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Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1927, Page 3

A chance remark by the welcoming speaker and the inclemency of the weather made an opportunity for the Right lion. L. S. Am.erv, Secretary of (stale for Lominioiis, to indulge in a a little bouninur when addressing nssem- — hied citizens in Napier. The Mayor tMr J. Vigor Brown), in welcoming Mr Amery, had said that Napier was the most easterly town in the world, and Ml' Amery. in replying, said that it was written that the wise men came lrom the tast. (Laughter and applause). “l r is not, so far a.s I icniemher, specificially indicated what

part of the cast they came from,” he said, “so we will presume that it was - from Hawke's Bay that they set- out Von their long pilgrimage to gain knowledge. (Laughter). Like them shall f say, I have come to gain knowledge from the wise men of Hawke’s Bay. (Applause). -Now, ladies-and gentlemen ,1 lied from England some v mouths ago to escape from the iucle'W mencies of the weather that matt, summer there like winter. J thought that in the antipodes at least f should secure some relief from the rain that wet one to the skin, and the cold that •chilled one to the bone. Rut when T landed in Auckland it rained. AY hen ' J was in Taranaki it rained. When 1 was in Wellington it rained, and :t blew, and it, froze. (Laughter). AY hen I was in C’hristclnucli it mined .and when I was in, Dunedin it rained a little there, too,; 1 think, and then on the West Coast-Ait rained slightly as it does there sometimes. (Laughter). And ns 1 went on my way, everywhere I was they told too: ‘Wait till you get to Hawke’s Bay, it never rains there, the sun continually shines and they are always complaining oi the heat anil the drought. (Laughter). WelC here I cm, ladies and gentlemen. and I wish to sincerely thank all of you who have braved the heat and tbe drought to come out and welcome me to-night.” As rain pelted dour outside and a cold wind swept the town, the audience rooked with laugh ter,