MAORI WELCOME FOR MR FRASER AT ROTORUA

Grey River Argus, 5 November 1949, Page 5

MAORI WELCOME FOR MR FRASER AT ROTORUA

P.A. ROTORUA, November 4. A Maori welcome was accorded to the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, when he visited the Rotokawa native school this afternoon, Lo open the school dental clinic and tennis courts. Speeches of welcome were made by the Rev. T. W. Fraser, and by :he chairman of the ’ Rotokawa School Committee, Mr M. Tuhoro. Mr Fraser was presented with a carved lamp-stand by one of the pupils. When the girl, apparently, forgot her lines, and handed the gift over, Mi’ Fraser left his seat and, with his arm round the child’s shoulders, consoled her. The next presentation was a carved paper knife. It was presented by a very small lad, who divulged the information that it was “from the primers”. Another Maori lad presented Mr Fraser with a key of the dental clinic. “I was very foolish as a boy”, said the Prime Minister, when speaking to the children. “I would not listen to the advice of my parents that I should look after my teeth. The result was that I began to lose my teeth when I was very young”. Mr Fraser touched on the fact that there was a shortage of young women who could be trained as dental nurses. He attributed this shortage to the depression period, when the Dominion’s birth rate was very low. The dedication ceremony at the clinic was performed by the Rev. T. W. Fraser, and the Prime Minister then opened the building. Mr Fraser hit the first ball on the new tennis court, and perhaps the most acceptable feature of the afternoon followed foi’ the children, whichwas Mr Fraser’s announcement that they were to have a holiday on one day next week to mark his visit. Mr Fraser gave an address in Rotorua to-night.