IN GENIAL MOOD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18582, 17 December 1934, Page 6

IN GENIAL MOOD

THE ROYAL VISITOR THIS MORNING'S FUNCTION KEEN INTEREST SHOWN (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Duke of Gloucester made a very happy start with to-day's Jong programme in the capital city. Brilliantly fine weather, with the heat oi' the sun toned off by a southerly breeze, promises ideal conditions, for the garden parly at. Government House this afternoon. His Eoyal Highness, at the opening function of his programme, took the keenest, interest in the details connected with Wellington's new railway station, tile foundation stone of which lie laid during the morning, lie had been told by the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G YV. Forbes, in an (Jpcningi speech, that the station site was on land reclaimed from the sea. and. that to make secure foundations 1700 piles had been driven through the soil to solid rock beneath. The Royal visitor took a special note of this point, and prior to walking across the dais to the foundation stone he gave a brief addre-s in which he, too, recalled that the. station site had been reclaimed from the sea.

Proceeding with a broad smile on his bronzed countenance, the Duke ol Gloucester remarked.: "Under these altered circumstances, Mr. Prime Minister, I imagine that the harbormaster will become the, stntionmasfer, and the pilots will be engine drivers, while it would have been fitting if I had been given a bottle of champagne with 'which to launch this new concern."

When he had declared the foundation stone well and truly laid, Prince Henry remained for several minutes on the central dais genially chatting with leading people, who were apparently privileged to share some Iloyal jokes, for the Prince's laughter suggested that he was in particularly good spirits. His Royal Highness bad been presented with a, casket made from an inlay of New Zealand woods, and an inkstand carrying a gold model of New Zealand's latest design in locomotives, the K. The lloyn.l recipient took more than a perfunctory interest in these handsome mementoes, lb-fore leaving the cere inouy, he wanted to know all about the different kinds of woods, and explanations were given by Mr. H. 11. Sterling', chairman of the Railway Board.

■ An admirable feature of this open air function was that although the presence of so many naval and military guards necessarily kept the general public si some distance from the dais, they were not, an in the case of tho Government's reception at Parliament Building, unable to participate Hi the, proceedings, for at the railway function a loud-speaker system permitted thousands of enthusiastic spectators to follow every detail.