GOV-GENERAL

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1940, Page 6

GOV-GENERAL

FAREAVELL LUNCHEON

(Per Press Association—Copyright)

WELLINGTON, Dec

Lord Galway was guest of honour, at a State luncheon held at Burn 1ment House to-day to nm. k His Excellency’s retirement . from t! e office of Governor-General. Rt Hon. P. Fraser presided, and others at the main table including the members of .Cabinet and the War Cutout, the •Speaker of the House * Representatives, Mr \A\ E. Barnard, the Leader of the Opposition, Air S. G. Holland, Sir At Myers (Chief Justice), Sir Harry Batterbee ,and the Mayor of AYellington, Mr T. C. A. HislopAfter the royal toast had been honoured, -Mr )Fnvser proposed the health of Hns EixceUjency.. He said lie had * hoped for a considerable period that it would he a long time before they were called upon to drink that toast. )A year ago the King expressed a wdsh that His Excellency should remain in office for at least a year longer after the ordinary term had expired. The Government of New Zealand urged His Excellency to accept, and was very pleased "when His Exeelency saw’ his way 1 to agree. The Government would have been still better pleased if His Excellency had seen his way to continue for another year. His Excellency certainly had been asked by the speaker, on behalf of the Government—not only asked, but urged—to stay for another year, or at least until the end of the war. In fact, lie could nominate ■his own time. Air Fraser said lie .<4 on Id not pay a greater testimony to any Governor-General than that.

Air S. G. Holland (Opposition Leader) and Hon. D, AVilson (Leader of the Legislative Council) supported the toast,

Expressing thanks on behalf of himself and his wife for the kind remarks made during their time in New Zealand, Lord Galway said they would leave with very deep regrets and would always remember the kindnesses shown during their stay in the Dominion. They had received a welcome they would never forget, and they would strive to do whatever they *, could. d when ■■■•; .they' ;w«jre homo, for the prosperity -of New Zealand and its people. Lord Galway thanked all who had worked iii the .interests of the National Patriotic Fund, Board * and tin) -'Provincial Patriotic Council, and all the women who had ■ helped his wife’s Patriotic Guild. England’ was deeply grateful for what was being-xtoiie,' Lord Galwav said, and for the £IOO.OOO we cabled with' a few hours of learning London was being bombarded. He knew at 'Home there was an unbounded feeling of admiration for what New Zealand was doing, and wlvathslie would do in her war effort, The .Governor-General asked his hearers to he 011 .guard against some great difficulties liable to come upon the;; country after the war. After the last war, people rather lapsed into a fool’s paradise, and forgot some of the • difficulties. “T am not a pessimist,”' Lord Galway said. “1 am an incurable optimist, but' it is in your hands these matters rest, and. perhaps if is just as well one should look a little bit ahead, and see some of the difficulties.' AVe are convinced our cause will triumph, but you must, look to it; then, as to what is going to happen. It is almost certain that there will be a very violent reaction, particularly among tlie young. It happened after

the last war. There will be a sort of revolution from the douche ot cold water which goes over a nation in war time. There comes a sort of feeling: War is Over—now we want pleasure! Throw open the dance halls and cinemas! Let us forget what- we have been going through!” Lord Galway remarked that we lived in an age of speed. Everything had to be done in a burry, but speed without balance was liable to cause accidents. It was the same in public life. There would come a feeling of restlessness and the adjustment necessary would require a great deal of forethought. The Governor-General said that one disquieting tiling to be noted in some of the statistics was the prevalence of crime among the young. If the system of education was high, surely those figures should be coming down, not going up? it was largely a question that more balance was required, and could be adjusted largely by education. The young should be taught certain tilings wore right, true and just. In potty pilfering among the young, seeds wore sown of what later became conversion. Ho thought this should be looked into. It was for bis hearers to decide whether it was not better to

correct the child when it- was young, rather than after, when it had grown up and should know bettor. Dealing with the question of trade, commerce and finance that was going to emerge alter the war, Lord Galway said lie was afraid the good old days bad gone, and they would have to face, up to facts. All «vr

Britain’s credits were passing to

the United States. After the war there would be little or nothing that the Home Government- could not be expected to (rv in order to reconstruct its own finance. Tie was afraid that the Bank of England would ho rather in the state of Mother Hubbard’s -cupboard, so far as the Dominions were concerned. It, was going to be a colossal prob-