THE PRIME MINISTER

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12075, 28 February 1925, Page 4

THE PRIME MINISTER

PROGRESS TOWABD HEALTH FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. VISIT TO AORANGI. The satisfactory progress towards ra* oovery made by the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) was evidenced yesterday morning hy liis making his first public appearance since the arrival of the Governor-Gen-eral on December 13th. and paying a visit to the Union Company’s lievv motor-ship Aorangi,. Mr Massey, who was accompanied hy the Hon. R. F. Bollard (Minister for Internal Affairs), was received at the Queen’s wharf by Captain Munro, on behalf of tlio Harbour Board; Mr R. Kennedy, local manager of the Union Steam Ship Company; and Mr J. Marchbanks, general manager of the Harbour Board. The commander of the Aorangi. Captain Crawford, who was busy escorting Hia Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral and the Vice-Regal party over the ship, came down the gangway and conveyed greetings to Mr Mhssey. who was a passenger on the Makura when Captain Crawford was commander of that ship in 1923 on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s return from the Imperial Conference. Arrangements were made for Mr Massey’s car to drive the length of the wharf front so that he might be able to get a good external view of the new ship, the climb up the gangway being considered too formidable a task for him to undertake so soon. Mr Massey expressed himself ; n terms of the highest admiration of the ship, and commended the enterprise of the Union Steam Ship Company in providing such a magnificent vessel for the New Zealand service. After leaving the wharf, Mr Massey called on Lord end Lady Maclay at the Midland Hotel. It was Lord Maclay who, as Sir Joseph Maclay, head of the Ministry of Shipping during the war period, did so much in seeing that a sufficient supply of shipping was available to convey New Zealand troops and produce to the United Kingdom. As Mr Massey’s convalescence progresses. he hopes to get out frequently for motor drives.