Vice-Regal Fine

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30445, 20 May 1964, Page 1

Vice-Regal Fine

“One of the hazards of being Governor-General is that you are never trusted with any money, except on Sunday morning when I go to church and the A.D.C. hands me

some money—and if there is not a collection .he takes it back again,” said the GovernorGeneral (Sir Bernard Fergusson) when he was “fined” at the Christchurch Rotary Club yesterday.

“So thank you, Peter,” His Excellency said, as he waved the fine collector on to Lieutenant - Commander P. Gibaut, his aide-de-camp, who contributed half-a-crown. His Excellency was “fined” by the sergeant-at-arms (Mr H. C. Collett) to receive a

photograph of his parents. It showed Sir Charles and Lady Fergusson with, a horse visiting the Murchison earthquake area, and Mr Collett recalled that during the Burma campaign Sir Bernard Fergusson was once forced to eat his horse.

“Not a very edible-iooking horse,” His Excellency commented before he pocketed the photograph. Sir Bernard Fergusson joined in the laughter when Mr Collett, an optician, fined himself for lack of business acumen. When he learned Sir Bernard Fergusson was coming to. New Zealand he ordered a big stock of monocles, he said. “The Beatles can come here and hundreds of Beatle wigs are sold: The monocles are. still there, and going cheap.” The Vice-Regal half-crown will not go towards the club’s charity . projects, but will ’>e mounted on the collection box with one. contributed by a former Governor-General (Lord Newall).