"BEST GOVERNORGENERAL"

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 8, 10 July 1922, Page 8

"BEST GOVERNORGENERAL"

TRIBUTE TO LORD JELLICOE,

In welcoming Viscount Jellicoe, patron of tho club, at the ceremony in connection with tho annual presentation of prizes of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club on Saturday evening, the Commodore (Mr. W. Duncan) mentioned that His Excellency's boat, Iron Duke, which had beon in Wellington, hid gone back to Auckland. He would like to see the boat down in Wellington again, and they would be only too pleased to meet His Excellency, because they believed they had a boat which would "give him a go." Mr. Duncan said he would like members to consider how fortunate they were in having tho boat harbour under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Harbour Board, and riot the City Council. If it wore under the jurisdiction of the council he was sure they would be paying more rates. As it was, the Harbour Board was getting practically nothing out of tho boat harbour, and when they compared their position with that of other sports bodies in Wellington, who had to pay increased foes for the use of tho city reserves, he thought they wore very lucky indeed. , In proposing the toast of the "best Go-vernor-General we have ever had," Mr. B. Clarke said that Viscount Jellicoe, who had secured the club tne privilege of using the word "Royal," was first and foremost a sport. His yachting activities had shown that.

"I don't think that I deserved the toast proposed by Mr. Clarke," said His Excellency in reply, "for I failed you in not bringing back the Sanders Cup to Wellington. Ever since February I havo been scratching my head bo discover.why Iron Duke did not bring back tho Sanders Cup to the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club. I have discovered tho reason to-night. It was the fault of the Dunedin City Council. (Laughter.) lam quite certain that if all the sins which have been laid down to the account of the Wellington City Council are realty deserved, it is the Dunedin City. Council whioh is responsible for the Sanders Cur> not being here. It i« nothing to!do'with the- boat or with the crew." It might have been tho air, he continued. The Iron Duke had done pretty well at Wellington, and at Auckland, and if Parliament would only forget about the General Election, he would bring her down here and have another fro. But as • that did not seem possible, she would .remain in Auckland for tho next yachting- season.

Reference had been made to the wind in Wellington, but the only places -where ha had capsized were at Auckland and Dunedin. Perhaps the wind of Wellington was over-rated. If it wore not that, then it must be that the people went about under close-reefed sails when they •■■ted-not. (Laughter). Despite some little differences abous tho , Sanders . Cup,,- he hoped that the competition would continue, for to his mind the one-design clast* was a more snorting proposition than a. handicap race, lla would like to say how ho appreciated the honour of being patron of tho Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, and being, asked to present the prizes. He would look forward to any future entertainments of that sort should they be kind enough to invite him. (Cheers.)