Wellington Hotels Fully Booked For The Royal Visit

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 October 1948, Page 5

Wellington Hotels Fully Booked For The Royal Visit

WELLINGTON. Last Night (P.A.) —“People of Wellington are going to be able to see Their Majesties for only about four hours. I think the time has been cut down a little too closely," said the chairman of the Wellington Citizens’ Committee for the visit, Mr. J. T. Martin, at a meeting of the committee today. The Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs had told him they could not encroach too much on Their Majesties' time.

“I would say it is not so much the rulers of the country that Their Majesties are coming to see as the public," said Mr. Martin.

Mr. W. H. Birtwhistle said there was a feeling abroad among citizens that the Wellington visit was more a show lor the Government than for the public and that the public was being asked to pay the piper. Mr. Martin said I hat, judging by letters published in r.ie Australian newspapers after Their Majesties’ visit as Duke and Duchess of York, 20 or so years ago, they were then carried through the cities at too great a speed and the people who had travelled miles to see them had been passed in a flash.

Mr. R. M. Firth said he was in Canada during the Royal visit and the speed at which the Royal party was driven through Toronto’s streets was too great.

Proposals for a two-day horticultural exhibition, citizens’ ball, and a concert by the Wellington Choral Union were approved as part of the arrangements for celebrating the Royal visit to the capital city.