N.Z. BANQUET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18041, 18 March 1933, Page 13

N.Z. BANQUET

a Convivial gathering FUN WITH ME. THUJAS LEG-PULLING "77.■■ :> ■ . . . LONDON, Reb,9. Ths. first annual dinner given by the Now Zealand Soeioty, at tho.Savby last night, to celebrate the inauguration fi£ New Zealand Lay —and the foundation of the Dominion —went off J with fa bang. There is no other word for it, .states the Daily Expross. Th^-Prince of Wales was the guest of hQflor. Sir Thomas Wilford, the Now Zealand High ■Commissioner, was (in. the,chair. Two former GpveniuiGenerttls I—Lord 1 —Lord Jellkoe and Lord Liverpool—were present. Mr J. H. Thonyus came late from a political meeting at Finsbury, wearing a lounge suit. Sir. Thomas Wilford, proposing the •Princes health, destroyed most delightfully the mummified tradition of public banquets by remarking that the Prince "'would always be an aristocrat of the air—referring to his love of flying—but, he hoped, would always be one of the landed gentry. CRICKET METAPHOR j . He,followed this crashing pun with ,the assertion tktiUthe United States wouldigladly exfMffge our war debts for opr Prince, and sighed, ‘ ‘ What do ,we not owe America! ■ AkChe ..Prince, using a -cricketing meta'P»or,,€aid he did not feel he could put any similar wiseerach* into his bowling.- He proceeded; to. praise New Zealand’s growth and enterprise. He stressed the co-operation between Maori'.and white span. Then he related .how a lack of between the New Zealand Government iri 1920 and railway operatives had ; deprived. him of four days’ deer-stalking Aind. 4phing. - , "“W/ell, I resented that,” he said, with a broad smile/-“but I got a day with some harriers.” i Thomas rose to propose the health of the Dominions. He explained that his lounge suit was to haying come straight from a boisterous p9|itical meeting. HIS DAY He turned to Sir Thomas Wilford: “Let/ine say to you, Tom,” he said, was no need to apologise for mie pidssing a dinner. His Royal Highness has said every one has his, day, $nd —this has been my day! ” 'A hallow of laughter. “■I had arranged a public meeting to inform the country how virtuous this Government- is. I got to Finsbury Town Hall at 8 o’clock, expecting to.be received with ‘He's a jolly good fellow ’ ” The Prince laughed out loud. The diners., rocked in their seats. “—rand the only voice I heard when I stepped on the ..platform -was one which said, ‘The —rr- has Arrived! ’ ” The Prince, the distinguished guests, the diners, the ba&fl of the Welsh Guards and the -waiters, exploded at that ip a roar of joy which nearly shot 3£r Thomas off his feet. ■ ‘‘Tj|jp police,” ho continued, ‘‘were throwing people out. I was trying to compete with those who didn’t, believe the Nj&tional Government ought to survive day. I comekex.c —late. Jmd his Royal Highness follows it all up by’talking about a damned railway strike!.” - - • ■ MR RRUCE LEG-PULLS Jis pineerp impassioned conclusion, proclaiming the , giGJy : «f the Empipe, did not save him from Mr Stanley Brace, the former Australian Prime Minister, .who■ .sarcastically gripped his leg and pulled hard. “ Why does h® worry? asked Mr Bruce., “In Australia I was always ihowlad down—until I used a loud •' speaker. Why doesn’t he get up to date ?j-’ • ' Zealand- will iuwev have a hairpief birthday. The singing of ‘ ‘ The ji*orc we are together/ ’ \viUi the Prineje joining in, must have reached round the wjpjffdv.... . >. •.