THE Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1919. PEACE CELEBRATIONS.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5606, 1 May 1919, Page 2

THE Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1919. PEACE CELEBRATIONS.

Here ehall the Presß tho People's Right maintain Unawed hy influence and unbribed by gain, Here Patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw, Pledged to Religion Liberty and Law.

Now that the decision has been made that the New Zealand peace cekbratniis are to take place on the signing, of Uie prelimiinary peace, and not on tho cj casion of the conclusion ol the final treaty, it is doubtful whether tho time'allowed to make the celebrations a success is sufficient. The suggestion made by the Government to all the local j authorities, is that the proceeding* should be spread over three days—tho Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday alter the signing of the preliminaries, and in this connection a Wellington deputation waited on the Acting-Prime Minis' ter on Monday to suggest to him that the arrangement should be varied, so as to give the committees more time in which to make their preparations. Tho jreascras for the suggested postponement of the celebrations were explained, and it was pointed out that it the occasion were to be worthily celebrated considerable preparations would have to be made. There were proposals for the entertainment of children, and for the decoration of the streets with bunting and greenery. These decorations could not be put in place until it was known with certainty when the gala days were to be, and it .would not be possible in these times when labour was scarce to do the work in a day or two. The suggestion was thai/there should be an interval of, say, ten days hptweon the receipt <rf the news and the-"celebrations. In the event of the news coming late in the week, it was suggested that the celebrations be not postponed over two Sundays, but that they commence, in any event, not on the Sunday after the signing, but on the second Sunday after tire signing. Si ; r James Allen approved i

or the Wellington committee getting into touch with other committees urging that ten days should elapsu between She reception of The news of signing the "peace and the New Zealand cei'ebrati'ons. so as full preparations could be made for the* purpose. AVhabevcr the decision 'on' this point, the cclelivatons ought-to open simultaneously throughout the Doininr'oii. The conclusion of peace preliminaries may he announced suddenly, and in view o-f this lib is plainly the duty of the Cabinet to take the matter in hand and save uncertainty and confusion when the new.-i arrives. Consultation by telegraph between the various local bodies. a = decided on at the interview, mav iacilitate the matter, bub the Government is in a position to deal w.'ith it bv .public holidays o,n dates • lgreed upon, and on such a great national occasion ought to do so. Invasion of responsibility may result in a straggling celebration, and in a grout deal of unnecessary loss and linronvenience. It is unlikely that the idea ol leaving each locality to celebrate when it likes represents the decision of the Cabinet.