GREAT GOODWILL

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 197, 18 May 1936, Page 9

GREAT GOODWILL

Farewell to Captain W. D. Cameron LEAVING FOR ENGLAND THIS WEEK Captain W. Donaldson Cameron, lately of the Rangatira, who is proceeding to England ot. private leave, will travel in the Federal liner Middlesex, which departs finally from Wellington on Wednesday for London, via the Panama Canal. Captain Cameron will return to New Zealand in command of the Union Steam Ship Company’s new motor-ship Kauri, which is being built on the Clyde by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Ltd., at Linthouse, Glasgow, and is expected to arrive in th ? Dominion about October.

In recent weeks Captain Cameron has been overwhelmed by many hundreds of letters and other messages of goodwill, not only from all over the Dominion, but as well from Australia and many other parts of the world. During his service of 33 years on the New Zealand coast, of which 25 years have been in command of ships and 20 years continuously in the WellingtonLyttelton service, Captain Cameron has made hundreds of firm friends and admirers of his sterling qualities and conspicuous ability as a shipmaster. Not only these, hut thousands of others with whom he. personally, is unacquainted. hold him in the highest esteem and have communicated to him in obvious sincerity expressions of their goodwill. It is well known in many quarters that there have been spontaneous movements, not only in Wellington, but in other parts of the Dominion, that would have translated these private communications into public functions of some magnitude but for the definite opposition of Captain Cameron, who has expressed with bis gratitude for the goodwill prompting th movers, his personal dislike of publicity. Nevertheless., the widespread feeling of goodwill and admiration for Captain Cameron found concrete expression at a private gathering on Saturday morning of a number of his friends and milwishers, who included some well-known Wellington citizens. Presenting Captain Cameron with a parting gift. 'lf. Walter Saunders wished him a pleasant voyage and said the gathering was an expression of goodwill and of the high esteem in which he was held by many thousand-* throughout Now Zealand'.

Th*' liealtli of I'nptnin < anienin was drunk with musical honours and hearty cheers for him and Mrs. Cameron. A brief but feeling reply of thanks was made by Captain Cameron.