MEMBER FOR MOTUEKA FAREWELLED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 27 June 1940, Page 4

MEMBER FOR MOTUEKA FAREWELLED

BOROUGH S GOOD WISHES TO CORPORAL SKINNER AND SAPPER DRUMMOND At the Community Sing held in the ‘ ’ Institute Hall on Tuesday evening opportunity was taken to accord Corporal Skinner M.P.. and Sapper lan Drummond. who are to proceed overseas, a ’ public farewell. The Deputy Mayor, Mr S. E. Hulbert, apologised for the unavoidable absence; of the Mayor. Mr R. J. L. York, on ac-: count of illness. He bade farewell to Corporal Skinner, who had represented the Motueka district in Parliament for several years, and Sapper Drummond, i on behalf of the Borough of Motueka, wished them Godspeed, and hoped they would return safely to New Zealand.

Each was presented with a gift by the Deputy Mayor and accorded musical honours j Corpbral Skinner, who was greeted with enthusiastic applause, said that Sapper Drummond arid he were undergoing something of an ordeal. In the past he had had the job of saying Au Revoir to the boys going away, and now i he himself was being farewelled. He thanked Mr Hulbert for his remarks i and the people responsible for the gilt 1 which he very much appreciated. Con- \ ditions overseas were, he said, distinct-; J ly serious but he had no misgivings as to the ultimate outcome of the struggle. ' The German regime had been successful more because of its underground: work--espicnage and intrigue—than by 1 force of arms. Germany had worked ! for years with the object in view to dominate, and had built up an organis- ; ation throughout the world that had I made them almost invincible. Nations' had been noneycombed by German

agents and half the Nazi success had j : been due to this fact. In Britain there ! ! were very few; this had been proved ! , | by recent events. ■ j The personnel of the Engineering Corps, to which Sapper Drummond and 1 |» he belonged were not soldiers in the , ! j real sense out construction workers, j 1 J Thousands of men were now in train- I ' j ing and in speaking to officers he was \ ■ j told that their jobs were made much 1 : | easier because the men had gone into, camp of their own free wills and were | • keen to learn. They were there to j i help New Zealand and the British Em- ( ’ i pire. i APPEAL FOR TERRITORIALS i! i On behalf of the Motueka War Emer- j J geney Committee. Corporal Skinner ap- j . pealed to the young men of the dis-. trict between the ages of 18 and 32 to i join the Territorial forces. More men j 1 1 were wanted who were prepared to : give a day or more a week to training | to fit themselves in the event of New ; Zealand having to defend itself. He 1 felt sure that the young men of Motueka would respond to the call, especially when they realised that it; was essential to have some military knowledge to make their services effective. It was desirous to increase the Motueka Tentorial force to possibly a company strength Corporal Skinner expressed the hope that ho had been of some service to the district in' the past, and hoped on j his return to continue that service. He had made many friendships in the Mo- . tueka area and when the war clouds j had blown over would look forward j to renewing them. Sapper Drummond in returning thanks for the present said it would re- ,' mind him of the wonderful people he 1 was leaving behind in he Motueka dis- ' trict. ( < Corporal Skinner and Sapper Drum- j mond then wrote their names on a i large Union Jack recently acquired by the Motueka St. John Ambulance Asso J ciation. All the names on the flag will at a later date, be worked by the lady | members of the division; th>f proceeds | of its sale to be devoted to the Sick : and Wounded Fund.