CEREMONIES AT CANBERRA

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1927, Page 9

CEREMONIES AT CANBERRA

ELABORATE ARRANGEMENTS. DETAILS OF THE PROGRAMME. Sydney, Dec. 31. Plans have practically been completed for the entertainment of the Duke and Duchess of York when they pay their brief visit to Canberra to open the Federal Parliament in its new and permanent home. Canberra to-day is a skeleton city. True, its progress toward completion has been marked by activity during the past 18 months or two years, but it still remains a city in the making. The completed buildings include the Parliament buildings, a magnificent hostel, another hotel on not quite so high a plane, scores of civil servants’ homes, and dozens of business premises. Its population -to-day is but a few thousands, but it is estimated that its population during the two days of the Duke’s visit will be between 50,000 and 100,000. To cater for this large and rapid influx of people has been the arduous duty of the Federal committee of entertainment. Before Parliament House, space has been allotted for 100,000 people to see the imposing review of the military, naval and air forces. Twenty aeroplanes will eirele above the gathering. Eight hundred military and naval forces, in addition to airmen, will be encamped, and these will take part in a review before Parliament House steps, whfere welcoming speeches to the Duke and Duchess by the Prime Minister and others will be carried to the waiting thousands by loud speakers. The New South Wales Railways will be unable to carry more than 3000 people to the new capital on May 8 and 9. Hence most of the public will visit Canberra by means of motor-cars. Steps are being taken to improve the roads. Parking space ie being provided for 30,vvO motor-cars. Motorists will have numbers allotted to them corresponding to numbers in these various motor “parks.” A complete medical service will be established, with a casualty clearing station on the lines of a military camp. Elaborate measures are being taken for sanitation. Thousands of tents will be provided, and overnight Canberra will become a canvas city, for the present hotel accommodation will be all reserved for official guests, who are expected to number hundreds in themselves. To this canvas eity water pipes will be laid. Fireplaces for cooking will be provided for people using tents. Every nation with Consular representatives in Australia will be represented by them. The Governor of every * State, and their staffs, the Premier and Leader of the Opposition in each State, and the Lord Mayor of each State capital will be among the official guests. There will be other official Federal guests, and in addition a batch of invitations will be sent to each State Government for distribution. All these details have been announced by the main entertainment committee after two months’ discussion and thought.