SCOTTISH VISITORS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20205, 16 January 1934, Page 5

SCOTTISH VISITORS.

Combined Gathering Welcomes Party. CEMENTING FRIENDSHIPS. The fact that the visit would do much to cement friendships between the Scots people of Christchurch and would assist to foster better relations between Australia and New Zealand, was expressed by speakers who extended a welcome to the visiting Victorian Scottish party at a function held in the Scottish Society’s Hall last evening. The president of the Canterbury Caledonian Society, Mr C. S. Thomas, said the visit would do much to bring together the Scottish societies in Christchurch and to improve the relationships between Australia and New Zealand. Mr Thomas spoke on behalf of the Caledonian Society, the Scottish Society of New Zealand and the North Canterbury Pipers and Dancers’ Association. The chief of the Scottish Society (Mr G. M. Telfer), who presided, welcomed the party on their short visit to Christchurch. Their visit would do much to cement friendships between the Scots people of Christchurch and would help to foster better relationships between Australia and New Zealand. Scotsmen and Englishmen. On behalf of the Scottish societies of Christchurch, Mr Thomas said that the visitors had been travelling through districts that could be considered as more Scotch than Scotland. They would find Christchurch even more English than England. All the statues in Christchurch raised to Englishmen, but when one looked a little deeper one found that practically all of the gifts had been presented by Scotsmen. Scotsmen were proud that those who came by the First Four Ships found that ten years earlier a gallant band of Scotsmen had arrived and picked out the best of the country. When A he visitors had called on the I

heads of departments in the city they would find that the Scotsmen were doing more and more to avenge Culloden. (Laughter.) Delighted with Visit. In reply, Senator Plain, a past-presi-dent of the Victorian Scottish Union, spoke of the warmth of the welcome. Britain, he said, stood united stronger than ever, while the clouds had gathered. It was the visitors’ desire, as Australian Scots, to teach their children to make Britain and the Empire a greater place than their fathers had known it. He urged New Zealand Scotsmen to join in a to Victoria on the occasion of the Melbourne centenary celebrations next year, when several hundreds of people from Scotland would arrive. Scottish societies in Australia had a total membership of between 30,000 and 40,000. The visitors were delighted with their trip to the Sounds and had had a warm welcome at Dunedin. The speaker, himself a farmer, could not but admire farming methods as carried out here. He felt that both Australia and New Zealand were emerging from the depression. The following programme was enjoyed: Selection, Caledonian Society’s Pipe Band; songs, Messrs T. M. Charters, W. Twomey, A. Macquarrie and Mrs Whitehead; Seann Triubhais, Miss K. Walton; Highland Reel, Misses K. Walton, Rona Campbell, Vera Thomas and Rita Campbell; Gillie Callumn, Miss Mavis Neate; duet, Miss M. Millar and Mr J. Wilson; Reel o* Tulloch, Misses Rita Brooker, Marjory Fraser, Joyce Fraser and Mavis Neate. Mrs A. Macquarrie was accompanist.