LAST DAY IN WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11686, 22 June 1901, Page 5

LAST DAY IN WELLINGTON.

FOUNDATION SI ONE or xn.y lIAILWAV OFFICES LAID. SPEECH BY THE DUKE. f IST TSJ.EPTUrH.- -OWN COKRESrOPDEXT.] WiiT-LdOTON, Friday. Tlio ceremony of laying the ioondatioß stone of the new railway offices, Feather-ston-streefc. took place at noon to-day. The drizzling! rain of the morning bad settled down into a steady pour as the function commenced. The lofty storing, forming, three sides of a square, provided seats for. some 1300 people, to whom invitations had been issued, but opart from these the at-' tendance of the public was not large. 'The' Taranaki Battalion supplied the guard of honour, and attracted general attention and iii'.;h commendation for their splendid physi'pic. There was a small army of cameras ill position, all levelled at the stone, wluch stood ready under a pnily decorated pavilion, the approaches to which were through banks of lyronoditmi and evergreens, in which, as in mockery, two fountains played. The. stone was inscribed wit& "E.R." and the Royal amis, in gilt relief, above the words, " This stone was laid by His Royal High* iie.sa the. Duke of Cornwall and York, on June 21, 1901."

The Royal party, including several members of the suite, and the Governor and Ministers., with a number of Indies, occupied scats on the pavilion. Lady Ward presented the Duchess with a bouquet, in a beautiful holder of gold, greenstone, and pearls, and the Minister for Railways then read a statement, regarding the usual coins and documents contained in the cylinder deposited beneath 'he stone.

After declaring the stone well and truly laid, His Royal Highness said : —

Ladies and Gentlemen, —I am happy to think that the last ceremony in .connection with our very pleasant visit to Wellington should be connected with so important a department as that of railways, and I am glad to have been able to associate myself with the new buildings to be erected for iho business of their administration. The fact of the necessity for more extensive accommodation is proof of the prosperity of these islands, for there is no better tell-tale of the state of a country than its railways. When

we remember that scarcely 30 years ago the ground on which we now stand Mas. washed by the sea, and that since then more than 2000 miles of railways have been constructed, on which upwards of 5,000,000 passengers were carried in the past year, the colony, I think, may indeed have every reason to be proud of the manner in which her internal communications have been developed. My friend, Sir Joseph Ward, and Mr. Cadman, his aide predecessor, are to be congratulated. The Duchess and I were much interested in seeing the railway workshops yesterday, and we have, had personal experience of the excellence of their work in the charming and most comfortable carriages that have been so kindly placed at our' disposal. J desire once more to say what pleasure it is to the Duchess and myself ' to be present on this occasion. (Applause.)

Mr. Carmichae'i, the contractor, was then, introduced, after which the wraps were produced, and the Royal party drove away in; closed carriages.

As at ail public functions where they have appeared the Duke and Duchess were welcomed with hearty cheers.

A very handsome gold trowel, with" greenstone handle, enclosed in a carved Maori casket, was presented to the Duke,. along a mallet of native wood.