(To the Editor, "Spike.")

—I wish to reply to some criticism which appeared in the columns of your last issue. While recognising the justice of much that is there said, I must explain several things evidently not apparent to you when you penned the lines in question.

The procession is theoretically part of the programme for Capping, and, like the Undergraduates' Supper and the Capping Ball, is under the direct control of the Students' Association. In practice, however, the supervision of the procession is handed over by the Executive to the Haeremai Club, who are, or should be, more at home in running things of this nature than the Exec. The business side, however, has always in the past been run by the Executive, who procure the Lorries. This year the Haeremai Club Committee, up against a more apathetic lot of students in general than those of more illustrious years, and handicapped because several of its leading members were fully occupied in "Kyd," had also the task of procuring the lorries, given to them by the then Secretary of the Students' Association, who was too busy to get them himself (although one remembers the Secretary of a year ago running the business side of the procession, the Capping Ball and also being capped Himself). As it was a heavy shipping day in Wellington on 9th May, many of the firms who usually lend lorries could not do so. After superhuman efforts on the part of Messrs. East and Fabian, sufficient lorries were begged, borrowed or stolen to accommodate every "stunt."

Owing to the extra heavy amount of traffic occasioned by the departure of several overseas vessels that day, the Traffic Department allowed us only ten minutes in the Post Office Square—a wholly inadequate time in which to deliver, four speeches—before moving the cortege on again. The statements made in your June issue relative to the miserable attempts at speech-making are somewhat harsh, in view page 58 of the above facts, and to say that the leading horses bolted is incorrect—they were moved on by the traffic officers at the expiration of the time allotted to us.

No apology is presented for the procession itself. When it left the College it was longer and better than either of its immediate predecessors. The fact that some of its members fell by the wayside, though regrettable, was probably unavoidable, and a word of praise for the manner in which the procession kept to its course and refrained from interfering with tram and motor traffic would have been a more deserved reward for the labours of the Haeremai Club Committee than some criticism which borders on the harsh.

A thing which might have been praised, but was not, was the pace of the procession. Previously it has gone too fast. This year it was controlled at either end and the centre, and went through the town at a slow walk. As a result, everyone was given a chance to hear and see (and, I fear, in some cases at any rate, to feel and smell) each "stunt" to the best advantage.

I trust that I have not trespassed on your space at too great a length, but I feel that the difficulties experienced by the officials running the procession have not as yet been fully appreciated, and in fairness to my Committee I have attempted to set. forth some of the difficulties with which they had to cope.