OUR ROYAL VISITORS

Wairarapa Age, 23 February 1927, Page 5

OUR ROYAL VISITORS

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK ARRIVE

WARM WELCOME IN AUCKLAND

LOYAL ADDRESSES.

AUCKLAND,. February 22. Early this morning light showers of rain fell, but the weather had cleared by 10 o’clock, when a salute of 21 guns announced the arrival of H.M.S. Benown at the entrance to the harbour, bringing Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of York to make their first acquaintance with New Zealand. Th© city is crowded, and immense crowds assembled wherever there was an opportunity of seeing the Boyal visitors, and especially along the streets to be traversed in procession. Auckland was gay with decorations, and the morning’s functions were carried out amidst scenes of enthusiasm and a general atmosphere of warm welcome to the party. To-day’s proceedings were limited to formal visits and receptions, and to a short tour of the city.

After the Royal barge had brought the Duke and Duchess of York and their immediate suite to the wharf, the Royal visitors were conducted to a dais inside the main gates and officially welcomed by the chairman and members of the Harbour Board..

The party was met at the wharf gates by the Mayor and the Town Clerk and informally welcomed to the

city. Their Royal Highnesses next mottyred to Government House, where they rested awhile, and then drove by way of Anzac Avenue, Customs Street and Queen Street to the Town Hall, through cheering crowds and amidst the waving of banners and streamers from many parts of the province, bearing legends conveying the warmest expressions of welcome. Queen Street was lined on either side with masts and poles swathed spirally in bands of orange and green. The centre tramway poles were similarly decorated.

The returned soldiers paraded in strong force and lined the route of

the procession from the wharf to Customs Street. From this point to the Town Hall the line of the procession was roped off, and the way was left clear for Their Highnesses through the cheering throngs, whose welcome certainly lacked nothing in warmth. The naval men formed the guard of honour outside the Town Hall. When the Royal Party entered the Town Hall for the civic reception the vast audience stood while strains of the National Axuthem pealed forth. The Duke and Duchess and their suite, with the Ministers of the Crown and leading officials and citizens, took their places on the. stage, and an address of welcome from the city was read. The Duke replied. From the Town Hall the Royal Party retraced the route to Government House, and the public functions for to-day concluded. THE GOVERNMENT ADDRESS. The Government address of welcome road by the Primo Minister at the meeting of the Ministers with the Duke and Duchess ou board the Renown is a very line specimen of the illuminator’s art. It is on parchment, and the colours of.the illumination are in beauti-fully-blended soft tints. Signed by the Prime Minister and all the Ministers of the Executive Council, the address reads:—

“To Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of York—-

“May it please Your Royal Highnesses: We, His Majesty’s Ministers in th\i Dominion, offer our respectful congratulations to Your Royal Highnesses on the occasion of your first visit to New Zealand. On behalf of the people of this Dominion we desire to assure Your Royal Highnesses of their strong feelings of attachment arft devotion to His Gracious Majesty the King, and of their unswerving loyalty to the Throne. The visit of Your Royal High, nesses to this distant Dominion has aroused the greatest interest and enthusiasm, and we feel sure that as you travel through the country there will be extended to you a welcome as wholehearted as that which was accorded to Taeir Majesties the King and Queen, and at a later date to JHs Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The people of New Zealand of Doth races recognise the great privileges they enjoy as an integral part of the British Empire, and they feel sure that your visit will still help to strengthen the ties which unite them to the Motherland. Although the stay of Your Royal Highnesses with us will be brief, we hope it will prove enjoyable and Instatetive, and that you will carry back to the Motherland pleasant memories of the visit.

“All the members of both races unite m wishing Your Royal Highnesses long life, health and happiness and a safe return to the Homeland. ’ “We have the honour to subscribe ourselves, Your Royal Highnesses’ most humble and obedient servants.’’ DUKE OF YORK’S REPLY. The Duke of York made the following reply:— “Prime Minister and Gentlemen, The Duchess and I sincerely thank you for your address, and I will not fail to convey to His Majesty The King the sentiments of loyalty to the Throne which you have just expressed. The day to which we have long been locking forward has at last arrived, and we shall very soon find ourselves for the first time in our lives ou the soil of New Zealand, and able to meet your people in their own country. Nothing could give us more pleasure than to make the acquaintance of those of whose hospitality and friendship we have heard so much. For our part we are anxious to learn something of the conditions under which they °live and the problems they have to face, so that if at any time we should be given the opportunity of furthering their interests we shall be found ready and willing to play our part, and thus unite still more closely the ties which ■bind together New Zealand and the Mother Country. “We deeply appreciate your welcome and good wishes for the success of our visit to the Dominion, and we feel sure that when we have,to leave this beautiful country we shall carry away the happiest memories of our stay among you. ’ ’ RESPONSE TO CIVIC WELCOME. 'rhe Duke, in reply to the civic address, said that the Duchess and himself

were much touched by the wonderful kindness of the welcome received, and were delighted to have the opportunity of meeting the citizens of Auckland. Continuing, the Duke said that he would like on their first day in New Zealand to address a few words not

only to the citizens of Auckland, but to the people of the Dominion. The King wished him to assure the people of the

proud recollections he and the Queen had of their visit twenty-six years ago. They would never forget those happy days and the loyalty and affectionate, welcome accorded them in all parts of New Zealand they had visited.' It was a source of pride, the Duke said, that the Duchess and himself were following in their footsteps. “The Throne,” he said, “is a great bond of union between all parts of the Empire, and I know there arc no more loyal people anywhere than those of New Zealand, as was so nobly shown by their gallant services and heroic devotion in the war.” The Duke added that the Duchess and himself specially desired to see as much as possible of the children m the course of the tour. His remarks several times evoked warm bursts of applause, especially when early in his speech he referred to the visit of the Prince of Wales.—(P.A.)

CROWD OUT OF HAND.

BREAKS THROUGH POLICE CORDON. “INTENTIONS OF THE BEST.” AUCKLAND, February 22. The breaking of the police cordon round the Town Hall entrance created an unforeseen situation at the moment Their Royal Highnesses were taking their departure at the close rf the civic reception. For a few minutes the surging of 400 or 500 people round the Royal car took on a serious aspect, numbers of women being crushed in the melee, which the thirty constables present were powerless to prevent. Three women, and a. child were carried out of the stampeding crowd in a fainting condition and were attended by St John Ambulance officers and nurses who were on duty in the hall. Beyond a few bruises received in the crush, none were much the worse for their exciting experience. The -most serious ease was that of a woman who received slight abdominal injuries, the result of her umbrella breaking against her body. The first hint of trouble occurred at 11 o'clock, while the civic reception was in progress. About 200 people were gathered outside the main doors of the Town Hall waiting for the Duke and Duchess 'to emerge on their return to Government House.

AN AIR OF EXPECTANCY. There was an air of cxpectancv about the waiting crowds and at this stage their behaviour was strictly orderly, the people standing patiently behind the rope barriers. In addition to the police, two lines of armed sailers from the warships of the New Zealand .Squadron were stationed at this spot. V. itliin the. space of twenty minutes, however, the. crowd round the doors was almost trebled in size by an invasion of thousands of people from the lower end of Queen Street. These new-comers, eager to see what was taking place round the doors, pressed heavily on those in front, and pushed back the row of constables guarding the rope harriers. 6

THE LINE GIVES WAY. The -break through occurred iust as There Royal Highnesses were leaving the town Hall to enter their ear In spite of frantic efforts to keep' the crowd steady, the police barrier was pressed back along the line of the footpath and simultaneously the crowd from the opposite side of the street an’ from A exandra Street, poured over the roadway, pushing aside the sailors who- tried to stem the crush. In what was described by many women as a disgraceful scene, people were jostled and children were knocked over. As the crowd surged round the Royal car numbers of women had their shoes and stockings cut and soiled by the trampfect and fcw escaped f rom the throng without. bruises. Although the behaviour of the crowd was at- times fair from gentle, its intentions were always of the best, and the final rush upon the Royal car was made to the accompaniment of cheers and cries of welcome. Their Royal Highnesses Who wore shown into a closed car which had been substituted for an open car owing to a downpour of rain, bowed graciously to the .people who pressed upon them ami greeted the applause with smiles. With half a dozen constables ruling on the dashboard, the car wedged its way slowly through the concourse ami proceeded to government people b Wee “ denso liDes of Peering

PRIME MINISTER DELAYED. Owing to the crowds which still presed round the Town Hall doors it was some minutes later before the I limo Minister and his party could ° further complicate matters, numbers of people attending ilia civic reception ignored the Mayor’s appeal to wait until the Duke and Duchess had left the -Hall, and crowding into the lobby -blocked -tin- depart uro of some of the official guests—■ (P.A.)