DUKE’S VISIT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19985, 18 December 1934, Page 10

DUKE’S VISIT

STATE AND OTHER FUNCTIONS

MEMORABLE GATHERINGS By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, December 17. As warm as was the brilliant sunshine itself were the receptions given to His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester during the third day of his stay in the capital city. The sweltering. heat notwithstanding large crowds were again abroad eager to wave or cheer the Royal Ambassador as he passed in public to his engagements. The main functions provided, however, an opportunity for more concentrated demonstrations of loyalty and expressions of goodwill than did the larger and more comprehensive gatherings on Saturday. This circumstance was particularly noticeable at the club receptions and the State luncheon. His Highness was in excellent form, creating lasting impressions at each place he visited. His utterances were again a study in balanced contrasts. His deviation into dry humour when speaking at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new railway station and his choice of figurative language at the Parliamentary function instantly appealed. Wearing a typical English morning suit of grey, the Duke began the programme for the day with the laying of the foundation stone of the railway station, and was acclaimed by large crowds which had assembled for the ceremony. Then in turn he visited the headquarters of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, the Commercial Travellers’ Club, the United Services Club and the Wellesley Club. These were largely of an informal character and clearly were a source of enjoyment to His Highness.

A Memorable Incident. An incident which will live in the memory of those privileged to witness it took place when the Duke met the ex-Servicemen. Those present prepared to drink the health of the Duke and when the royal visitor realised that the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., the president, was likely to have difficulty in manipulating the soda syphon with his one arm, His Highness immediately went to his assistance. Later he helped Mr Perry to light a cigarette. In English and Maori the “Diggers” sang for “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” His Highness listening with delight to the native version.

“Good-bye and good luck to you all. I am very glad I was able to look in this morning,” said the Duke in acknowledging the cheers from the exsoldiers. The entire gathering followed him to the entrance of the building, and cheered him again as his car departed. As a memento of his visit, the Duke accepted and placed in the lapel of his coat a tiny tiki from the Wellington Association. At the Commercial Travellers’ Club, the Duke was presented with a life membership badge and ticket of the New Zealand Association and learnt again that he was a jolly good fellow. He was cheered to the echo as he addressed a few words to members. “I have learnt in the last few months,” he said, “what the advantages of commercial travellers are, and I am looking forward to carrying the same advantages in this Dominion as I did in the last.” Similarly cordial and enthusiastic welcomes awaited His Highness at the United Services and Wellesley Clubs. The social hall of Parliament House has been the scene of many notable events, but rarely if ever of such a great and enthusiastic reception as

was given the Duke at the State luncheon. So intensified was the volume of the ovation that several minutes elapsed before His Highness was able to reply to the Prime Minister’s speech. At the conclusion of the Duke’s reply there was a second ovation of like calibre. Other Functions. Many guests attended the subsequent garden party at Government House, the scene there being one of colour and life. Those present were in turn presented to His Highness after being received by their Excellencies. The Duke dined privately at the Wellington Club and at 9.45 p.m. attended the Mayor’s Charity Ball in the Town Hall. Always interested in and immensely popular with children. His Highness will to-morrow meet Wellington’s rising generation in a display at Newtown Park. There will be‘ no engagements in the afternoon, and late at night His Highness will leave by train for Hawke’s Bay. Further evidence of the democratic tendencies of the Duke was provided in an unrehearsed incident at the Town Hall to-night. In anticipation of the arrival of His Highness at the Mayor’s Charity Ball, a large crowd assembled near the civic centre and it grew rather than diminished in size, as the arrival time approached. About 10 o’clock the Royal party appeared, and at once there was cheering, but there was more to come. Having ascertained that the Town Hall had a balcony, the Duke climbed the stairs and appealed before the concourse. Thousands of throats burst into tumultuous acclamation, and in the excitement of the moment the rope barriers agged before the rush from the side streets and the crowd, in its happy enthusiasm, converged on the entrance steps. The police, who entered into the spirit of this unofficial reception, formed a double armed cordon while the people vociferously acknowledged hand waves from the Duke on both ides of the balcony. Inside the hall, which was brilliantly decorated and crowded to the limits of comfort, the Duke was given another rousing reception. His first dance was a waltz, which appears to be his favourite measure.

His first official act of this morning wus the laying of the foundation stone of the new Wellington railway station, at 11 n.m. A feature of the ceremony was the presentation on behalf of the Government of an exquisitely executed and designed ink stand, the top of greenstone, inset into a stand of New Zealand honeysuckle. On the back, surmounted by the Royal arms, is a complete nine carat gold model to scale of a K locomotive. In front of the stand is a gold inkwell. Encasing the stand was a casket of New Zealand woods. Prime Minister’s Address. Mr Forbes stated that the building had been designed on the most modern lines, embodying every feature of railway station construction that had been developed to facilitate the working of traffic. The building would rest on 1700 concrete piles of varying lengths, and be of steel frame construction, with reinforced concrete floors and brick walls. It would be entirely fireproof, and designed to allow of a continuous flow of traffic. Suburban traffic and main line traffic would flow without hindrance to one another. The whole rearrangement of the railway facilities at Wellington had been so designed as to bring the station as near to the city as possible, and from the location in which the building was being erected, it would be seen that Wellington citizens are to be congratulated on the proximity of this great facility to the centre of the city. The contract price for the building was £339,173. This was the largest building contract which so far had been let in the history of the Dominion. In addition to the building

itself there would be platforms and verandahs which would cost £30,000. Mr Forbes mentioned that associated with the erection of the building was the construction of a new railway outlet from Wellington, joining up with the present line at Tawa Flat, and the electrification of the line between Wellington and Paekakariki. When the whole works were completed Wellington would be very favourably situated as regard railway facilities. In the construction of the building, materials of New Zealand manufacture were being used to the greatest possible extent, and where suitable materials of Dominion manufacture were not available. Empire products were being used. The building would be entirely constructed of materials manufactured within the Empire, and besides providing all facilities for the railway station, the building would also include new administrative offices. Mr Forbes referred to the fact that the foundation stone of the present administrative offices was laid 23 years ago by the Duke of Cornwall and York (his present Majesty). The great development which had taken place in connection with railway business since that foundation stone was laid, resulted in the building becoming totally inadequate for requirements, and the opportunity had been taken of the erection of a station to provide administrative offices, which would enable all the various branches of

railway administration to be located in one building. The present building would be taken over by the Government for the housing of other GovernSpeech by His Highness. Laying the foundation stone of the new station, the Duke said: “I am very pleased to have been invited to lay the foundation stone of the new railway station for the Capital City of New Zealand. It Is in the nature of things that a growing population and the increasing demands made upon the railways by die busy port should have rendered necessary an up-to-date station, with fully equipped sidings, and yards. After many years of service, the old station is no longer adequate for the present-day requirements, but the sentimental may well sigh over the passing of such a landmark in the history of Wellington. The site of this station has been won from the sea by reclamation, a form of enterprise which has besides added much to the area available for building, and has been of great value to this city. In these altered circumstances, I imagine that the Harbourmaster may now become Stationmaster, and pilots engine-drivers, while it would not have been unfitting if I had been given a bottle of champagne with which to launch this new concern. But in any case, I sincerely trust that the skill and enterprise shown in the construction of this station will be rewarded by success, fulfilling the hopes and expectations of the people of Wellington.”

State Luncheon. In the course of a speech at the official luncheon to the Duke at Parliament’ House, Mr Forbes weloomed the Duke of Gloucester as an ambassador of our kinsfolk in the United Kingdom, and referred to the pleasure which the previous Royal visits had given New Zealand. The Prime Minister said he was in a land which was British in birth, in sentiment and in policy, and it was the earnest hope that the Duke would feel entirely at home during his stay in the Dominion. “We are proud of our British descent,” he said, “and our desire is to prove worthy of that priceless heritage.” We in New Zealand had watched with the utmost sympathy the determined struggle of the people in the United Kingdom to overcome successive blows of economic adversity, and never for one moment in the course of that struggle had we wavered in our complete confidence that those qualities of courage, imperturbility, of industry, or order, and above all, of sound common-sense and goodwill, which carried the British people so triumphantly through times of crisis, and peril in the past, would again enable them to prevail over the economic difficulties of the present time. Today we knew our confidence had been justified, and we rejoiced to note the unmistakable indications that the Old Country was once more gathering strength. For ourselves, we were still confronted with many difficulties, and new perplexing problems. We were endeavouring to meet them with the spirit of our fathers—the spirit of the British. Turning to world problems, Mr Forbes said the greatest sources of international uneasiness to-day were undoubtedly the unsolved problems of disarmament, and security. Only those in the closest touch with the position as it developed, could realise the almost insuperable difficulties to be overcome, and the magnitude of the efforts that had been made by the British Government in the matter. These efforts would continue to receive our enthusiastic support. However, we must realise that Britain must proceed with all proper caution on the side of security. Britain with the entire concurrence of the Dominions, had already given a vast pledge to the w’orld. “We have two messages to entrust to your Royal Highness on your return to the Homeland—messages which you will find confirmed in every quarter of New Zealand: (1) First and firmest, the assurances of our affectionate loyalty to His Majesty, your father personaly, and as King of the United Kingdom, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the seas; secondly, to our kinsfolk in the Homeland. These sentiments—that we are proud of our British descent, and still prouder of our British traditions of fair-play and goodwill to all—that we have no constitutional problems or questions of freedom and status; that we value most highly our membership of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the British people for good or ill, for better or for worse, in all things, for all time.” Mr Forbes then asked those present to drink the health of His Royal Highness. Attachment to Empire “Although you are entertaining me in the capital, I feel that so far I am only on the threshhold of New Zealand,” said His Royal Highness in reply. “You have opened the door and bidden me welcome, and I enter eager to see and to learn all that I can in the course of my extensive tour throughout the country, which you have so considerately arranged for me. You have, sir, made clear the feelings of loyalty with which the King, my father, is regarded by the whole people of New Zealand,

and of their attachment to the Empire. I know that when I return Home I shall be able to support your words by my personal experience. You have made kindly reference to previous visits paid by members of my family to this country. From what they have told me—and incidentally I may say that I have never met any visitor to New Zealand who did not express a wish to return here I have been particularly anxious to come and to see the country of whose beauty and fertility I have heard so much, and its people, both Pakeha and Maori, who established so great a reputation in the war. I look forward especially to meeting members of the Maori race —a race of warriors and athletes, who proved so staunch in their loyalty to the Empire, and such helpful partners here in the work of the country. I know. sir. that New Zealand has led the world in many forms of social legislation, and this fact adds greatly to the interest of a visitor in going among the people, and observing the conditions under which they live, both in the cities and in the country districts. The great Dominions provide the children with a wonderful open-air life, and it is small wonder that one sees nothing but healthy, happy faces on all sides. I know that their welcome to me, as I go through this Dominion, will be one of my most enjoyable experiences. “To turn for a moment to less cheerful matters, may I say that I realise how very serious has been the depression through which New Zealand has recently passed. I sincerely hope the rift now visible in the clouds is truly portent of fair weather, and that you will soon emerge into the sunshine of prosperity, especially as regards the marketing of primary products, of which the trade of these Islands mainly consists. “I thank you, gentlemen, for your hospitality to me to-day, and I ask you as representatives of the people of New Zealand to say that I bring to them and their children, at this Christmas time, a message of greeting and good wishes from their kinsmen at Home.”

EXPERIENCED MOTORIST By Telegraph— Press Association WELLINGTON. December 17. An experienced motorist, the Duke spent yesterday afternoon at the wheel of & motor car, which is being used for the road portion of his New Zealand tour. He drove the car to Featherston and back, covering about 90 miles in the journey, which was without incident. The destination was the estate of Mr D. H. S. Riddiford, and the Prince found no difficulty in negotiating the Rimutakas both ways. He returned to Government House early in the evening.

Medium Crossbred, 46/48— Super .... 65 to 73 — to 12 Super .... 65 to 73 — to 125 Medium . , . 5 to 6 85 to 111 Inferior . . . 44 to 42 6 to 8 Hoggets— 56/58 .... 10 to 13 — 50/56 .... 9 to 105 — 48 50 .... 75 to 9:1 — 46/48 .... 6 to 8 — 40/44 .... 43 to 55 — Necks— Merino . Hi to 12i — Halfbred . . 9 to 11 — 2-bred .... 6 to 73 _ Pieces— Merino . 8 5 to 11 135 to 183 Halfbred . . 6 to 95 16 to 205 3-bred .... 45 to 63 11 to 141 Crossbred . . . 3 to 42 — Bellies — Merino . . . 75 to 9 13 to 15 Halfbred . . 5 to 72 13 to 151 3-bred .... 32 to 6 9 to 12 Crossbred . . . 32 to 42 61 to 8 Crutchings— Fine .... 4 to 75 — Medium . . . 35 to 42 75 to 13 Strong .... 2 h to 4 h 5 to 7 Locks— Merino . . . 5 to 65 6 to 9 Halfbred . . 35 to 45 6 to 85 3-bred .... 22 to 32 —