WELLINGTON

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20101, 7 May 1935, Page 5

WELLINGTON

By Telegraph —Press Association WELLINGTON, May 6.

Loyalty to the Sovereign was displayed by the citizens of Wellington this morning in no half-hearted manner, thousands, undeterred by the threatening bleak weather, assembling in the vicinity of the Citizens’ War Memorial and Parliament House to watch and take part in the official Jubilee celebrations.

A military and naval parade was one of the most comprehensive of re-

- cent years, all branches of the fighting r service being represented. Z After an inspection by the GovernorI Cftneral, there was a general asseme blage at Parliament steps for the Jubilee thanksgiving service, broadcast 5 by loudspeakers, the whole vast con--5 course joining in. 1 The City is wearing a gala appearf ance. The decorations are tasteful. ; The services at Parliament House 1 steps commenced with “The Old ? Hundredth.” There were two Scrip- • ture readings, one by Rabbi Katz and ' the other by the Rev. Boulton-Smith, > with prayer by the Rev. Wilkinson in between the addresses, followed by the ■ Governor-General, the Acting-Prime ! Minister, and the Mayor of Welling- ' ton. Prayer and Benediction by the Bishop of Wellington was followed by the National Anthem, after which there was a march past of troops, the ' Governor-General taking the salute from the steps. Message to King The following telegram was sent by the Governor-General to the King:— The Government and people of your Majesty’s Dominion of N£w Zealand respectfully offer their homage and congratulations on the twenty-fifth anniversary of your accession to the Throne. Throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion this happy occasion is being signalised by all classes, including the whole of the Maori race, by enthusiastic demonstrations of loyalty and rejoicing and in a spirit of deep thankfulness. It is the fervent prayer of the Dominion that your Majesty may long be spared by Divine Providence to guide the destinies of the Empire.” The Hon. E. A. Ransom said it was his privilege to express on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand heartfelt congratulations to the King on this the twenty-fifth anniversary of his accession to the Throne. They met there in the capital city of the Dominion formally to mark their sense of thanksgiving and rejoicing at the official gathering honoured by the presence of the GovernorGeneral and Lady Galway. Gatherings to-day were being held and all, he knew, would be marked by the same spontaneous enthusiasm and warm affection for his Majesty and earnest thankfulness to Almighty God that for a quarter of a century we had been able to enjoy the inestimable benefits of his Majesty’s rule. The great Maori race joined with their European brothers, and citizens of all shades of opinion forgot their differences in one common feeling of respectful affection and universal rejoicing. Mr Ransom went on to stress the benefits accruing to the peoples of the British Empire under constitutional monarchy, and emphasised that the King and Queen were to-day an example to all rightthinking people, their lives being throughout marked by devotion to duty, simplicity, quiet thoroughness, and intense human understanding and sympathy. Governor-General’s Address The Governor-General, in his address, recalled the passing of King Edward, and the wave of depression following the death of the Peacemaker. The rock of the present King's strength was his determination to act strictly as a constitutional monarch. His Majesty’s power had increased every year because of his undeviating adherence to this principle. For four years the German menace to the peace of Europe continued, and in 1914 came the crash. The King did everything in his power as a constitutional monarch to advise the aggressive Powers to refrain from war. None emerged from that great test with greater esteem than their Majesties. They were a symbol of Empire more closely drawn together than ever before, a symbol of those who had*been through the worst and never failed, whose faith and courage were strong indeed. Lord Galway also referred to the King’s illness and recovery, and his subsequent bringing of the British political parties together in the crisis of 1931 and the formation of the National Government. He paid a tribute to the Queen’s work for the women of Europe. The nation owed the Queen a debt that can never be repaid.