THE ROYAL TOUR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3477, 4 May 1920, Page 3

THE ROYAL TOUR.

TE KUITI’S W.EI".()O;\JI.E. Brief though the Royal tl'zlin"s stay was at Te Kuiti, it was long enough 10 give the English visitors a striking imIpressicm of the advance by the new “'oush" district of the country, and the I’rince in p:.u't‘iculz_lr seemed greatly struck with the spectacle of ha-ulrods of school children dl-n’wn in front of a stand by the station waving lfnion B Jzlcks, every Child fully believing he or she was the only one to catch the lßoyal. eye. Behind them Were hund. ,I'(‘LlS of adultis, including ‘.l very eonsitlerable portion 0'? l\”[nori.~:, all in;_-om hon giving his 1-ligltness :1 right. '.{oy.=.l Wvelconte. It was incleed an inspiring scene, and when the .\layor announc--ed that the .l‘rinee, insteatl of 'l-_‘l'll'CSS-ing the g.'xthering I’ornmlL\f, wt;-txl«.l make a short tour of inspe;-limx through the children's ranks, the entllllsia.<nl rose to’ :1 pitch pro':>l})ly never wit.nesse(] before in To |{nil'i.j His Highness \\'illko(.l _tllro-.lgh thej (iI‘OW(l amidst. at -cloud of \\'n\>i:lg .'.i:v.;_:s; in the _vonngsters' ltamls, l"..‘SD{)lh,ll.lg'i here uml there. to personal greetings; which would sent 9. number of httlel ones home in the seventh lteuven ofg delight. The inspecticnt included a.' number of returxied soldiers, and on his! return to the sfzlnd, the Prince zt(l.ll'<:ss ‘, ed :1 few words to the :Isselnblu;;e. or; pressing thanks for the \\'ul'nlt‘n of the} welrzoxne, nnd regret. that his .~'.t:ly xvzxsg neees.~':lrily short. :H.e .-peeizll’ly :'e;'r'er-j rod to the pleasure he felt at n'leet.i’-agl the retnrne(l .~sol<liel‘.~j, some of uuhotn he 3 h-an seen in France. Cheers w».22'e, _L-fix‘-E en for the King and Queen, nntl ‘lief ban-:1 again played the Nntionztl ’\n—j them, after which the party ‘oo.1:'(lerl’ the train, \'.'hi(tll l‘.'lO\'(’.(l ofi‘ to the sound of px'olo11;_:t,-(l clmering. !

(.w‘Rlu‘.-\.'l‘ ‘\V 1‘) I .L,‘O ME A T TA L 7 M A R L’ N UI.

'].‘.-U.'”.\[.='\l~2L',.\'U]f, May 1. I

The I’l'inces’s train :u'rive<l at 9.19. i in spite of the sham notice of the: visit, an enormous crowd of citizens and settlers from the surrounding‘ 'Cxistl‘icts, and school‘ children were present. Over :1 hnmh-ed I'6‘-1"d]‘I1(3(1 soldiers lined 2|. deem-utcd passage way to 3. raised dtlih‘, from which the Prince addressed the people. .The I\«I:iyor (Mr G. S. Steadman) welcoined His Royal Highness and presented him with an illuminated ardress. The )layor'.'s' daughter, on behalf of’ the schoolehihh'en of the district, presented the Prince . \\'il‘h a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The Prince responded to the Mayor’s address, thanking the citizens for the hearty wehteme and the little girls for the bouquet‘. and wishing‘ the people e\'e"_\' ]‘>l7()S}){‘l'il_\'. He asked that the children be given :1 whole h.oliday in honour of his visit.

The Mayor presented two army vetf;‘l'alls, Mr Alexander Bell (the oldest white man in fire King Country), and Mr J. T. .\l<-rodith. The Prixlce shook hands with them and with all the returned soldiers. After shaking hands with the Mayor, ..council- - and sevC.;'zll_(<ii.izcxls, the Prince walked back to his c:11'1'i:1go through lines of returned soldiers.

A railwayman spoke fo the Prince and expressed sol'l'ow at the inconvenience the strike had caused him, emphasising thaf the strike was in no way an inst of <]is}oyal‘r.y to him. The whole proceedings were marked with great enthusia.sm. The this and :n'chway were gaily decorated and bcfizLggofl. and lighted with elec-,-tria bulbs. ‘PIIO crowd cheered voci-fm-ullsly and (-.rm\'ded on to the station as the train drmv in and departed.