VICEREGAL VISIT

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 157, 30 March 1926, Page 4

VICEREGAL VISIT

GOVERNOR AT PALMERSTON ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION “Dominion” Special. Palmerston North, March 29. Favoured by perfect weather, Palmerston North looked its best to-day, when His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson), accompanied by Lady Alice Fergusson and stall, paid an official visit to the town. Hie yiceRegal party arrived by a late train on Saturday night, and yesterday attended service at St. Andrew’s Church. The official visit, however, commenced this morning, and will conclude to-morrow. Accompanied by the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr, and Mrs. F. J. Nathan), Their Excellencies visited the Old People’s Home' at 10 a.m., and were welcomed by Sir James Wilson, chairman of the Palmerston North Hospital Foard, Mrs. L. A. Abraham, Messrs. J. A. Nash, M.P., H. W. Smart, F. Pyecroft, M. A. Moody, and J. T. Follas (members of the board) . In reply to a speech of welcome, His Excellency, who was greeted with prolonged applause, said it had occasioned great pleasure to observe all over New Zealand the care taken of those in the eventide of life. In building up a new country such as this, the inmates before him had no doubt done their full share. After chatting for some time with the inmates of the home, Their Excellencies journeyed to the ' West End School, where the children were assembled on the lawn, and were greeted by members of the school committee. ' After the singing of the National Anthem, Master Jim Woodward recited an address of welcome. Another scholar, Peggy Jarvis, presented Her Excellency with a bouquet. Later in the morning, Their Excellencies visited the hospital, and were received by the chairman, members of the board, and the staff. His Excellency chatted with a number of patients, and showed particular interest in the-ex-service men.

Rotary Club Luncheon. Their Excellencies were entertained by the Rotarians and their wives at luncheon in Messrs. Collinson and Cunninghame’s luncheon room. The room was artistically decorated with African marigolds, golden brown corn, daisies, and autumn leaves. The Governor-Gen-eral and Lady Alice Fergusson, who were accompanied by His Worship the Mayor- and Mrs. Nathan, were received by Mr. H. L. Young (president of Rotary Club) and Mr. and Mrs. B. J. Jacobs. Sir Charles Fergusson, in reply to the welcome, said he was ready to pay his fine for being late. (Laughter.) He had been a Rotarian onlv since coming to New Zealand, but he had found that being a Rotarian had helped him in many ways. His predecessor (Earl Jellicoe) had told him before he left England that if he wanted help in any direction to go to the Rotary Clubs, and lie bad taken his advice, and had been a visitor at various Rotary Clubs in the Dominion. In one Rotary Club he had visited be found that the Rotarians had -taken over the housing scheme from the Mayor and that their perpetual advice and help professionally were being given free to the housing scheme, thus saving an enormous amount of expenditure. In other centres he found that the Rotarians were the mainspring of the Boy Scout movement. He had made two appeals to Rotary since he had been in New Zealand. In the first instance he had appealed for funds for the Blind Institute in Auckland to allow the patients to have proper treatment and tuition. The local Rotary Club had raised in four months £15,000, and he did not know what the fund had reached bv now. In the second instance he had appealed for funds for training ’ Plunket nurses, and the Rotary Club had straightwav donated £2OOO, and set out to collect £5OOO. "Rotarv clubs do splendid work,” he added. “I am proud to be associated with them in their work.. No institution flourishes unless it excites the enthusiasm and practical support of its members. There are numbers of ways in which Rotary can be useful, but service is the greatest ideal of Rotary, not onlv to one another, but to the world at large. ° There was a great avenue of usefulness which could be carried out by Rotarians and their wives and he advised those present, if they ever wanted to extend their activities, to do so in connection with tlij local hospital. He knew of one Rotarv Club which had formed itself into a sunshine league and the hospital patients were all regularly visited either by the Rotarians or their wives, and many patients* each week were taken for motor drives into the countrv. His Excellency said that the recollection of the hour he had spent -with the Palmerston North Rotary Club would always be a pleasant one. X Civic Reception. Before entering the band rotunda in the Square the Governor-General inspected a guard of honour provided by the Boys’ High - School, being accompanied on his inspection by Colonel C. G. Powles and Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Whyte. The visitors were welcomed by the Mayor (Mr. F. J. Nathan) , who observed that during the war His Excellency had held an indirect command over the men from the Manawatu. He presented Sir Charles Fergusson with an address

from the citizens of the town, expressing the hope that their stay in New Zealand would be both pleasureable and fruitful. The Mayor also read a short address from the Manawatu Scottish Society, on whose behalf Nancy Edwards presented the Governor-General with a sprig of heather.

Palmerston’s Importance. Replying, His Excellency said it was a matter for regret that this visit to Palmerston should have been so long delayed. The important position the borough held as the largest inland town in the North Island, and the fact that it was the centre of a rich farming district, and of considerable agricultural activity, would have led to a much earlier visit had circumstances permitted. It was difficult to realise that Palmerston should have grown up into such a flourishing centre in less than fifty vears. That in itself was a magnificent testimony io the energy of its citizens, both past and present, and augured well for the future growth of the district. He tendered his thanks for the very generous reception, and said he wished to take to His Majesty the King the expression of loyalty and devotion so typical of New Zealand, and nowhere more evident than in this prosperous community. Ihe welcome by the Palmerston people was in line with those received all over the Dominion, and he thanked the public for coming along in such large numbers. Lady Alice Fergusson and he had been in New Zealand now for sixteen months, and had it not been for the epidemic last year, and for other circumstances, they would have been here long ago. <f However, that delay bad some little advantage in it,” he added, “because in the period that has elapsed we have been able to she a good deni of other parts of the country, and when we look at this great town to-day, it is somewhat in the nature of a culminating moment in our tours around the towns of New Zealand. We feel we have worked up to this moment.” His Excellency said that when he was last in the Dominion as a boy it was at a time when Palmerston was just emerging from the waste of bush and scrub, and he was delighted to note that that period had been marked by the bestowal of the name of “Fergusson,” after his father, on a street of the borough. In naming those things in New Zealand, with which they had been most impressed, the GovernorGeneral said that the first was the wonderful energy of the early pioneers, of whom nothing could be said that was adequate. , Secondly, there was such an impressive atmosphere ot loyalty everywhere. There was the same love for the Mother Country and devotion to King which was especially evident during the war. So long as the’ Dominion had that spirit of independence, coupled with that intense devotion to the race and country from which they sprang, there was no fear for the British Empire. (Applause.) His Excellency then presented with medals two Palmerston North officers, Major S. Jickell and Lieutenant J. R. T. Slipper, for long military service. Of the former officer, His Excellency said he had served his countrv nobly in a military capacity for 53 years, and to him the Territorial force in the district owed much. Lieutenant Slipper, of the 7th Mounted Rifles, had also rendered good service to his country, having served before, during, and after the war in many capacities. The ceremony concluded by the Gov-ernor-General addressing a parade of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, speaking also to the Scoutmasters and the committees. The Municipal Band then played the National Anthem. Their Excellencies were later entertained at afternoon tea at the residence of the Mayor, and in the evening Sir Charles Fergusson attended a Masonic gathering. To-morrow will be devoted largely to visits to the various schools A luncheon bv the Lunch Club will be attended, and also a dinner in the evening by the Officers’ Club.