NEARING THE END

Gisborne Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9946, 25 February 1925, Page 5

NEARING THE END

ALL BLACKS LEAVE AMERICA TO-DAY FOR HOME.

WELCOME ARRANGED AT RAR-A 1 - ' TONGA (PRESS ASSOCIATION! WELLINGTON, Feb. 24. • Members of the All Black football team are embarking on the Tahiti at .'San Francisco to-morrow on the last stage of their journey nomc. The first New Zealand territory on which they will set foot will be Raratonga, ini the Cook Islands, a. port of ca'A on the San Francisco-Wellington' mail route. The Cook Islands Administrator and the people of Raratonga intend to do fitting honor to members of the team. ' Sir Maui Pomare, Minister for Cook Islands, has sent a message to the Resident Commissioner saying ho is sura the people of Raratonga, Maori and European alike, will welcome. the-opportunity of doing honor to the team. At this first port of call in Now Zealand territory on their return from their victorious and re-cord-breaking tour, and also sending his cordial good wishes and hearty congratulations. • (SPECIAL TO THE TIMES) WELLINGTON, Feb. 24. _ The All Black Football team, after leaving San Francisco to-morrow, will land on the first New Zealand territory at Rarotonga, and the natives and white people there will give them a hearty welcome. It lias been arranged that if the. Tahiti, which usually runs woli ahead of her schedule time-table, arrives at Rarotonga on the afternoon of Monday, March 9, the members of the All Blacks are to be entertained at a dinner and ball .that evening, and on the following day they are to he taken for a drive round the island 1 , .stopping ht the Commissioner’s summer residence at Titikaveka for a, pici/ic lunch and bathe in the lag.jin. On return to the port in the early afternoon they will lie entertained*, with native dances and afternoon tea in the palace ground* of the Makea Ariki, embarking -on the ship for home at about A.SO p.m. If, however, the steamier does not arrive until Tuesday’ morning the same programme will bo carried through, hut the dinner and ball will he bold on Tuesday instead of on Monday, and embarkation will take place at 10.30 o'clock the same cven- ... mg.