KING’S BEST WISHES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1939, Page 6

KING’S BEST WISHES

MESSAGE ON OPENING OF EXHIBITION READ BY LORD GALWAY. SURVEY OF COLONISING ACHIEVEMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Formally declaring the Centennial Exhibition open this afternoon, the Governor-General (Lord Galway) read a message received yesterday from the King:— “I am glad to hear that the Exhibition in connection with New Zealand’s Centenary is to be opened in Wellington tomorrow and send my best wishes for its success.” (Signed) George R.l.

Lord Galway said that naturally at a time like this, our thoughts went back to the commencement of the era covered by the Exhibition. He outlined tiie circumstances under which New Zealand became a British colony, adding: “Most fortunately for New Zealand. most of the emigrants who arrived in this country were men and women of good physique, character and foresight—people of the best British colonising type. We cannot help thinking of their courage and determination —lite long and hazardous voyage from the Mother Country, their endless discomforts and no real knowledge of how they would find things on their arrival. Transport was primitive. The warlike natives were as yet anything but. friendly in many parts of the country and the settlers were necessarily thrown on their own resources. Tlie greater part of the country consisted of heavy bush which had to be cut and burned before effective use could be made of the land, but those pioneers had spirit and courage and it is to their efforts mainly that much of the progress already achieved is due.”

After tracing the development of New Zealand in trade and population, Lord Galway referred to the spirit and courage displayed by New Zealand troops in the South African and Great Wars, showing the qualities of the early settlers to have been inherited by their descendants. "So too, during the present war," he said, "we are sure that when called upon to do so the. present generation will show the same sense of courage, loyalty and patriotism." The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Sullivan), as president of the Exhibition, read cablegrams from Mr P. Fraser, Mr Anthony Eden (Dominions Secretary). Mr R. S. Hudson (British Secretary for Overseas Trade) j and the Governor of Fiji conveying best wishes for success. Mr Eden’s cable added: “Although Iho opening comes at a moment of storm and stress in the world, the Exhibition will ' filly commemorate the history of a hundred years of peaceful effort and strenuous progress which have seen the building up of a strong and vigorous New Zealand, ready to play its part in war as in peace.”

CITY IN BUNTING HUGE CROWDS ASSEMBLING. PACKED TRAFFIC STREAMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Wellington dressed itself in bunting for the great event' it has been awaiting—the ceremonial opening of the Centennial Exhibition. The unkindness of a northerly wind, with morning doubts about continued fine weather, could not dampen the spirits cf the capital’s population, or of the thousands of visitors who have come to Wellinton to participate in New Zealand’s greatest commemoration or its hundredth birthday.

There was a tense feeling of excitement about the streets and on city buildings, while children on holiday from school looked forward to the opening of the exhibition's gates with great expectations. Traffic began to move toward Rongotai between rows of pylons several hours before noon, swelling later to long, packed streams of cars. The tramway authorities, anticipating one of the busiest days in their experience, had made preparations for handling enormous crowds and the Railways Department had arranged a heavy schedule of trains from outlying Wellington districts. The main city hotels had large book-ed-in lists, hundreds of prominent people—municipal, political, church and business —having been invited to attend the opening ceremony. The Exhibition grounds were a scene of frantic activity from early morning, exhibitors, officials and attendants struggling to have the whole show in a state of perfect readiness for the eyes of the first-day crowds —and the Exhibition authorities, with New Zealand's greatest show to put on, were confident that no man among those crowds would be disappointed. Press representatives who inspected the Exhibition yesterday or who saw as much of the huge affair as three or four hours would allow them, were unanimous in their expectation of' instant and continued success and popularity.

NORMAL TRAFFIC ON LONG-DISTANCE SERVICES. RUSH MOSTLY FROM CITY & ENVIRONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Though suburban train services are expected to handie heavy traffic .later in the day, the long-distance services did not carry much over the normal traffic. nor did the inter-island ferry services. This repeats the experience of the Dunedin Exhibition's opening day. the attendance being mainly confined io the city and its environs. City transport to the Exhibition was not laved up till noon, but factories and business houses closed down then and the rush set in.

Primary schools from the Wellington side of the Paekakariki Hill and Rimu(akas are closed for the whole day and secondary schools are observing a halfholiday. Heavy bookings to Wellington from distant places are not expected until the holiday season sets in. The weather proved splendid I