SCENES AT WANGANUI

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 85, 4 January 1935, Page 10

SCENES AT WANGANUI

Citizens’ Assurances of Loyalty GATHERING OF CHILDREN Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, January 3. A spontaneous demonstration of pleasure at the visit of the Duke ot Gloucester was> given by the citizens of Wanganui this afternoon, when scene.; of unbounded enthusiasm were witnessed when the Royal train drew into the city about 3 p.m. from Hawera. It was apparent the district was ou tiptoe of anticipation. The area in front of the railway station was crowded, many of the onlookers greeting the visitor with fluttering Union Jacks. As the Duke emerged from his carriage he was received with great enthusiasm. Earlier rain showers had yielded to a hot sun, and a carnival air was abroad. His Royal Highness drove between packed footpaths to the Opera House, where u civic reception was ar ranged instead of outdoors. An animated crowd watched Prince Henry in civilian clothes inspect the guard of honour of territorials under Lieut.Colonel McCrorie.

Immediately the Duke had entered the building by way of a lane formed of the Nursing Division of members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, there was a rush to follow him. Every seat was tilled when the Mayor, Mr. N. G. Armstrong, addressed sentiments of welcome to his Royal Highness. Other names associated with the city’s greeting were those of Mr. W. Morrison, chairman of the Waitotara Count? Council and Harbour Board; Mr. D. Mackintosh, chairman of the Wanganui County .Council; and Mr. Hori Takarangi, on behalf of the district’s Maori people. Duke’s Reply to Welcome. The Duke’s reply was as follows: - "Mr. Mayor, I welcome your assurances of loyalty and devotion felt by the citizens of Wanganui and surrounding counties toward the King, my father, and your confidence in the benefit to the Empire which will result from my visits to Australia and New ZealandI am sincerely grateful for your hearty welcome and good wishes, which your people, pakeha and Maori alike, have extended to me. It gives me great pleasure to meet them, and I hope that this important city and district can look forward to a period of continued progress and prosperity during this new year and in the future. ' The party then made a short Journey to the Majestic Theatre, the route being tilled with cheering crowds, out to see all they could of the Royal visitor. All traffic was suspended iir the neighbourhood of the theatre, which was to provide a gratifying surprise for the Duke. The building had been reserved for school children and their teachers exclusively, and it was filled to the doors, excited young people following the Royal car. Hundreds swelled the already impressive assembly in the streets round about, producing a conceptrated mass of all sections of the community keyed to a high pitch of enthusiasm. Largest Individual Crowd. It was the largest individual crowd of the tour. Before the Duke went into the theatre to see the children and be seen, he inspected the contingent of returned men. of 250 strong, under Lieutenant W. 11. Cannan, reinforced by a detachment of South African War veterans. At this moment occurred an episode that his Royal Highness will long remember, when a one-legged soldier asked the Duke to "extend his flip.’” Once inside the theatre the Duke was overwhelmed by the scene before him. Intensely excited children cheered him so that the auditorium echoed with their shrill acclamation. In an extempore speech lie expressed pleasure at being among the children and his regret that the threatening weather had precluded an open-air gathering. On intimation that he had secured for them an extra day’s holiday the seal was set for ever on his Royal Highness’s popularity.