CHANGING PHASES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3808, 8 March 1927, Page 19

CHANGING PHASES.

A WONDERFUL MOVING PICTUE. 1 REJOICING IN HAWKE’S BAY. F NAPIER, March 4. . The Royal Party to-day had one more experience of .he changing phases of life to be found in New Zealand in the course of a single round of the clock’s shortest hand, if one has rapid means of transit such as an express train affords. From the combined agricultural and pastoral lands of Manawatu the visitors found themselves reaching a point where the Tararua Range that had stretched a purple barrier across 'he horizon seemed suddenly to open out a cleft, and the Manawatu River rolled its brown flood seaward alongside the railway. Narrower and narrower became the gorge, the train on one side and the traffic roadway on the other like a white ribbon lying closely along the hillside .’ The rugged cliffs of the gorge, with their rapid alternations of light ami shade, in the bright sunlit morning, and the river flowing in the shadow (for the most part) below made a wonderful moving picture reminiscent of kinema “travel” scenes. The Duke and Duchess were able to feast their eyes upon a natural “set piece” quite different from anything they had yet seen, and they enjoved it, every moment of it, except when once or twice the train plunged suddenly into the black’ darkness of the tunnel. Emerging from the Manawatu Gorge, the train entered rolling upland country with smiling homesteads dotted over the landscape, passed through Woodville without stopping, and so on to Dannevirke, where a short halt was made. The Royal pair and members of their suite in attendance alighted. The Mayor (Mr A. J. C. Runciman) and his wife were presented, and the party went through the station to the dais erected in the street. Outside was a sea of faces (5000 of them at least) upturned in the bright rays of the sun, which transformed ;. myriad fluttering flags into a remarkable kaleidoscope of colour, which struck one as something new in this real life moving picture. The Duke and the Duchess went smilingly through the round of receiving the address of welcome, to which a felicitous reply was made in writing. They inspected the parades of Scouts, Girl Guides, and school children, and were made knowip to the coiitieillors and their wives. Their Highnesses then re-entered the train, which resumed its long trek to Hastings at 11.57. JOURNEY THROUGH FARM LANDS. The journey was continued amidst the farmlands, which, in these parts, have taken tha place of tho heavy bush which once clothed this country. The Ruahines now formed a guard against the north-west winds, and the train rolled on across the Takapau plains studded with sheepfarms, which, in various sizes, occupy most of the Hawke’s Bay province. The Duke and the Duchess had been informed of the existence of the Pukeora Sanitorium for returned soldiers suffering from T. 8., and, with the ready sympathy that marks their every action, they decided to keep a lookout. one on cither side of the Royal car, so that the waiting men would not be missed. When the train passed the spot where they kept vigil a wave of the hand and smiles from tho. Duchess rewarded them.

WAIPUKURAO AND WAI-" PAW A. As the train w a § well into the Heretaunga plains the Ruahine ranges now dropped low in the west, and seaward toward the Kidnappers a row of hills rose in the fashion of the tors of Devon and Cornwall. Here, it may be remarked, their Royal Highnesses were particularly struck with one portion of the Manawatu Gorge, where a sudden turn of the track brought into view a bit of the cliffs and the dark river. WELCOME AT HASTINGS. Tile approach to Hastings was not allowed to go unheralded, since the Pakipaki freezing works men were on watch, and a locomotive on the siding used its whistle to give a raucous cock-a-doodle-doo Hastings itself made no secret of the fact that >t expected visitors. All the countryside appeared to have come to town to augment the local people, and not only Cornwall 1 ark, where the demonstration of welcome was held but the streets leading to it, were all filled. Lines upon lines of children were ranged in a great square behind the war veterans and the local notabilities tacing the stand. Something new in the method of giving an address of welcome wa s introduced here an electric amplifier being used to enable the words spoken by the Mayor (Mr G A iSSn ll ” , " s “‘ A couple of ancients from the -Old oople s Home, each in the nineties and wearing medals indicating that they had been m the Empire’s wars before most of the other people present were born, caught * j , . J, °ye. he had a handshake and a kindly word for both. One showed a tendency to become unduly reminiscent, but the tactfulness of an equerry averted the danger of his Royal Highness having thrust upon him an unrehearsed part of Coleridge s Wedding Guest. DEPARTURE FROM HASTINGS. 1 lie departure from Hastings was marked by a very warm enthusiastic crowd letting themselves go with a will after being rather subdued during the more formal part of the proceedings. - NAPIER EN FETE.. ,TJ 10 ,iS url ? e y Napier was soon accompushed, ana here, to a large extent, scenes mi. 1 le , ot ' ler ’ big centres were re-enacted, through streets wearing a holiday air and seemingly filled with endless crowds, the procession of cars passed to Nelson Park, where the Royal couple went through the full programme of meeting the local people and inspecting the veterans (soldiers and nurses), and enjoying a scramble through tho great mass of children. This is one of the wonders of the tour for their Royal Highnesses, and it is a great delight to the Duchess. She just loves it, but it puzzles her to know how so many can come in from such far-off spots to sec these Royal visitors. As her Royal Highness naively

remarked this evening, “I cannot understand why they should do it.” . Any small boy or girl who has como within range of the Duchess’s glance during the past fortnight could tell her why, and tell it instantly. At the conclusion of the popular reception their Royal Highnesses proceeded to the Masonic Hotel. The Duke had a game of lawn tennis on the Hawke’s Bay Club's court, and dined at the Masonic Hotel. Later in the evening they returned to the train, where they will sleep to-night. The hotel was beautifully decorated, and the esplanade in front overlooking the bay was a veritable fairyland after nightfall, myriads of coloured lights being disposed among the tall trees lining the seafront at this point. z The Renown was in the outer harbour for a few hours this evening, and her searchlight added to the play of lights upon the heaving surface of the waters. IMPROMPTU SPEECH BY DUKE. After dinner the Duke and the Duchess spent some minutes on the balcony overlooking the esplanade, and the huge, delighted crowd cheered again and again for the Duke and Duchess, and “ the baby,” besides making insistent calls for “speech.” At last his Royal Highness stepped to the front and spoke a few words improhiptu, saying “ the Duchess and I thank you very much for your kind welcome and good wishes. We appreciate it very much indeed, and are sorry our stay among you .is so short. The Duchess and I again thank you and wish you good-night.” The “ good-night” was a hearty one, and evoked a. great outburst of cheers.