WAIKATO FAREWELL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1940, Page 3

WAIKATO FAREWELL

ADDRESS TO BE PRESENTED TO LORD GALWAY. EXPRESSION OF LOYALTY TO THE KING. (By Telegraph—Press Asociation.) AUCKLAND. February 19. While greatly appreciating the gesture. the Governor-General. Viscount Galway, has informed Princess To Puea Herangi that he is unable to accept an invitation from the Waikato and allied tribes to attend a farewell gathering in honour of himself and Lady Galway at Ngaruawahia. The Waikatos ndw intend to ask his Excellency to accept a farewell address and to convey loyal greeting io the King. The invitation was sent to his Excellency after the decision by the Waikatos and their allies not to be represented at the Waitangi celebrations for conscientious reasons. At Waitangi. Lord Galway, officially farewelled the Maori people, and the Waikatos, while regretting their inability to be present, felt that, in the circumstances, the appropriate place for them to bid farewell was on their own marae at Ngaruawahia. Princess Te Puea forwarded the invitation in King Koroki’s name. Princess Te Puea has now been in-

formed by his Excellency's official secretary. Mr D. E. Fouhy, that, having said farewell to the Maori people as a whole, his Excellency feels that it would be in appropriate for him, as the King's representative, to pay further visits to any sections of the Maori people before leaving the Dominion.

Princess Tc Puea said on Saturday that the decision was a matter of sincere regret to King Koroki and the Waikato people, but they felt that they must bow to it. It was their desire, however, that his Excellency should convey to the King their loyal greetings and to accept a farewell message for himself and Lady Galway. "Our people, therefore, have decided to present him with a farewell address, which will be encased in a specially carved waka-huia," Princess Te Puea said. "We trust that his Excellency, even if he cannot honour us with his presence on our own marae. will see his way clear to accept this evdience of the loyalty and affection of the Waikatos and the respect in which they hold his office."