MINISTER'S APPRECIATION

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 70, 19 September 1925, Page 8

MINISTER'S APPRECIATION

YESTERDAY'S MILITARY

FUNERAL.

The Minister of Defence (the Hon. Sir Heaton Rhodes), wished to convey to commanders, staffs,, and all ranks of units of the Territorial Forces / a.nd Cadets, also, officers of the New Zealand Division of .the Royal Navy, the Military Forces,'the Air Force, and all ex-, members of the N.Z.E.F., hiskeen appreciation of the general turn-out, soldierly bearing, and reverent demeanour of. the troops who were present- at the funeral of the late .General Melvill.

"Their voluntary" attendance in ■ large numbers at such short notice, not only indicates a fine feeling towards their late- Commander," states the Minister, "but shows that a splendid spirit exists in all units of the Wellington Gar,rison and the Hawkes Bay Regiment and N.Z., Corps "of ..Signals, who came from their annual trairmi'g camp : at Trentham. In the case of, the Wellington troops such a •large; and representative parade could not have taken placejwithout the. hearty: co-operation;'of emplpy'ers, arid :I offer {them■•■!*my;-^warmest, thanks. By this" acts Wellington;:/;hasshown a fine spirit 'and 'ehabled-fa.^well-deserved tribute' to be"/paid: tp^a gallant soldier.. \ :'• ';-'i£/ : '-^yy}: . ;-.-V';;' . "I wish to 1 thank",.:the> .police and the city council 1,.-.officials,.;'who so ably controlled/the i: traffic ..and fallowed the funeral-procession to;; proceed so smoothly through the crowded streets."'!

Mrs.: Melvill desires to "expressv her heartfelt appreciation to-the.'Command-ere 'and"; all raembers of; the Navy, the Permanent Force,-Territorial Force, Returned. Soldiers, and. Cadets for the great'tribute' off esteem and. respect paid tp.iher latevhusbandf at the' funeral on last; -Such.expressed "devotion to their late Commander'has ; prpved of great comfort in H«srtOTeayemeht; Those who ;forwarded !, floral tributes included Mrs. Charles Melvill, the Con-sular-General for the^United States, 'and Mrs.'Lowrie,*arid Mrs^'John M'Lean.