ALL PACKED UP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14236, 2 March 1917, Page 4

ALL PACKED UP.

' LONDON, January 11. The Ministerial party liavo had then fc war experiences, ■ twice have they been s all packed up and nowhere , to. go.. Onct {during that suspense period when then cl ' return to New Zealand was m the bai ; j ance, and this week. - . „. At t c quarter to .12; On Tuesday I, called m tt I discover whero they were to pitch theii r tent, for at 12 o'clock, so said, thp Bri h .t^sh Government, which has got the com mapd^eripg habit now well developed c everybody must quit ! " All was hustle j and paiitechnicans, and the courtyard oi c ' the Hotel Cecil instead of a being a mcci a ' of lhe smartest taxis and cars m this c hub of the was given over t< le '^JindJle," and his kind m baize aproni d loading up the g vehicles. As ,1 write tljere is M^jAb «< ; news of where m all this overcrowdc. ir metropolis they may lay their heads, y ' Apart from New Zealand interest ii y it, the commandeering of the Hote ■ Cecil by the Air Board has caused . ie bigger upheaval than m any previoui [raid of the Government. The five hun 1- dred residents and visitors must go, an< ie some have been living there for 2( i years. During the war -the Cecil houses

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm limy officers at specially reduced terms, and. these officers will tind it difficult to tind quarters m the already overcrowdsd hotels. Dominion officers iv administrative posts have made tha place their home. The Cecil has always been a favorite place with American magnates, | and with foreign-spoken /persons on confidential missions, who take suites of ropms. j In. the old days the C.ecil was the ; largest hotel iv London, and was the ' favorite caravanserai of well-to-do foreigners. . State guests at Coronation times and great international gatherings have, been housed here. Overseas Premiers, including Sir Joseph Ward and Mr, Massey, have held theirj.cpurt m it. The great hall on the embankment level has been the scene of countless bant£U3ts. The closing will mean the dispersal of a staff of some seven hundred men and women. It is probable that the next piece of commandeering will not bo an hotel, but a famous block of residental flats. ] yL,,. ,; ' A. ' J-ffggg