, with an escort of Arabs thrown in for good measure. It was appropriate that the camel should tower, sphinxlike, over a strong detachment from a Roman legion, complete with standard bearers, and chariot-riding captains. The costumes of this group were particularly impressive and emphasised the tremendous amount of work which must have been put into the procession as a whole. There have been few years in which more detailed designing has gone into the main floats, and

was still able to deliver a vehement exhortation to the citizens to divest themselves of loose change on "St. Capping Day.” Female students had done an excellent job earlier in the morning in selling,immunity badges to people in the streets, and still more by means of a house-to-house canvass in the

even the intermediate floats and the costumes of the collectors gave the same impression. There was, however, sympathy available for the sponsors of one float who had added placards to express with candour their attitude: “We know this float is not much good, but we’re too cold to care.” A perambulating volcano belched smoke and occasionally, rather disconcertingly, flame as it trundled along, while the Dental School’s experiments with a high-speed drill were conducted with gusto on a protesting patient. Communism and its protagonists were the butt of a considerable amount of pointed and often ribald humour, while betting shops, broadcasting,. miners and various local medical practitioners were not forgotten. The student pipe band, its members wearing anything but the customary headgear, wheeled at the Octagon and stood by for the return of the official party in the inevitable ancient cars which seem to be kept in cold storage for capping from year to year. This vear’s official party comprised, according to their introductions from the balcony of the Municipal Chambers, Sir Donald Cameron. Sir Laurence and Ladv Olivier, and Mr Anthony Eden. “ Sir Laurence ” was weathering the rigours of the southern climate in a cumbersome suit of armour, but

nearer suburbs. The badges did not prevent the hundreds of tin-bearing collectors from reaping a rich harvest of small change to swell the funds of the Crippled Children Society, and they appeared to meet with a liberal and ungrudging response. Their drive was continued at the Market Reserve in the afternoon, while roving bands of collectors invaded various offices in the city in search of contributions. A more detailed inspection of the procession animals was afforded at the Market Reserve in the afternoon, when a function described as a Roman holiday entertained thousands of people who crowded the bank behind the ground and surrounded the arena. Clowns, strong men and gladiators performed for the edification of the audience, while chariot races and burlesque battles added to the gaiety. By nightfall isolated bands of costumed students were still roaming the streets, some taking advantage of the free refreshment offered by various establishments. They were tired but triumphant in the knowledge that the cause which they had aided by their collection had been worthily assisted through their efforts.