IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 10

IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

PEOPLE WAVING ALL ALONG.

GREAT DAIRY FACTORY VISITED. TRAIN DELAYED 23 MINUTES. (from Our Special Reporter.) ROTORUA, Sunday. Throughout the trip from Auckland to Rotorua there were 110 persons more interested than the Duke and Duchess. The Royal lady was vivaciousness personified. As in Auckland so it was all the way up —she was the centre of attraction, and it appeared as if the Duke encouraged the homage bestowed upon his wife. The Royal pair missed hardly anything, and were to be seen frequently asknowlcdging the greetings of welcome waved to them. Especially was this noticeable in the remote districts, where a mother and her children were to be seen on the verandah or the door of their lonely home, waving (lags or else a friendly hand. From Hamilton onwards the same enthusiasm marked the Royal train's journey as between Auckland and the garden city of the fertile and prosperous Waikato, or, for that matter, the great South Auckland province. Slowing Up at Stations. At the stations where the Royal train was not scheduled to stop it was slowed up and groups of people were thus enabled to obtain more than a fleeting glance oi the Royal couple. At. such places as Morrinsville, Matamata and Mamaku some hundreds of folk had gathered, and their welcome was just as hearty as that of Auckland. It was intended that the Royal train should stop at Waharoa for ten minutes only, to enable the Duke and Duchess to see something of the dairying industry in this Dominion. When the train pulled up it was discovered that quite elaborate arrangements had been made for their Royal Highnesses' visit to the largest dairy factory in the world, where it is expected that the output for this season alone will Ik 10,000 tons of butter. There wa? a crowd of fully 400 people lining the route from the Royal car to the entrance of the factory and loud and long were the cheers which greeted the Royal guests when they stepped from their saloon car. Duchess Very Interested. From the moment they entered the doors of the great factory till they left it 35 minutes later the Duke and Duchess were extremely interested in everything. They expressed a wish to see all they could., and, conducted by Mr. 11. H. Stirling, general manager of the Now Zealand Co-operative Dairy Coinpany ; they were shown everything, from the time the cream is received at the weighing machine at the door till it comes out as golden butter. By her animated face it appeared that the Duchess was enjoying every minute of it, and the Duke also took great interest in what was being shown them. In and out and about the moving machinery the happy pair went, asking questions all the while, and it appeared as if they were loath to go, but all Rotorua was waiting, and in another scene of enthusiasm the Royal guests went towards their train and boarded it amidst cheers and waving of Hags and hands, which they graciously acknowledged. The Royal train continued on its journey in misty rain and overhanging nark clouds to Rotorua, where one of the most j royal of royal welcomes awaited them | from pakelia and Maori.