TAUMARUNUI EN FETE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18520, 3 October 1923, Page 10

TAUMARUNUI EN FETE.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S VISIT.

JAUNT ON BUSH TRAMLINE:

AN EVENTFUL JOURNEY.

[Bit/ TELEGRAPH.—OWN ■ COSRESrONDENT.J TAUMABUHUI. Tuesday.

: TarimarUnui was en fete to-day lor the vhsit of : the : Governor-General. ■ Lord Jellicoe, to open tho new technical school. The. day was?fine, -i and people .: gathered from far and wide for the occasion. Lord Jellicoe arrived overnight in a special carriage. The locality was decorated with flags, the whole presenting a bright appearance when the [ GovernorGeneral made" his appearance at 9.45 a.m. He -was greeted by oyer ,500 school children and met by the Mayor, Mr. C. 0. Marsack, and Mr. F Intone, M.P. The Mayor welcomed Lord Jellicoe. who then inspected the returned soldiers and veterans. ■■:: ■■■ At tho conclusion of tho civic reception, the Governor-General and party motored to 'Manunui, where they were met + by Messrs. R. Bentrais, chairman ; of tne Town Board, H. Valder, managing director of Messrs. Ellis and Bumand > sawmillers, and W. Maud, manager of the firm's veneer factory at Manunui. i- tie party, including about 20 visitors -from Hamilton and Taumarunui, were,. then the guests of Messrs. Ellis and Burnand, who had organised a trip into the bush. They set out on a ;; specially-constructed motor conveyance over the,-bush tramline, a motor jigger going ahead to act trip was both unique and thrilling, and Lord Jellicce said he enjoyed every minute of it. The route covered a distance of eight miles, and was not without incident, the conveyance leaving. the rails when travelling slowly, round a bend, iho passengers. alighted and .lifted the car back, Lord Jellicoe and ; his ufo-de-camp, Captain Dovo, lending willing hands and appearing to enjoy the experience. • . :: '■'?■■> ' -. '■''- 11 ' The. journey through dense bush was very enjoyable, and the Vice-Regal party expressed "admiration at the beautiful view of flat-topped Hikurangi towering above the bush in tho distance. ,_ At the end of the line, Lord Jellicoe was taken into the heart of the bush to witness the felling of a giant rimu, which was estimated to yield many thousands of feet of timber. The tree was perfectly .felled, taking with it a .large totara, which had been previously scarfed. The trees fell with a terrific crash, and the earth trombled as though from an earthquake. The party then witnessed the hauling of a huge tree out 'of the precipitous sides of a fully, after which they mounted the car again and returned to inspect the hauling engine. 'c A bushman was met, who had broken his arm through being jammed between two trucks. He was taken out on the jigger pilot car, the Vice-Regal Oar following behind. The party stopped at a email settlement in the bush known as Bennet's cookhouse, where lunch was - provided, everyone sitting round the board to 'an excellent meal', for -which appetites had been sharpened by the morning's ride. After lunch the party returned to Manunui without mishap and inspected the veneer works, Lord Jellicoe expressing amazement at their magnitude, which is the only one of its kind south ,of : . the equator. ■ ■ ■' ■ / '•' ■ ,V > .. The party returned to Taumarunui at 2.45 p.m., ; and the Governor-General proceeded to the opening of the technical school !at 3 p.m. The children and the Boy Scouts were formed up round the dais. The chairman of the . School Committee, Mr. A. J. Laiigmuir, 'welcomed the Governor-General. Lord Jellicoe, on behalf of th School , Committee, presented Mr. -F. Brown, the former chairman, with • an illuminakted address as a token of the good work he did in obtaining the' technical school for Taumarunui. Lord Jellicoe emphasised the importance of education and of the development of character. Mr. A. Boddio, of the Auckland Education Board, and, Mr. ■'. Langstone aho spbko. The visitors , were entertained at afternoon tea ; in one of the laree '; classrooms. . ; v : " , ■ J " :

Ilis Excellency then went fishing in the Wanganui River. This evening he was entertained by the Borough Coußcil and the Masonic Lodge. ■ '■ _ . • The new school is only the first part of a large block of buildings that will be the future technical hiph school of the district. The present buildings comprise the main brick building, : with a- floor space of 4599 square feet, and a woodwork room, with a ■ floor space of 1104 square feet. The contractor was Mr. W. H. Whittaker, of Hamilton. ; .„'