EMPIRE VETERANS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 82, 7 April 1925, Page 9

EMPIRE VETERANS.

! • GUESTS AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. A CORDIAL WELCOME. Since Lord Ranfurly established the 'Veterans' Home, and reminded the community of its debt to the old soldiers P and sailors who had fought the battles of the Empire, successive Governors have all interested themselves keenly in t the work, and have carried on worthily , the good example set by Lord Ranfurly. The present Governor-General, Sir Chas. ! Fergusson, being an old soldier himself, . needed no example to remind him of the , claims of the veterans, and yesterday . he and Lady Alice Fergusson and Miss • Ferfrusson showed themselves very i keenly interested in the be-modalled ! members of the King's Empire Veterans, • a number of whom gladly accepted their , Excellencies' invitation to pay a visit to ; Government House. Captain H. Good- , wyn Archer was in command, and had under him about 40 members. A very ; cordial reception awaited the old fellows, who greatly appreciated the warm ■■ fire burning in the grate, for the day ! was cold and chilly for old bones, but they appreciated even more keenly the warm welcome extended by their hosts, who showed themselves keenly anxious to do all they could for the veterans. Captain James Stichbury, the energetic secretary of the Veterans' Association, in thanking their Excellencies for their kindness in so early granting the ; veterans an opportunity of paying their . respects, gave some interesting particulars of the association. Originally they had some 4GO members, but the number had gradually dwindled, until to-day 1 there were only some 150 members, in- ' eluded in that number being sixty vet- ; erans of the Maori War, most of them , beinar over RO years of age. His Excellency welcomed the veterans most kindly, and assured them of his own and her Excellency's desire to do ! all they could for them. He had [ already paid a visit to the Veterans' ' Home, and was delighted to find the old soldiers and sailors living there so happy and cheery. There was no doubt 1 they all owed a deep debt of gratitude | to Lord Ranfurlv who founded the Home nnd did so much for the veterans in • New Zealand. His Excellency snoke of ' the great loss the veterans had rus- ! tamed when Earl Jellicoe left New Zea- ! land, and concluded with some appro--1 priate remarks on the duty of old sail- ' ore and soldiers to pass on the fine tra--1 ditions of the services to the younger 1 men. ' I A very pleasant afternoon was con- ! eluded with the serving of afternoon tea. Before they left the veterans again expressed their keen appreciation of their kind welcome, and it was obvious that . the close connection between Government House and the veterans maintained by a famous sailor would be cemented by ■ his soldier successor.