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Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 195, 13 May 1924, Page 3

Just prior to the naval men going on board their respective vessels at midnight on Wednesday a pleasant little gathering at tho Y.AI.C.A. billets in the State I’iro Insurance Building brought to a close tho work done there. Air. J. Hay, general secretary of the Y.AI.C.A., said'that he could not allow tho occasion to pass without making reference to the exceptionally fine behaviour of the visiting naval men. Their conduct had been most exemplary. (Hear, hear.) Ho paid a tribute to the staff who had been responsible for the very smooth working of tho arrangements in connection with the entertainment and the billeting of the men. Ho also paid a tribute to the ladies' auxiliary, the Boy Scouts, members of tho association generally, and to Afr. R. J. Jeffs, who had made such a success of tho work locally that ho was io be sent io Auckland to assist there. The boys gave three cheers for Mr. Jeffs, and sang “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Reference was also made to the good work of Air. H. D. C. Horwood, of the local Y.AI.C.A. staff, who rendered innumerable little services to the Ixivs. Air. Jeffs, in his reply, stressed the'fact that he had been very ably assisted by a self-sacrificing band of workers, whoso co-operation had ensured the success of the arrangements for the men’s entertainment. During the afternoon the Alinister of Internal Affairs (Hon. R. Bollard) and the Hon. T. AV. Hislop visited the building nnd expressed themselves as delighted with tho work done. The building had also been visited bv the Alinister of Defence (Sir Heaton Rhodes) and the Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs (Mr. J. Hislop), who also expressed their appreciation of the good work done bv the A'.M.C.A. The singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and cheers by the blue-coatrd hoys for the Wellington people brought the proceedings to a termination.