TOE PRINCE AT AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16722, 24 April 1920, Page 3

TOE PRINCE AT AUCKLAND.

LANDING AT MID-DAY. HEARTY .WEI-COME, FROM ASSEMBLED CROWDS. (By Wireless.) H.M.S. RENOWN, April 23. The Renown is rushing forward at 23J knots against a south-easter, throwing water cascades high. The navigator states the Renown will be alongside Auckland wharf at 11 o'clock on Saturday morning—a record trip. The Prince is "in the pink,” enjoying the bracing breeze after the tropics. Ho is eagerly looking forward to his first glimpse of Australasia —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AUCKLAND, April 23. Fine weather to-day enabled preparations to get well ahead, and a promise of bright sunshine to-morrow to welcome the Prince of Wales when he sets foot in New Zealand makes the hearts of Aucklanders light to-night. The city is already full of visitors, though not congested by any moans, and many throngs are out watching the illuminations in tho principal streets as they are put through trial runs. Tho Government information bureau had 15.000 beds registered, but so far only a few have been required. To-morrow, however, the inflow of the-full tide of holiday makers is expected. Tho latest information indicates that the Renown will arrive about 11 o’clock, and berth at the Queen’s Wharf by noon. Tho Governor-General will go aboard, and will be followed by tho Premier and Ministers of the Crown, who will bo presented to his Royal Highness. The Commander of tho Forces will also be presented. The Prince lands at 12.15 p.m., and will be received on the wharf by the Governor. After tho guard of honour has boon inspected, tho chairman of tho Harbour Board will, be presented to the Prince by the Premier. The party will then walk to tho wharf gates, where the Premier presents tho Mayor of the city. The Royal visitor then motors to Government House, where the ceremony of presenting an address of welcome from the Government will take place, the Premier making the presentation. This done, the Prince returns to tho wharf, and receives an address from the Harbour Board, He then goes to the Town Hall, where lie will be received by tho Mayor, who will present tho city councillors, after which tho Mayor will present an address of welcome from the citizens. On returning from tho Town Hall to Gpvornmeut House, tho Prince will receive addresses from local bodies, and at four o’clock there will bo a military review in the Domain. Yachtsmen and motor boatmen propose to tender tho Renown a fitting welcome, forming two lines off Cape Head, through which tho warship will steam to its anchorage. On Sunday a special Anzac memorial service will be attended by the Prince, who afterwards visits soldiers in hospital at Narrow Neck. ARRIVAL OF H.M.S. RENOWN. AUCKLAND, April 24. The morning broke dull, with tho sun appearing fitfully through low-lying cloud banKs which partially obscured the headlands to the eastward of tho city. As the hours passed tho sun gained, ascendancy, though not fully dissipating tho clouds, and the scene on the harbour was animated. The waters were dotted with, yachts and motor boats, forming two lines out past the North Head, round which, at 10 o’clock, the Renown appeared, slowly feeling her way into Iho harbour. She proceeded to the anchorage, where the medical examination was quickly got through, and tho vessel berthed just before noon. Every vantage point on tho rising grounds round about'’the harbour was occupied by thousands of people, who wore able therefrom to obtain a fine view of thowholc scene. Tho foreshore and the streets •’abutting thereon also held their full quotas of sightseers. As soon as the Governor had called on the Prince, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues paid their respects also, and the Prince then landed and-drove to Government House, where be received an address from the Government at the hands of the Premier. On returning to the wharf gates, the Prince was officially welcomed by the chairman of tho Harbour Board. Ho then proceeded to the Town Hall and received an address from tho Mayor and councillors on behalf of the citizens. . The streets were gaily decorated and crowded with thousands of cheering people and bands playing patriotic, airs, Ihe whole making up one of the most brilliant scenes ever witnessed in Auckland. When the ship rounded the North Head on entering the harbour' the forts fired the Royal salute, and the yachts also saluted the warship as she passed through their lines. The grim war linos of the huge battlecruiser were soften down by her holiday coat of light grey, hut a reminder of the fact that the ship sometimes may have sterner business in hand was lent the scene by tho appearance of an aeroplane circling overhead. ADDRESS TO PRINCE. The illuminated address to be presented to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales by the Government at Auckland to-day is a brilliant piece of artistic work that is'thoroughly characteristic of New Zealand. The address has a broad border of Maori design, deftly limned in appropriate colours, and inserted in the border are exquisitely-painted little views of Mount Egmont. Lake Taupe, Wairau Falls, AVanganui River, AVairoa Geyser, Mitre Peak, Mount Cook, and Lake AVakatipu. The lettering, too, is of the finest workmanship, reflecting infinite credit on the illuminator, Mr. AV. R. Bock. The text of the address is as follows: “To his Royal Highness, Edward Albert Christian Georg? Andrew Patrick David, Prince of AValos, Earl of Chester in tho Peerage of the United Kingdom; Duke of Cornwall, in the Peerage of England; Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Garrick, and Baron of Renfrew, in the Peerage of Scotland; Lord of the Isles and Grand Steward of Scotland, K.C.. G.M.M.G., M.C., etc., etc. “AVe, his Majesty’s Ministers, on behalf of the .Parliament and people of Now Zealand desire to offer to your Royal Highness a sincere and cordial welcome. AA’c assure your Royal High-

ness that all of us recognise that the visit of the. Heir to the Throne of the great empire of which wo are pari, is an event of real public importance, and a 'testimony of the interest with which his Majesty regards his most distant possession. Only 80 years have passed since, the first .emigrant from the Mother Country, under an ordered system of Government, landed on our shores. Throughout the years since that foundation the people of New Zealand have continued loyal subjects of the Crown. But never in onr»hrief history has personal regard for the Sovereign and Royal Family been greater with us than to-day; never was there a stronger sense of the value of the King to the Empire. You, yourself, sir, have borne, your full share of the dangore and sorrows of the recent years, and our soldiers, who know your service, have claimed everywhere to be among the first to welcome you. “AVe arc confident that your visit will bo of advantage to this "Dominion, and wo hope that in years to come your Royal Highness will have none but happy memories of your stay and travel amongst its people. “Signed on behalf of his Majesty’s Ministers for the Dominion of New. Zealand, this 24th day ,of April. 1920, “AY. F. MASSEY, “Prime Minister.” The address, contained in a solid silver cylinder, emblazoned with the Prince’s crest in gold, was dispatched to Auckland on Thursday, together with the very beautiful casket of New Zealand woods which is to enclose it.