ROYAL TOUR OVER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 69, 23 March 1927, Page 11

ROYAL TOUR OVER.

DUKE AND DUCHESS DEPART K'HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.' LEAVE-TAKING AT BLUFF. RENOWN SAILS UN RAINSTORM. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Tuesday. The visit of the Duke and Duchess oi York to New Zealand has ended, and the Renown has set sail for Australia. The tour finished in a rainstorm at Bluff. The journey of the Duke from Queenstown to-day was uneventful. The residents of Goie and the surrounding country districts turned out in thousands, and gave the Duke a hearty reception. InvercargiU's cheery welcome was not damped by the rain that was falling. A kewpie doll and a perambulator were presented to the Duke for his little daughter, Princess Elizabeth, by the boys and girls of Southland. Among those who met the Duke at Invercargill were the Prime Minister and Mrs. Coates, Sir Joseph Ward and the Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works, and Mrs. Williams. The Duke inspected a parade of returned soldiers, cadets and Girl Guides. Seven thousand

children marched past him over a muddy track while the rain was falling Duke Says Good-bye. The departure from Bluff took place in a bitter rainstorm. The Duke shook hands with of|jcials, journalists and others who had been engaged on the Royal tour. This he did under the shelter of the roofed railway platform. , He then walked in the rain across the railway line and along the wharf to the Diomede, on which the Governor- . General, Sir Charles Fergusson, was "waiting to say farewell. On reaching the deck of the cruiser the band played the National Anthem, a Royal salute was fired, and the Royal Standard was hoisted. The Governor-General, the Prime Minister and Mrs. Coates took farewell of the Duke on board the Diomede. Then the Royal Standard was transferred to the Harbour Board tug, on which the Royal party steamed out to the Renown, which had come in from Stewart Island and appeared like a wraith ship in the murk and mist of the storm which was driving outside the harbour.

The tour was at an end. It had bee a great success. No untoward inciden had occurred, and the weather did no matter. Following is the Duke of York's fare well message, handed to the Governor General, Sir Charles Fergusson, on th eve of the departure of Their Roya Highnesses from Bluff:— My Dear Governor-General: The time has come when, to the very great regret of the Duchess and myself, we must say "Good-bye" to New Zealand. We' have had a wonderful time, and it is difficult to find words in which adequately

to express our thanks to all those who have contributed to the comfort and enjoyment of ourselves and staff. «To yourself personally, and to her Excellency, we are greatly indebted for your kindness and hospitality. Our deep gratitude is also due to the Prime Minister and to the Dominion Government for their most generous hospitality and for the great care and consideration with which they planned and arranged the whole of our tour. When all the Government services have done so much for us it is difficult to single out any for special mention, but I should like to place on record my keen appreciation of the services Tendered by the railway, post office, transport, and police departments. We are deeply sensible of the trouble taken and the preparations made by the Mayors and other local authorities in connection with our reception at every place where we have stopped. The wonderful enthusiasm and warm-hearted welcome with which we have everywhere been greeted by the members of both races have greatly moved us. It was made plain on every occasion that that enthusiasm sprang from the spirit of intense loyalty which characterises the people of New Zealand. It was the same spirit which animated those men and women who ''served in the Great War, so many of whom we have had the good fortune to meet during our tour. I desire also to take this opportunity to thank the representatives of the New Zealand Press for the consideration and courtesy which they displayed at all times. It was a most bitter disappointment to the Duchess and myself that she was unable to accompany me on the South Island tour. I trust that on some future occasion she may he able to visit with me those districts which she was unfortunately prevented from visiting this time. As long as we live we shall always carry with us the happiest memories of our visit to New Zealand, of the deep-rooted loyalty of its people to King and Empire, of the striking fineness of the country to Home in its natural characteristics and devotion to the same ideals, of the natural resources of the Dominion, ana the great potentialities of its agricultural and commercial indus-tnes--some of which I was so glad to visit—of the beauty and variety ot its scenery and the magnificent opportunities for sport of all kinds, or the interesting Maori life and customs, and of the harmonious relations existing between the two races, and—one of the most vivid memories of all-the smiling faces and stfirdiness of the children who everywhere greeted us in their tnousands. Once more we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts and send flew Zealand, its Government and its people our best wishes for their continued welfare and prosperity. I am yours very sincerely, ALBERT. bUowsS. Vern ° r " General has re P ,ied as ffis Royal Highness, the Duke of York: I have the honour, with my humble duty, to acknowledge and tnni > OUr E °y al Highness for your most gracious letter, which WW go to the hearts of all who read «• Ao greater pleasure can be given to the people of New Zealand uiau the assurance that Your Royal aghnesses have enjoyed the tour ■ T«r g s.. the D ° m ™<>r and have realised the depth and sincerity of the loyalty of its people and, I would Yonr p fe affe «*ion which *our Royal Highnesses have inQ* behalf of the Govern-

ment and the people of New Zealand I wish Your Royal Highnesses all health and success during the remainder of the tour and all happiness in your return home on its • conclusion.— CHARLES FERGUSSON, GOVERNOR- ' GENERAL. "REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL." MR. COAXES ON ROYAL TOUR. MEMORY TO BE TREASURED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, Tuesday. Interviewed this evening the Prime Minister said the visit to the Dominion of Their Royal Highnesses had been a great honour and pleasure to the people of New Zealand. It had been a tremendous disappointment to those in the South Island that indisposition prevented Her Royal Highness from taking part in the southern portion of the tour, but he felt sure they all recognised how impossible this would have been in the circumstances. "We are most thankful that she has sufficiently recovered to proceed to Australia," he added. "We all fully appreciate how exacting the duties of Their Royal Highnesses must have been, more particularly on account of the strenuous and continuous travelling that has to be undertaken. The tour, although trying from this point of view, has been remarkably successful in every way. This has been fully shown by the spontaneous enthusiasm with which Their Royal Highnesses have everywhere been received throughout the country. The civic and local authorities are" deserving of the highest praise for the assistance they gave in receiving and entertaining our Royal guests, while the officials connected with the arrangements of the tour are to be complimented upon the efficiency of their work.

"It remains only to be said that the memory of this Royal visit will be treasured by all, and more particularly by the rising generation, in whom Their Royal Highnesses on all occasions have taken the keenest interest."