DUKE’S HAWERA VISIT

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1935, Page 8

DUKE’S HAWERA VISIT

DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS TO-DAY’S OFFICIAL PROGRAMME. VERY WIDE INTEREST AROUSED. The interest aroused at Hawera by the visit of the Duke of Gloucester and staff to-day is very great and it is expected that there will be a large crowd present when the Royal train arrives at 12.30 p.m. The reception will be held at King Edward Park and retail shops will be closed for two hours from 12 till 2. Arrangements have been made to close High Street from Union Street to Waihi Road to vehicular traffic. In addition, owing to the length of the Duke’s train, the Tawhiti Road outlet to Ohangai, Meremere, etc., will be blocked for about three-quarters of an hour. The proceedings will be as follows:— (1) The Duke will be met at the station by the Mayor (Mr. J. E. Campbell) and Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. (2) Proceed to King Edward Park via Union Street and High Street. (3) On arrival the band will play six bars of the National Anthem. (4) Review of returned soldiers. (5) Maori haka of welcome. (6) Mayoral address of welcome. (7) Reply of His Royal Highness. (8) Presentation of the Mayoress and invited guests. (9) Band will play full verse of the National Anthem, in which all assembled are requested to join in singing. (10) Return to station by same route as taken on arrival. Arrangements for the day are detailed in the following schedule:— 10.5 a.m.: Children arrive from the south. 10.50: Children arrive from the north. 11.0: Children to report in King Edward Park to be assembled and marched into position. 11.0: Band, returned soldiers and Girl Guides to assemble at the war memorial in Princes Street and proceed to the park. Noon: Route of the Royal procession to be closed to vehicular traffic. 12.20 p.m.: Tawhiti Road to be closed to all traffic at the railway crossing until I. p.m. 12.30: Arrival of the Royal train. 1.15: Departure of the Royal train. 1.15: Traffic restriction. - ceases. 2.0: Children depart by the north train. 4.30: Children depart by the south train. South Taranaki Guides with their Guiders will meet at the Scout Hall at 11 a.m., when they will be met by the Hawera Guides and Brownies and march to King Edward Park. The parade will be in charge of Miss Constance Free, district captain. A feature of the reception will be the presence of several Maori chiefs of the west coast hapus, who will wear the traditional native costume. Immediately after the inspection of ex-service men and while the official party is assembling on the dais, a special haka team, under Chief Panenui Hauraranga, from the Taiporohenui pa, will perform a Maori haka of welcome. In the event of wet weather, and the committee deeming it inadvisable to hold the function at King Edward Park, the fire siren will be sounded at 10.30 o’clock. This will be a signal for the children to assemble at the Winter Show buildings, where the indoor reception will be held. In any case, if the weather is at all unsuitable, and outdoor function is still held, the children will be kept under cover. The returned soldiers will be reviewed in the defence hall and the children will assemble in Lloyd George hall, where the speeches and the presentation of the Hawera Borough Council’s invited guests will take place. The public also will be admitted to the supper hall, where the installation of loud-speakers will enable visitors to hear what is in progress in the main building. The route of the Royal procession will be from the railway station via Union Street, High Street and. Princes Street, along which no other traffic will be permitted immediately prior to and following the Royal visit, and.no parking allowed. The Minister in charge of the Royal tour, the Hon. J. A. Young, has been advised of tfiese arrangements, and in a telegram to the Mayor of Hawera (Mr. J. E. Campbell) yesterday he replied as follows: Your emergency proposals in the event of wet weather appear satisfactory and are approved.” Returned soldiers are invited to parade outside the Soldiers’ Club, High Street, Hawera, at 11 a.m. to-day. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mr. and Mrs. Evelyn Buckrell have returned to Whakamara from a short visit to Hunterville. KAPONGA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE. GENERAL NEWS OF DISTRICT. The new year was ushered in at Kaponga in the time-honoured manner, bells and sirens breaking the midnight air to the accompaniment of singing by a crowd gathered at the post office. There was a good crowd in the town earlier in the evening, the proceedings being enlivened by pipe music played by the Auroa Pipe Band. Extremely vivid flashes of sheet lightning accompanied by heavy peals of thunder and rain were experienced throughout Tuesday night, causing a considerable number if faults in fuses of the light service. During 1934 41 births, 11 deaths and eight marriages were recorded at Kaponga, the figures for 1933 being 39, 10 and 10 respectively.