THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 27 June 1924, Page 4

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

To many people the paragraphs with which His Kxcellency the GovernorGeneral concluded the Speech delivered at the opening of Parliament yesterday must have been the most impressive portion of his deliverance. They contained His Excellency's official announcement of his pending departure from the Dominion about five .months hence, and, though it has been known for some time that he would not accept a fresh appointment, His Excellency's words have brought home more keenly than before the realisation of the fact that the term of even the most popular Governor-General must come to an end. In this personal portion of the Speech from the Throne there is happily none of the formal phraseology of the statement that is prepared for His Excellency by his advisers. He speaks in the same simple and sincere style that has marked so many of his public utterances and reveals the 'humanness and kindliness that have endeared him to the people of the Dominion, He very courteously voices his "warmest gratitude to the people of this Dominion for their ■ exceeding kindness to Her Excellency, to myself, and to the members of our family," but the truth is that they have only received the treatment they have deserved. Both the Governor-General and Her Excellency have made innumerable friends, not only in official circles but throughout the whole country. Viscount Jellicoe was assured by "his record of service in the Navy of a very warm welcome when he eame to a particularly loyal Dominion, but he quickly showed that he had other claims to the goodwill of New Zealanders. Straightforward and sincere, even outspoken on occasion as a naval man should be, lie possesses a rare charm of manner, the happy knack of fitting himself into his surroundings, and a very delightful sense of humour, which is in itself a passport to the friendship of the average New Zealand citizen. During their stay of nearly four years in the Dominion Their Excellencies have entered wholeheartedly into the life of the people; in fact, they have become good New Zealanders, for not only have they performed their official duties with dignity and efficiency but they have also shared fully in the social life of the community. It is safe to say that -the Dominion has never had a more popular representative of the King than Viscount Jellicoe is and has never been more unwilling to Say goodbye to a Governor or Governor-General. Since causes which brook 110 interference necessitate Their Excellencies' return to the Homeland, their friends up and down this country can do no more than express gratitude for their stay and regret at their impending departure. The people of New Zealand will long remember Their Excellencies and will be as glad to hear of their welfare and happiness as they will be themselves to receive news of fhe progress and prosperity of the Dominion which they have honoured with their presence.