TAURANGA'S LOSS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18335, 27 February 1923, Page 8

TAURANGA'S LOSS.

; ' V •. ' SIR WILLIAM ,HEBBIEB. .. , WIDESPREAD \ MOURNING. ' • [BT TEUtaRAPH.-OWW COBEI3POJ«>E!«.3 : ' V 7;' Tie AEOHA. Monday. That the lSwfmii" electorate the loss of the man who representative for over a qua , century was - abundantly evident to-day, when the interment of the late Si lto Hemes' cremated :W.™ took place at Te Aroha. Mourning flags, were flown ; at half-mast, - and the business premises . wore closed / r ' ; j . i. There was a large assemblage at tne railway station' as' the tram bearing mSfrdved. Th casket removed land escorted along ; the platform, ourner I by the Prime > Minister as mouroer and members of the Cabinet, ' ; • attend- ! Houses of Parliament. Also in I ance were Sir Joseph Ward, Sir _ I Lang, the late Minister V private secretaries, Messrs. : Johnson and Balneavis, representatives .of the Governor-General, the Railways, Native Affairs, v £*«"& Customs, and other departments Sir William had controlled, or been associated with in bis Ministerial capacity, and also of all the local bodies in the Tauranga electorate. Others "presented were the Drainage Boards, the Polo Club, the Returned Sofdiers' Association, v Agricultural Associations, Jockey and Trotting Clubs, sports bodies, ' Hospital . Board, E ducat i™ ! Board, Fir* Brigade, Municipal Band. In addition there were scores of private cars The funeral procession, passed from tne railway station to St. Mark Anglican Church, where a brief but beautiful ceremony was conducted by Archdeacon Cowie. an old friend of deceased. The procession, headed by the Municipal - Band and Fire Brigade, then traversed: Ken- | rick Street and Stanley Road to the cemetery, where ' Archdeacon _ Cowie, assisted by the Rev. R. L. Connolly, vicar of St. Mark's, conducted a solemn burial service. ',' '" ' • , ■ The cremated . remains were encased in , a 'small oak casket. Members •of the district local • bodies acted an pall-bearers at. the church, and members of the Ministry j were pall-bearera at the graveside. The ' procession was well over a mile in length. - j and included 120 motor-cars, many horseI drawn vehicles, and hundreds of pedesi trians. Scores of beautiful wreaths were laid on the'grave.- : it .— ■ * OPPOSITION LEADER ABSENT • ENGAGEMENT AT WAVERLEY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PBES3 ASSOCIATION I .] | WANGANUI. MondayMr. T. M. Wilford regretted hin inability ;to attend the • funeral on account! of having promised to be at Waverley tomorrow. He has to fulfill an engagement made by the Waverley people to suit his own arrangements.