HIGH COMMISSIONER ELECT

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 167, 12 April 1926, Page 4

HIGH COMMISSIONER ELECT

4 WANGANUI'S TRIBUTE . Wanganui, April 10. Sir James Parr, High' Commissioner elect, paid a Hying farewell to Manganui to-day. Ito arrived this morning by car from Hawera, and had to attend to several educational matters. Ine Wanganui Technical College Board of Governors applied for a grant for the building of a new hostel for lioys. The Minister said he realised this was ® necessity and considered that the work should be undertaken at once. He said he would ask the Department's architect to visit Wanganui next week and arrange plans with the board for the proposed hostel. He informed the board also that plans were being prepared for two new schoolrooms at tho college. Sir James Parr was later the guest of honour at a gathering at Foster’s Hotel. There were present the Mayor (Mr. Hope Gibbons), Messrs. W. A. Veitch and W. S. Glen, M.P.’s, and representatives of all tho local bodies. Mr. Hope Gibbons congratulated Sir James Parr on his appointment as High Commissioner, and each speaker paid a tribute to his work in the past. All were proud that he was a New Zealander born and bred, and a North Islander. Sir James Parr, replying, thanked the Mayor and the other speakers for. their kindly thoughts. lie said ho experienced a peculiar sepsation when he realised that he was now out of the hurly-burly of political life; he was leaving it with some regrets. Speaking on publicity, he said he believed that New Zealand hail “the goods," the thing being to let the woild know. He considered the new London offices a great acquisition. He would do bis best to let the people know what the Dominion had to offer. The gathering concluded with the, singing of the National Anthem, and Sir James Parr left for Wellington shortIv afterwards, accompanied by his son (Mr. J. H. Parr).