WAITARA WELCOMES GOVERNOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1921, Page 8

WAITARA WELCOMES GOVERNOR.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. LORD JELLICOE ON THE NAVY. HIS INTEREST IN SPORT. When the Governor-General and Lady Jellicoe entered the Waitara ..borough on Saturday a troop of mounted men in charge of Captain Hayhurst awaited the arrival of Their Excellencies and escorted them to the Camp Reserve, where a large crowd had gathered for the civic welcome. Their Excellencies were greeted with cheers. After the salute His Excellency w!ls met by the Mayor (Mr. R. Morgan), and guard. Addressing a few remarks to them, he said he wished to say how much he appreciated their presence, particularly as he understood some of them had come considerable distances to attend. He concluded by congratulating the troop on their appearance. On his way around the grounds His Excellency noticed that a cricket match had been in progress (the Waitara —Urenui game), and he spared a few minutes to enquire how the scores were going, and his interest in these proceedings was manifested later, when he stopped to watch the game, which was resumed after the reception was over.

ADDRESS OF WELCOME. After inspecting the school children, Their Excellencies took their seats in the stand, where a number of official visitors had gathered. The Mayor then read the following address: “May it please Your Excellency, we, the Mayor and councillors of Waitara, for ourselves, and on behalf of the citizens, tender you a very hearty welcome on your first official visit to our town, and take the opportunity of expressing our loyalty to you as the representative of our beloved Sovereign. We also extend a loving greeting to Her Excellency lardy Jellicoe, and sincerely hope that you may have a long life together, and that you may see your children following the good example set by their illuetrious parents. “We remember with pride the great part taken by Your Excellency during the great war, when the seas were kept safe for the transport of our soldiers, and we assure Your Excellency that we appreciate and are deeply grateful to the British Navy, under Your Excellency’s command, for the noble manner and whole-hearted way in which all obstacles were overcome and the British flag kept flying. “Our town is small, but many of our young men took part in the war, and they went cheerfully to fight for King and Empire. Thirty-six gave their lives for the cause of right and justice. The piece of ground on which we are gathered to-day is known as the ‘Camp Reserve,’ because here were encamped the Imperial troops during the Maori war. Then the Maori was our enemy. Now he is our friend, and fought with us, and for us, in upholding the traditions of the great and British Empire. The last occasion on which a Governor-General visited Waitara was in 1880 or 1881, when we were honored by a visit from Sir William Jervois, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Major Eccles. It is pleasing to note that Your Excellency is travelling over the whole of the Dominion, thus making vourself acquainted with its people.

“Signed for and on behalf of the Mtfvor, councillors and burgesses of the Borodgh of Waitara, this 29th day of October, 1921. —R. Morgan, Mayor; 0. H. Tate, Town Clerk.” THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH. After the reading of the address, two beautiful bouquets, which came from the children of the Convent School, and the junior members of the Navy League, were presented to Lady Jellicoe, The Governor-Generals reply to the civic address was as follows:

“Your expression of loyalty to His Majesty the King, and your kindly words of greeting to me as his representative, are most welcome, for they reflect so truly the spirit which has always inspired New Zealanders and which was shown so unmistakably during the recent war. •‘The historic associations of this piece of ground, which you recall to mind, and the glorious record of your follow citizens who cheerfully gave their lives in the cause of the Empire in the great war, cannot but bring home to us what that Empire represents, composed as it is of many different races, knit together by a common loyalty fo one Throne, and by a common concept tion of justice and right. “Whatever your difficulties now and in the future may be, so long as those ideals are maintained, by the several parts of the Empire, no fear need be entertained of its security as a whole.

“Her Excellency and I are very grateful for the expression of good wishes which you extend to us and to our children, and we wish to assure you of the pleasure afforded to us by our visits to the various parts of the Dominion, and by the opportunities granted thereby of meeting its people and viewing the beauties of its scenery. We look forward to the pleasure of returning to this delightful district, and we sincerely trust that the future will bring you all happiness. After reading his reply, His Excellency said: “I would just like to add to those few words o«»' gratification and pleasure at meeting so many of the people of Waitara. I know that there i§ an important cricket match in progress, and -that Waitara has just got time to act the necessary runs to win, so 1 am not "oing to detain you. I wish to recall to mind the fact that this portion of the colony (as it was then) was formed in 1'839, and that soldiers and sailors met together here on common around at this place where we are now fathered. A matter which interests me very much is the fact that a number of the children of this gathering are members of the Navy League, and it la a record of which Waitara might well be proud. It shows that you recognise what the sea means, not only to the Dornin ion of New Zealand, but to the wliorf of the British Empire. Our future lies upon the ssa. It is your life and the source of your prosperity. -1 hope the cricket match will go on at once, said His Excellency, concluding. The presentation of the official visitors to Viscount and Lady Jellicoe then toAk place. His Excellency was the re. eipient of a collection of Maor> war Jnw gathwad by Mr. T. Dugdale. Afternoon tea was served in (-lull pavilion, anfl, after inspecting the grounds and the neyy croquet, lawn, Their Excellencies left on the return to New Plymouth, which was peached shortly after &.3U p-m-