TRIBUTE TO THE DUKE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 March 1927, Page 2

TRIBUTE TO THE DUKE.

BY A LABOUR MAYOR. A MAN WHO~APPEALS TO MEN CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. After heavy showers during the night at Christchurch the day brightened and the journey across the plains was made in brilliant sunshine..

•At Ashburton there was a large crowd of grownups and children who waved their flags and cheered the Duke.

At Timaru the train halted on the heights above Caroline Bay which in brilliant sunshine was a picture or entrancing beauty. Dense crowds lined the lengthy route along which the Duke rode in hi s open car to War Memorial Park, where some 4,600 children were assembled as well as ex-soldiers. A new feature was of an anthem the words and music of which were composed locally. After the wonderful enthusiasm of Christchurch, Timaru seemed curious rather than enthusiastic, but the people were keen to see the Duke and the whole of Timaru and many from the surrounding districts were out in the open to do him honour.

At the Waitaki Boys' High School the train stopped to enable the Duke to open the Hall of Memories. This was a most impressive ceremony. In Oamaru itself the people rosa to the occasion and were much more enthusiastic than the crowds in Timaru. Labour Mayor's Opinion of Duke. It is the fashion in certain quarters to describe the Rev. J. K. Archer, of Christchurch, as "the bolshie Mayor" and some wondered what line he would take in the receptions and functions arranged in the Cathedral city. As it turned out none could have been more enthusiastic and from start to finish he acquitted himself most creditably.

He even attended the citizens ball and pointed a pretty toe in more than one dance. He also attended the trotting meeting and could be seen with the Duke on the starters stand when the latter despatched the field ine one of the races.

Yesterday Mr. Archer summed up his opinion of the Duke, which he gave in the form of a message to his brother Labourites in Australia: "My association with the T>utc convinces me that he has a very impressive personality that grows upon one all the time. Undoubtedly he is immensely interested in social and economic conditions and desires to see exactly how the workers of the Dominion are housed and also how they are looked after during their hours of employment. This desire is spontaneous and sincere. It is not at all make believe with the idea of simulating democracy. What he seems to wish is to see for himself whether Or not we in these new countries are perpetuating the undesirable conditions of the Homeland in our industrial undertaking. It is to be hoped that his investigations in this direction will prove satsfactory. He certainly has gone deeply into the subject and is far keener to see living a,nd working conditions than show places. There can be no doubt that all visits of this kind will very greatly help in moulding together the different parts of the Empire. A particularly noticeable feature of the Duke's character is that it make a special appeal to men, and to working men possibly more than others." Arrival at Dunedin Arriving in Dunedin the Duke drove through cheering crowds from the railway station through the Octagon and along the main streets to the club at Ftrnhill where he is staying. The music of bands and the skirl of the bagpipes were heard at intervals. The crowd seemed as large as that ot Christchurch but not quite so enthusiastic.