DUKE’S VISIT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19986, 19 December 1934, Page 11

DUKE’S VISIT

EXTEMPORE SPEECH TO CHILDREN

DEPARTURE FOR NAPIER

By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, December 18. The highly successful visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Wellington concluded to-night when the Royal party left by train at midnight for Hastings and Napier. An hour and a quarter will be spent at Hastings, and after his arrival at Napier the Duke will spend a portion of the afternoon playing polo, one of his favourite sports. Although not part of the official programme, the Duke this morning inspected the ships’ companies of four New Zealand vessels berthed at Wellington. The officers and men formed lines on the Clyde Quay wharf, making an impressive sight as His Highness carried out his inspection. Children’s Demonstration. Ten thousand sturdy young New Zealanders, drawn from schools and different organisations in Wellington City, united at Newton Park today to extend to the Duke such a welcome as can come only from the throat of a rising generation. It was a remarkable demonstration, and a colourful, moving picture, of New Zealand at its enthusiastic best. Great thoughtfulness was shown by His Highness in appearing in the distinctive uniform of a Colonel of the Tenth Hussars, and for 75 minutes every eye was fixed on him. He took the march-past from the front steps of the Royal enclosure, and saluted each leader as the division passed him. The marching was firstrate, and in harmony with the kaleidoscopic variety of the school and organisation uniforms. Acting strictly to whistled signals, the children carried out the programme with exactitude, but this did not restrain the river of enthusiasm, which was subsequently displaced. In accordance with his usual practice, the Duke found time to chat with several cot cases from the Wellington Hospital, who suffered from infantile paralysis, and belonged to the special class conducted at the institution by the Education Board. One little boy, Abie Eyles, who was able to walk, received the thrill of his lifetime when the Duke shook him by the hand. Extempore Speech. A brief address was delivered to the children by the Prince, who made his first public extempore speech in New Zealand. “Boys and girls of Wellington,” he said, “I thank you for giving me this opportunity of seeing you this morning. I know some of you have had to start very early in order to be here. I appreciate that very much. I know also that you have finished your examinations. I hops you have all been successful in defeating the examiners (loud laughter). Now, boys and girls, I take this opportunity of wishing you a happy Christmas, and I hope you will enjoy your holidays.” The Duke then paused for a few seconds, and added:— “I have succeeded in getting an extra day’s holiday for you at the end of your Christmas vacation.” The announcement was received with unbounded enthusiasm, the children firing hats into the air, waving their arms and shouting with delight. The hills circling Newtown Park will long echo to the cheering his Highness was given at the conclusion of the function. On foot he had inspected each division in the vast group, and at the finish circled round by car. Inevitably, the previously staid ranks were broken, the youngsters swarming to both sides to give the Royal visitor a final cheer. Bathing and Tennis. The afternoon was free of qfficial engagements, and the Duke drove his car to Lyall Bay and went swimming with the younger members of his suite. On his return to Government House he played several sets of tennis. There was an official dinner at Government House in the evening, and his Highness joined the Royal train at 10.30.

Delighted With Reception. “I am quite sure that His Highness has been highly delighted with his first impressions of New Zealand and his reception at Wellington,” said MajorGeneral R. G. H. Howard-Vyse, the Duke of Gloucester’s chief-of-staff, in an interview to-day. His Highness, he added, was particularly charmed by the friendly and homely way in which he had been everywhere greeted. It had been published in one quarter that the Duke had said that the programme here seemed to run much more smoothly than in his Australian visit. Actually nothing had excited the Duke’s admiration more than the remarkable precision and smoothness with which the arrangements had been carried through in every part of the Commonwealth. This in spite of a very complicated programme and many difficulties. Notwithstanding the late hour a large crowd assembled at Thorndon Station to cheer the Duke. On his arrival His Highness passed through an archway of flags and entered his carriage in company with Mr H. H. Sterling. Some amusement was caused when it was realised that one of the Duke’s Australian terriers had been left behind in the car. It was retrieved by Mr E. Casey, Assistant General Manager of Railways. Subsequently the Duke returned to the platform for a final cigarette and to give the puppies a walk. The dogs revel in the names of Digger and Sally. While on the platform the Duke examined with Mr Sterling an album of photographs of Napier at the time of the earthquake. The pilot train left at 11.45 p.m. and the Royal train just after midnight.