SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 21

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE

GARDEN PARTY AT QUEENSTOWN. AN INTERESTING GATHERING. (Fkom Odb Own Cobbespondent.) QUEENSTOWN, February 24. A most successful garden party was held yesterday at the residence of ’ Mrs Geo. Mackenzie, “Lake View,” in honour of Sir Thomas Mackenzie and Lady Mackenzie and family. A representative gathering was present, and the Queenstown Band was in attendance. The affair was organised by Mrs Mackenzie (president of the Red Cross Association) and Captain Mackenzie (president of the Returned Soldiers’ Association). After the visitors had whiled away an hour in the pleasant surroundings and had enjoyed refreshments, a number of speeches were made from a temporary platform erected in the grounds. Captain P. Mackenzie paid a striking tribute to the efforts of Sir Thomas Mackenzie in London in connection with the New Zealand War Contingent Association and the other war activities of himself and his family, and also of Sir Thomas’s splendid services as High Commissioner. . Captain diaries Tooney. who recently returned to the dominion from hospital in England, and who was one of the original Anzacs, expressed the high esteem and appreciation in which the valuable work of Sir Thomas Mackenzie and his family was aeid, not only by the Anzacs, but bv all the British and colonial soldiers who had had the good luck to participate in the benefits of. the vast organisations initiated and controlled by him. Sir Thomas was, he said, second to none of the great statesmen of the Empire at the time of the great, war crisis. The treatment of the wounded soldiers, and the- equipment of the New Zealand hospitals was beyond all praise. Mr P. Reid, a member of the Bluff Harbour Board, eulogised Sir Thomas’s efforts m London on behalf of the producers of the dominion, and Mr John Cockburn referred to their guest’s strong advocacy of the tourist traffio and the establishment of a direct route between Queenstown and Milford Sound. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, in a lengthy and most interesting address, thanked the promoters of the garden party and the various speakers for their tributes to the work done by himself and the members of his family during the war period. Fie gave much credit t 6 his co-workers in England, and expressed regret that greater recognition had not been made by New Zealand in connection with the financial and other valuable assistance rendered in the establishment of convalescent homes and hostels in England for the New Zealand soldiers. He gave great praise to the New Zealand soldiers for their exemplary conduct in London, and stated that in this way they had unlocked the hearts and homes of the British people. Through the noble efforts of the Red Cross Society no soldiers had been better looked after than were Ihe New Zealanders. Sir Thomas spoke of the ineffective methods of the War Office, particularly during the -earlier part of the war, and the great mistake mado in connection with the Gallipoli campaign. He contrasted the methods of the German navy and the superiority of its equipment with that of the British navy, but gave credit to the men who manned our ships for having won through. Tho same thing applied to the military organisation. He strongly supported Lord Jollicoe’a conduct at the battle <j>f Jutland. The speaker traced the submarine and air

menaces until they were finally vanquished by British genius. Sir Thomas passed on to give a survey of the wool, meat, and produce control at Home during the war, and expressed the view that a sufficient absorption of surplus stocks would eventually take place to prevent any serious effect being felt by the producers of the country. In conclusion, he referred to the wonderful scenic beauties of New Zealand, and to the necessity for making better use of this great asset in the advancement of the country.