SIR JAMES PARR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 17 April 1926, Page 5

SIR JAMES PARR.

A FAREWELL CEREMONY

PRESENTATIONS FROM SCHOOL CHILDREN. v:

(BY TELEGRAPg PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, April 16. “I feel more touched by this little ceremony than by any of the forty odd receptions I have had from one end of New Zealand to the other during’ the past month or so,” said Sir James' Parr, High Commissioner-elect' for New Zealand) Point Chevalier school, in expressing the thanks of himself and Lady Parr for presentations > made to them by the children of the school. “Point Chevalier in a sense _ is my baby, because it has grown during my term of office from an allotment to a' fine school, one in which you children are getting as fine an education as is possible in any -school in New Zealand. Next Tuesday or Wednesday I will hand in my' ‘ticket’ as : Minister of Education, and on Saturday Lady Pan: and myself , will go on. board the steamer that is to take ns on our journey to England. Now, before I go. I am going to ask your chairman to allow me to let you have a half-holiday.” Prior to this .pleasant, announcement being communicated to the children, tlie retiring Minister had been welcorned by the chairman -of the school committee and the headmaster:; Then Harold Agnew (senior boy) .- stepped briskly up to the platform and presented Sir .Tames- with* a travelling rug. followed by. one .of the tiny - tots. .. of- the school. Enid Cookba’ne, with a bouquet, and Ajmie Alderton with a cushion, both.for Lady Parr. . ' .

The singing of “Auld Lang Syne” y brought the gathering ,to a close. Sir James also , laid the foundation stone of a new grammar school at North Shore, and was tendered a farewell by his former constituents -.of Eden at' Mount Albert.