HARBOUR INCIDENT .

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 18 September 1933, Page 6

HARBOUR INCIDENT .

ACTING PREMIER DRENCHED. RETURN OF CONFERENCE DELEGATES. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. Members of the Ministry and a number of friends who ventured out in the Government steamer Janie Seddon to welcome the Prime Minister and the returning World Conference delegation had quite a liveiy experience. The great majority of the party had eventually to adopt the commonplace method of boarding the mail steamer Makura by gangway from the wharf, because the transfer from the tender to the mail steamer in mid-harbour became too risky. A heavy northerly wind had raised a confused sea in the harbour, anti the Makura’s captain decided not to anchor but to drift slowly while taking the inspecting medical officer aboard. This official briskly clambered on the steamer’s gangway several feet up in the air and in due course gave permission to the remainder of the party to follow. They gathered in approximate order of precedence, Captain Tweedie, in Highland regimental dress, leading the way to tender a welcome on behalf of the Gov-ernor-General, Lord Bledisloe. He remained at the foot of the gangway to assist others. By this time the full force of the weather was being experienced, and Captain Tweedie became drenched in spray. Mrs Coates courageously faced the situation and managed to get aboard the Makura, but Mr Coates, who followed, was drenched by a heavy wave breaking betwe.en the two steamers and flying up in a cascade of foam. He greeted his returning colleagues cheerfully but wet through. However, resourceful friends gave him a change of clothing and he subsequently faced the cameras in the steamer’s social hall quite spruce in bis borrowed plumes. Except for the comprehensive prepared statement from the Prime Minister, all the members of the party were unanimous in declining to express opinions on the trip. Not even on the tempting subject of the American reconstruction efforts could the economists, Professor Tocker and Dr. Campbell, be got to talk. A brief chat with Mr W. A. lorns, chairman of the Dairy. Board, who also returned, was confined to his statement that butter prices were becoming cheering. “As soon as you left,” laughingly commented a friend, who was promptly corrected, Mr lorns pointing out that the rise commenced while he was in London.

Nil- Forbes’s statement appears on page 8.