UNKNOWN

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11752, 5 February 1918, Page 3

UNKNOWN

LORD MAYOR'S BANQtTET. - London, November 13. 1 don't know exactly in what year ot the Midkllo Agos the liOrd Mayors banquet became an annual custom in London life. Tlfat s important today because, according to <t»lie autli'Onit'< >3, it is only the traditional nature of tlie custom that con.straine r l the Lord Mayor to .-tusfst on having the "banquet" at a tin hi when we are and when every decent ]H»rson is drying to show an example o'; abstemiousness j'h food.

Qu'tc: a few people IWfcve to-'Jay , that as rwniitijig for our army no longer depends on drums and ilagwnffffliyr., the Lord Mayor's process ; oi* might well have U"on sn-<rifit-o-l to the nat. ; ou'« need-, and the energy and expense diverted to soma war pur- 1 pose. Quite as many more believo that the bauqivt was worse 'than unnecessary, anil that the Lord Mayor comes under susipiaion of some such pai'try charge as se'fishness or personal vanity in holdiitig an "extravagant i and gluttonous -faast" when hom'gjbt have shown trnch a tine example of what we art? all being exhorted to — food e onomy. > < When the banquet is w«f a certaiu number of tlx* "respectable poor" of tlx l <vty are. supposed, according to immemonjtl custom to j-coaivo what is left over from the Lord Mayor's table and to bless him accordingly. This >s purely legendary. What happens is that the "mqwotah'o poor" are specially invited, and they are to a f groat extent well-to-do and well dr«sse.'li peopl". '1 be photograph ol ene ia-dy, well' dressed and wearing a. fur coat, appeared''the: 'ioi'lowing day as she r reived her ]>areel of crumbs from the rich man s table. There w: i<e 300 o; these, a nil they each recived ; A game p : .e, a, largo, piece oi baron of bet if, partridge galantine, half an ox tongue, two rolls of brcn"l>. There was also a saimi of partridge fur some. Strange to say, game pie, partridge gelanti'lue. and ox tongue d'd not appear on the menu o': tho banquet at a'l; and i't 's suggTH'tod ihat this has something to do witili) the pa ratio wlveh has since been made in the House and out oi that th'ba;nipiet conformed' str etlv to the ra-UOU-S , The Lord Mayor (Mr C. A. flanson, M.P.). says: "To a.pp'y to the evening function the term 'banquet-' is.so ludicrously iuappropriaiiei that 1 In,state to use it. I hav,pvno doubt tluv committee's conscience is l as clear as niiiio. The. meagre det le«s lighter t titan pcnplo would have hcid in their own tonnes, was a mere so'fy lo thr real object <)•'. the gaiherwliieh was to afford H's Ma- j i: i-i.iy s Jl'iiisters and the repre e ilative ol our All'es a public ojipur'uniy of rev.iewing the pir>enl sial» oi affairs 'oi:ne iivl \M 111 the war." Mr Uonar haw s-n: < I in ihe I ('-use that care was (alien to ensure that thi - in' a' (|iiantit'» sof meat _ (hair, bre.ail, and sugar cnn-unied :ii the l.ord Mayor's banquet should not exceed the a Mum nt |ire-'-ril)ei| hy Clause ;i „f t.!u I'uhl'r M.'ais Order, i!)l7 (•> o/, el l)ie:|J um-'ioked. l >o ■/, breed lo V, iliiiir and 1-1 oy. siigar).' Mr liilV n,!»;: Was not the whole menu change I u ( f< the last,.' iui : ul tie and a greifct deal of Tood wast<>l? How': ver this may be. one of tluv lad es who have been lecturing t'o rlhr< I'"<v:)d Ministry in the interests of economy, 11:' resigned Ivy way of pm--ti:, 1 :. Id li, 1 j• loiter .Mrs Boyd Dawson says: ••"The oiivnv'ou lo practise in a . public and striking manner the pi i"'' e]ii . that we, the !c:«t'u I'ers, are' ask.'d io pr ach, argues a 'lack of foinmoii decency that must ine\'i'talily tell agi'nst lh,. etfoi'ts tv encourage eeonoiny Ithe is now pulling forward.''