PREMIER IN THE NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 247, 19 October 1925, Page 8

PREMIER IN THE NORTH.

A WARM WELCOME. VISITS HIS BIRTHPLACE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DARGAVILLE, Sunday. The Prime Minister had a wonderful reception in his own electorate. All the way up from Helensville to Huarau, on i the North Auckland Main Trunk line, little knots of ejectors met him, and when he left the train at Huarau, en route for Dargaville, being in his own territory, naturally the welcome became more cordial. Old settlers from miles' round turned out at little villages along the route to give him a welcome—as ■ Prime Minister. He had a particularly i good reception at his birthplace, Matakohe, also at Paparoa, where he first entered public life as a councillor, and later as chairman of the Otamatea County Council. The greatest reception of all, however, was left for Dargaville, the chief town in the electorate. He was met on the town boundary by the Mayor, councillors and representatives of the local bodies, and was escorted by a band and a piper through the gaily-decorated j street, the car being pulled the latter part of the journey by a body of returned soldiers. On arrival at the centre of the town ho was given a welcome by the Mayor (Mr. F. A. Jones) on behalf of the borough. Mr. V. Trounson (Hobson County Council), Mr. Geo. Smith, (Otamatea County Council), and Mr. L. W. Paraore (on behalf of the native race), also voiced a welcome. Mr. Coates said he was deeply touched, He thanked the people for turning out in such large numbers. The gathering was one of the largest seen in the district. In the evening Mr. Coates spoke at the largest political gathering even seen in Dargaville. The speech lasted two hours, and waa on similar lines to those touched on by the Premier in other I centres. An audience of 000 people in ! another theatre made a request that i they should hear the Prime Minister, and he left to address them. The only questions asked were of purely local interest, and were answered satisfactorily. The meeting concluded amid a scene of great enthusiasm after a motipn had been carried expressing continued confidence in Mr. Coates as member for Kaipara and as head of the Government, and also freeing him from the necessity of delivering further addresses in the district, so that he could devote his time and energies to the other electorates in the Dominion. On Sunday Mr. Coates unveiled a war memorial at Northern Wairoa, in the ground of the hospital, at Te Kopunui.