MANY HAPPY RETURNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 27 March 1922, Page 6

MANY HAPPY RETURNS.

MR. MASSEY'S BIRTHDAY. TELEGRAMS AXD CALLERS. The Premier, the Right Hon. W. F Massey. wears his years lightly. Xo one would think that yesterday he celebrated tbe sixty-sixth anniversary of his birthday. Scon after he arrived at the Grand Hotel in the morning he received a telegram from the Mayor (Mr. J. ££. Gunson) tendering him "very hearty congratulations and good wishes" from the citizens oi Auckland. Otahuhti through its Mayor (Mr. R. B. Todd) wa» another of the local bodies that sent felicitations. Many other telegrams of i congratulation were received durimr tin day. The Premier received a la™ number of friends, who tendered their good wishes in person, including the Speaker of the House of Representative* (Sir P. W. Lang). Although he wa» away from lion". Mr. Massey was not allowed to lack the customary birthday cake, a very choice one being provided by Mr. J. Levy, licensee of the Grand. Among the telegraphic congratult. ticns received by the Premier was » message from "Your old shipmates." This refers to tbe people who came out with .Air. Massey—then a lad of four, teen—in the ship City of Auckland, which was shortly afterwards set on fire or caught fire while loading alongside the old Queen Street wharf. The fire had such a hold that the vessel had to be scuttled to save her hull. Bad luck seems to have dogged the City of Auckland, a? she was subsequently wrecked off Otaki. Recently the native's of Otaki went out to the remains-of the wreck and got a piece of teak, which they carved into a very fine stick, ornamented with tbe irridescent paua shell and presented it to the Premier as a souvenir, and also as a token of their ' regard for the "Piri—.ia." The Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Club are entertaining Jlr Massey this evening at five o'clock to wish him many happy returns of the ' day. TRAVELLERS' CONGRATULATIONS. At the "ladies' night" held by the Auckland Commercial Travellers" and \.arehousemen's Association on Satur day evening the president (Mr A Thompson) referred in eulogistic terc_ to the celebration of the Prime ter's sixty-sixth birthday. Mr. Thompson stated that in his opinion Mr Massey was one of the finest statesmen jin the British Empire, and a man who had made his name in history. A resolution expressing to Mr. Massey hearty congratulations and best wishes for many happy returns of the day was carried with acclamation. The audience then rose and sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow."