The Governor’s Visit

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1928, Page 34 (Supplement)

The Governor’s Visit

1 ' As it was in the ’Seventies

TpHE welcome accorded to the Governor-General when | A he visits the West Coast nowadays es hearty; and so A it was in the old days; there is, however, a little difference | in the methods adopted. The following extract from the X “Star” gives an idea of how the affair was managed in X the ’seventies.

The following addresses will be con- " veyed overland to Hokitika, for presentation to his Excellency the Governor by means of deputations, the representatives of the various guilds, finding it quite impossible to wait until his Excellency arrived here: — . * * * * < To his Excellency Sir George Bowen K.C.B.— t We, the master butchers of Grey1 mouth hasten with feelings of profound respect, the deepest admiration and the most intense awe, to approach the presence of your Excellency, and trust you are quite well and find your- ; self comfortable. The Master. But- • chers of Greymouth have been emin- ■ ent for their loyalty, and feelings of : devotion displayed toward the representative of her most gracious Majesty. They feel proud in asserting that, upon all occasions when neces-' sity calls for it, they will be found true to the bone. . ' . t We most respectfully beg to present your Excellency with a specimen of what Westland in general, and Greymouth in particular, in capable of producing in the way of sweetbreads, one of which wrapped in a Greymouth grown cabbage leaf, produced from Greymouth seed, we beg your Excellency’s acceptance of, trusting that its excellency will meet your approval. ■We are your Excellency’s most devoted servants, — THE BUTCHERS OF GREYMOUTH. * * * ★ The address of the Brotherhood of Journeymen Bootmakers, in and out of employment:— To Sir George Bowen, — We beg to welcome the Governor of

New Zealand to our shores. The shores are gravelly, and replete with solecutting shingle. The promised coming of your Excellency has done us much good. Men have rushed along the beach line extending from Greymouth to Hokitika to lay themselves at the feet of your Excellency. Your Excellency has thus by your presence caused a large amount of wear of the “unders,”' and an equal amount of tear of the “uppers”. Our motto has long been that there is nothing like leather and loyalty. The best of leather will perish, which is a. wise dispensation of Providence; but loyalty never! —that is with the Brotherhood of Journeymen Bootmakers. We know the respect which is due to a Governor. All members of the Brotherhood have their governor, and they know how to treat him. The Governor knows also how to treat them. With some governors we cannot call our soles our own; but to you we tender our devotions. We beg that your Excellency will accept our presentation of a pair of Greymouth manufactured boot laces. They are prepared from a cow that was calved in Greymouth. Its hide was well tanned by its owner. Your Excellency is directed to observe a knot placed at the end of each lace. They are the handiwork of a little girl aged six years. We trust to see them used by your Excellency. They are intended for watertights; price (to your Excellency) 30s, cash; or 32s 6d. booked. We are your Excellency’s dutiful servants. THE JOURNEYMEN BOOTMAKERS

Address to His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand by the Managers of the respective ; Banking establishments of , , Greymouth. • May it please your Excellency. We are deeply impressed with your exceeding usefulness to the colonists, more especially to that portion of them which represent the banking and monetary interests. You set us an example which we, the bankers, so greatly profit by. You have sanctioned numerous enormous Government loans, in which we all of us take a large interest. Our dividends are in an exact ratio with your want of principal—or rather the want of principal exhibited by your Excellency’s Ministers. The liberality of your Excellency and'your Excellency’s Government is very great. You permit us to print pieces of paper called bank notes. These cost us about fifteen shillings a thousand, and we dispose of them at twenty shillings apiece. We are in too impoverished a condition to present you any substantial offering, since we have only been able to declare a dividend of twenty per cent, to shareholders upon their capital, which, we regret to say, they look upon as anything but a capital dividend. But we beg to ask your acceptance of a very magnificent specimen of an overdrawn account, which may have escaped your Excellency’s notice in perusing certain Government returns. We are, &c., THE BANK MANAGERS The address was written in a fine bold commercial hand on the back of a dishonoured cheque. * * * *

Address of the Solicitors and Barristers of Greymouth:— To His Excellency,' Sir George Bowen, K.C.8., Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, and High Admiral of the same, Order of St. Michael, the Rose, Thistle and Shamrock. We have been most credibly informed and do verily believe your Excellency will shortly appear in and upon the town of Hokitika, situate /in the County of Westland and Colony of New Zealand, we deem it to be our only true policy to make our acknowledgments and tender our services to you for the great benefits you .have conferred upon us as a fraternity of Legal Practitioners., The numerous Acts# which you have given your assen tto are so wonderfully and so beautifully contradictory, and so delightfully -unintelligible, that we have thereby and thereon been enabled to erect superb villa residences paid for by our numerous clients, who arecompelled to consult us upon any and every the smallest occasion, to know what they may do or must leave undone; for all of which services rendered we demand whatever compensation we think fit and. proper. We, therefore trust your Excellency may live happy, and never leave this sublunary sphere whilst there ,is an act to be passed which requires your signature. We are, yout Excellency’s legal admirers, THE SOLICITORS OF GREYMOUTH.