THE CORONATION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXIII, 7 June 1902, Page 1161

THE CORONATION.

CHILDREN'S CORONATION CARDS. The sub-commit tee appointed by the citizens’ meeting to arrange foi the presentation of a card in commemoration of the Coronation to each child attending school within the provincial district of Auckland met this morning, there being present Hia Worship the Mayor and Messrs J. Kirker*, A. M. Myers and W. J. Speight. A design for the card, measuring twelve inches by nine inches, printed in six colours on stiff cardboard for ’framing, was submitted and approved of. Thirty thousand copies were ordered to be printed at a cost of about £ 120. An effort will be made to let the children in the city and suburban schools have their cards by Coronation morning, but it is feared it will be impossible to send out to the country schools until after that day, as the work involved in printing a design in so many colours will take a considerable time. At the conclusion of the meeting some members of the committee set to work to collect the funds necessary for the presentation on behalf of the citizens, and in a short time collected the following sums:—J. Kirker £5 5/, A. M. Myers £5 5/, W. J. Speight £2 2/, Alfred Kidd £2 2/, Abbott, Oram and Co. £2 2/, British and Continental Piano Co. £1 1/. D.S.C. £1 1/, Sargood, Son and Ewen £5 57, N.Z. Dairy Association £3 3/, Thos. Peacock £3 3/, A. Yates and Co. £2 2/, W. and G. Winstone £1 1/, T. and S. Morrin. 'Limited, £1 1/, L. I>. Nathnn and Co. £1 1/, J. Logan Campbell £3 3/, “N.Z. Herald” £5 5/, J. H. Upton £2 2/, T. W. Leys £2 2/, Geo. Fowlds £1 1/. This leaves about £3O still required, which with the vote of £5O from the City Council, made last night, will cover the whole cost of the children’s card feature of the Coronation Day. Further contributions will be received by the members of the committee. The Mayor has issued invitations to about forty clergymen and others representing various churches and missions with a view to conferring as to feeding the poor on Coronation Day. The meeting was to be held at three o’clock this afternoon at the Municipal Chambers. The Government ha£ decided to supply souvenir cards of the Coronation to all State and private school children throughout the colony free of cost. The Cabinet has decided to ask the Education Boards to arrange for saluting the flag by the school children on the morning of Coronation Day. AUCKLAND ARRANGEMENTS. All denominations were represented last Sunday at the meeting of clergymen and heads of missions, etc., called by the Mayor for the purpose of considering the proposal to feed the poor on Coronation Day. Mr Kidd explained he wished the co-operation of those present in this work of feeding the needy on Coronation Day. Mr Kidd explained that the desire of the Council and himself was that there should not be any publicity in the matter, but that each clergyman, or representatives of parishes, missions, etc., should inform him what was thought would be required, and that it should be handed to the recipients privately at their homes. Some of those present gave the ' pleasing information that there were practically no poor in their districts, but all fully approved of the idea of feeding the needy in an unostentatious manner. In some cases ministers promised to augment any amount they received by subscriptions from their congregations, or donations from the church poor fund. Finally it was resolved, “That, at least a week before Coronation Day the representatives of all denominations send in a requisition for the amount which they consider will be necessary to assist the needy in their districts; such amount to be spent in the manner which is deemed the most advisable—purchasing blankets, coal, firewood, or meals, etc.—care to be taken that in no case shall there be any overlapping from one district to another.” EMPIRE VETERANS’ ASSOCIATION. The Parades and State Ceremonies Sub-committee of the Empire Veterans’ Association has decided that the veterans parade as follows on Coronation Day, June 26: The Roman

Catholic veterans will parade at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at half-past nine a.m., under the command of Captain Leahy, assisted by Warrant Officer Leckle. The Church of England veterans will meet at the corner of Abercrombie and Symonds streets at halfpast nine a.m., to attend St. Paul’s Church, under command of Captain Daveney, assisted by Captain Brown, Colour-Sergeants Ryland and Shepherd. After the church services the whole of the veterans will reassemble at the Metropolitan grounds, Sy-monds-street end, at half-past eleven a.m., and will occupy the right of the line. It was agreed that the secretary be empowered to approach the railway authorities and shipping companies to secure facilities for those residing in country districts to travel to Auckland on the same concessions as were granted during the Royal visit.

IMMIGRANTS NOT ATTRACTED TO THE COLONIES. Some remarkable figures were quoted by Mr Samuel Vaile at the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week, showing how the overflow of population from the United Kingdom is going to the United States in much larger proportions than to British colonies and dependencies. Mr Vaile first drew attention to the enormous waste of strength to the British Empire that has been going on for more than a century past, by the vast stream of emigration which has poured out of the United Kingdom, being almost wholly directed to foreign countries, and thus giving strength to those countries instead of to the British Empire. During the. last 21 years 4,528,867 British born people left the United Kingdom, and of those only 1,034,409 went to the British colonies, and 3,494,458 to the United States, and other places. That meant the Empire had, during 21 years, lost a population equal to one and a half times that of the whole of Australia and New Zealand. The 21 years from 1880 to 1899 proved that during the last decade the total emigration had decreased 30 per cent. Emigration to British North America decreased 36 per cent., and to Australia and New Zealand no less than 64 per cent., while to the United States and other places there was an increase of 65 per cent. It would therefore appear that British colonies, from some, cause or other, were much less attractive than formerly. The latest returns were for the year 1900. These showed that 168,825 people left the United Kingdom during that year, and of these our colonies secured 33,365, and America and other places 123,612. The loss of 3,000,000 British born people who had gone to America in 21 years showed how vast and serious opposition they were building up against themselves. As a remedy Mt Vaile suggested that the British Government should enter into an arrangement with the colonies to give each approved emigrant who would settle in a British colony, or dependency, the cost of a steerage passage for himself and family. If they managed to secure the extra population now drifting- to the United Slates, the money would be well spent. He also advocated free land grants to settlers coming into the colonies. If they did not wake up and do something their commercial and military supremacy would soon be a thing of the past.