LORD AND LADY BLEDISLOE AT WELLINGTON

Chronicle (Levin), 11 March 1947, Page 4

LORD AND LADY BLEDISLOE AT WELLINGTON

-Press Associatton

Bv Telearavfo—

Wellington, Tuesday. Cries of "Welcome back! WeTcome back!" and "It's grand to see y6u again," were shouted from a &mall crowd of enthusiastic spectators at Queen's Wharf today when Lord ahd Lady Ble'disloe steppcd off the gang-plank of the Wahine on -to New Zealand soil after an absence 3f more than 12 years. There was no mistaking the warmth of the welcome and the former GOvernorGeheral of New Zealand ahd his . wife were obviously thrilled to be returning to what would always be )o them their second home. As they stepped on to the" gangway applause and cheers broke - out, and smilihg happily Lord and Lady Bledisloe shook hands like old friends with people lining the barrier and chatted informally with them. "It's the best siglit I have seen st for the past ten years," Lord Bledis'-h. loe told the Prime Minister, Rt.' Hon. P. Fraser, who, accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Cuileh, Sir Michael Myers and Lady Myers, Sir James Elliott, the Hon. Neville Wigram (representing Governor-General) and Mr. C. Gostley White, of the -United Kingdom High Commissioner's office, who represented Sir Patrick Duff in his absence from Wellington. "So grave is the food eituation in Great Britain at present, that it is threatening to affect the working efficiency of the whole population," said Lord Bledisloe, who until last year was president of the Royal Agricultural Society of- England, in an interview. His goodwill mission on behalf of the society to the farmers of Australia had developed into an unofficial campaign* for the sending of further supplies of food, he said, particularly meat, butter, and other fats as and when they could be snared and shipping became available, "in order to relieve the crying wants of the Old Country."