WAIROA WELCOME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18585, 20 December 1934, Page 6

WAIROA WELCOME

DUKE'S BRIEF VISIT REFERENCE TO ’QUAKES LOSSES DEPLORED SYMPATHY FROM THE KINO

(.Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Residents of Wairoa, gathered this afternoon to accord a welcome to the Duke of Gloucester, heard with gratitude an expression- from the Royal visitor of his sympathy with those affected by the. earthquakes of recent years. Ills Royal Highness referred not. only to his own, Rut also to his Royal .father’s feeling for the victims of the earthquakes, and expressed the, hope that the future held better times for the town of Wairoa and its people. The text of the reply made by His Royal Highness to the address of loyalty and welcome presented to him tit Wairoa was as under: — “His Worship the Mayor of Wairoa. “ Mr Mayor: ’ “I thank you for your sentiments of loyalty to the King, my father, and for the cordial greetings which you offer to me on liehalf of the pakeha, Maoris, and children of this district. “J. assure you of the personal sympathy of my family with you in the distress which the people of this area suffered from earthquake shocks, and of our hope that you may now enjoy peaceful and untroubled lives. I am glad to see, and tho King will be glad to hear from me, that the town has been completely restored. — ‘Henry.” • Ilis Royal Highness was travelling on schedule, and arrived at Wairoa almost to tho minute, his progress from point to point on tho road having been reported to the municipal officials in Wairoa, and communicated to the waiting crowds, the excitement engendered by the visit of the Duke being thus enhanced.

Full-throated applause greeted the Duke as lie stepped front his car and approached the dais, and the subsequent proceedings were followed with the closest attention to detail by the large gathering. Dressed in a light grey lounge suit, with a light grey shirt, a white soft, collar, and grey tie, .worn with a dark brown felt hat and a pair of dark tan shoes, His Royal Highness appeared to be quite at his ease in the sweltering heat, and his apparent coolness was envied by many in the crowd, whose wait in tho hot sun had reduced starched collars to limpness, and otherwise taken minor toll of the spruceness of the assembly. Tho Prince’s movements were brisk aud businesslike, as though lie appreciated the necessity for completing the function with as little loss of time as possible, but his consideration for the people of Wairoa was shown by more than one incident which must go down as among the unscheduled happenings of the tour.

When His Royal Highness mounted the dais, lie wove in his buttonhole a white carnation, but. within a minute ho had exchanged it fpr a red one, appropriated from some member of the gathering on the platform. On liis departure from tho grounds, the Duke gaily waved to the crowds, which responded with repeated cheers, which only eeased when the official car had passed beyond hearing.

NINE MINUTES AT IiIUHAKA

BRIEF TALK TO CHILDREN

1000 PEOPLE ATTEND

(Special to (he Herald.) 'NUTTAKA, this day. His Royal Highness made a brief stay of nine, minutes at Nuhaka on bis way from Wairoa to Morere. He arrived at Nuhaka at 1.20 p.m., and was greeted at Steed’s corner by about 1000 people, £OO children and |b returned soldiers. The marshal for the occasion was Mr. G. D. Tod, and Mr. F. 11. Young, president of the R.S.A., controlled tin* returned soldiers’ parade. As the Royal car drew up, a party of Maoris gave a liaka of welcome, and the party then sang the National Anthem.

Alighting from the ear, the Duke of Gloucester inspected the parade of returned soldiers, (ind shook hands with some of them. He then addressed the gathering of school children, thanking them for giving him that opportunity of meeting them, and lie added thjit he would give them an extra day’s holiday at the end of the term for tlie trouble they had gone to in assembling to see him! The address, which was not read, was very brief, and confined to as few words as given above. The Duke left immediately afterwards, to the accompaniment of a halva by the Maori party. The township was bedecked with hunting for (lie occasion, and a string of flags was hung across the roadway at Steed’s corner.