WANGANUI'S WELCOME

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 53, 4 March 1927, Page 4

WANGANUI'S WELCOME

:f STRIKING NATIVE TRIBUTE

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

I; WANGANTJI, This Day. A crowd of lose on 30,000, the greatest in the city's history, welcomed the Duka and Duchess of York to Wancanui. fa

The streets were strikingly decorated, and were lined by a crowd which greeted the visitors with enthusiasm. At Cook's Gardens a crowd of 25 000 including 7000 school children and many hundreds from outlying country aistricts, had gathered to witness the presentation of the address of welcome. After this, further formalities wore undertaken, and Their Highnesses then inspected the school children, 2000 of whom were grouped into five sections to form the white Rose of York. It was an impressive spectacle, heightened by the brilliant weather. A dance of welcome was performed by thirty tiny Maori. children, ana was one of the most interesting phases of the proceedings. A pleasing incident of the afternoon's welcome was when Mrs. Toia Barnes placed round the neck of the Duchess o.f York a tiki which had been a very treasured possession of the Whanganui tribe for many years. The Dnke received a valuable mat and an address from the Maoris of the district, reading: "Welcome, O Sir. "Welcome to the Duchess. "Welcome to you, Tfoyal guests, auspicious in your coming as the once-appearing mystic white heron. Welcome to Aotea-roa and Te Wai Pounamu and to this district and town.

. . . We are pleased that you have come to weave more closely the strands of the great hawser' Jhat binds these islands to the Mother Country. Welcome and farewell. Convey to your father the King the expression, of our continued loyalty to the British Crown. Tell him how glad we arc* to be under the reign of British law. In conclusion, we say, that under the folds of the

glorious flag of the mighty Commonwealth of British peoples we have come to know what is meant by the words, justice, fair play, and Christian principles. ''