FARMERS’ VISIT TO WELLINGTON

Southland Times, Issue 24115, 2 May 1940, Page 6

FARMERS’ VISIT TO WELLINGTON

ARRIVAL OF PARTY FROM SOUTHLAND WELCOME AT CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION (Special to The Times) WELLINGTON, May 1. A party of 303 Southland farmers and their wives, the largest party of its kind to visit the Exhibition, arrived in Wellington this morning. The visitors are staying at the Exhibition Hotel. They wasted no time before putting in an appearance at the Exhibition, entering almost as soon as the gates opened. Because the party was too large to be comfortably accommodated in the Southland reception room Mr C. S. Mac Kay, organizer for the Southland Court Committee, welcomed the party from the tower steps. On behalf of his executive, Mr E. A. Cameron, president of the Southland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, the leader of the party, replied. The party was photographed grouped in front of the fountain. An elaborate programme has been arranged for the visitors tomorrow. In the morning they will visit motor works in Hutt Valley and in the afternoon will go for a bus trip to Paekakariki, traversing the new coastal highway, the Ngahauranga Gorge road and, weather permitting, enjoying a view of Cook Strait and historic Kapiti. Tomorrow night there will be an official dinner at the Exhibition restaurant. The Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) will be the guest of honour. On Friday the farmers will be shown over the Government experimental dairy laboratories at Wallaceville and on Saturday will attend the official closing of the Exhibition. The party will leave Wellington on Monday. In an interview today the general manager of the Exhibition (Mr C. P. Hainsworth) said that it was wonderful how solidly Southland, one of the most distant provinces, supported the exhibition. Southland had made an outstanding contribution to its success.