OFF TO ENGLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 September 1926, Page 5

OFF TO ENGLAND

PRIME MINISTER SAILS.

THE PART WE PLAY

DEEDS NOT EE AO-WAVING

(By Telegraph.—Special to The Star.}, WELLINGTON. Sept. 14. Up to half au hour of the itime of the departure of the mail .steamer Makura, the Prime Minister the.rßE Hon. J. G. Coates was busy in his office, mainly with farewells, though a last minute duty was to present to a number of railway officers their temporary chief, the Hon. E. JV Rolleston; ■UtaJaster of Justice. Then a final friendly talk with Cabinet Ministers, and down to the wharf. ' . . T 4 ‘l never dreamt for a moment 1 would have to face another farewell,” remarked the Prime Minister, after Mr Norwood, Mayor of Wellington, had. pleasantly, wished Mr Coates and Mrs Coates a happy voyage and successful mission for Now Zealand. The Prune Minister, whose powers of ex tempore speaking have notably improved within .the last few mouths, met this hurried occasion well. A wharf shed, had been decorated and Was filled..with’ enthusiastic friends, including Sir James Allen, the former High Commissioner, and Sir Joseph Ward. Mr Coates remarked that it was a happy farewell, but he could remember Prime Ministers who had left New Zealand tinder entirely different circumstances. ' ‘/I realise there are difficult problems ahead of us, though this is not the time nor the place to deal with them, but I thank you all for the words of encouragement and help, and the cheery words of au revoir, but, fellow, citizens, everything is not so easy, not by any means. We have a difficult part to play—an important part. It- is not by flag-waving,, but by earnest desire , to knit our Empire closer together that we will succeed. There is no need to talk about our loyalty to Britain, that is well known; but it is for every individual to forward it in every way. Our great desire is to knit, together the other parts of the Empire, not only by* words, but. in practice, and the distinct desire to weld together that wonderful machine is not laid down in words.-The future means no easy row to hoe;, it means hard work, industry and thrift by everybody. We have passed through difficult times, but we have stuck together, and'we can always rely on the fact that our people never let their, c’ountry down. We have our little differences in politics, we can have every one of them, but there is one great thing which stands out far above that, and' it is our earnest desire to stick to our institutions, to be proud of our individuality and proud of oiir country from which we sprang. I trust that our Dominion will .stride along, that it will remain true to its instincts, true .to its individuality, and that I will return to find you all" happy and prosperous. ■ y ■■■*

Further farewells were difficult when* the party reached .the ship’s side.. A. howling northerly held possession, 1 and attempts to run streamers from the side ito the shore were laughable fail-; ures. The farewell was pleasant, but the opening of the voyage did not promise, well.' ' ' 4