Pōmare whānau honoured

Wellington, August 10: This afternoon the Prime Minister (the Hon J.G. Coates) took the opportunity of presenting Sir Maui Pomare, Lady Pomare and Miss Pomare with tokens of affection from the people of the Cook and other South Pacific islands.

These tokens took the shape of a huge and beautifully designed silver loving cup for Sir Maui, with miniature replicas of it for Lady Pomare and Miss Pomare, and also of a gold-mounted cocoanut bowl from the people of Niue.

Mr Coates, in a very happy speech, presented these tokens of affection from the Polynesian people. He mentioned that on the last day of this month, Sir Maui will have completed 13 years and 53 days as Minister for the Cook Islands, a record of service exceeding the combined term of his four predecessors in the same office. This term, added Mr Coates, also constituted a record of continuous service not only as a member of the New Zealand Executive Council, but also as an elected Minister of the Crown in the British Empire.

"The inhabitants of the Cook Group have been pleased," added the Prime Minister, "to recognise the occasion and to show the warmth of their regard for you, their Minister, by making you a presentation of this beautiful loving cup. It is from the inhabitants of Rarotonga, Mangaia, Aitutaki, Mauko, Atiu, Mitiaro, and the Northern Cook Islands, extending as far north as Penrhyn, New Zealand’s most northerly island, situated but a few degrees south of the Equator. I am asked, in making this presentation, to assure you that this gift is a token of affection and of appreciation of the devotion, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, and courage with which you have carried out during so many years, to the great advantage of the Cook Islands, your duties as Minister. Some of the donors were amongst the friends you made on your first visit to the Cook Islands over 26 years ago, when you were a medical officer of health under the New Zealand Government. To-day those friends greet you as Minister of Health, the attainment of which office might be claimed as another record. You will appreciate the spirit in which this gift is made, and value it a thousand times more than its intrinsic worth when I mention that so far as the Maori people of the Cook Islands are concerned, they prepared their portion of the gift entirely according to their own custom in these matters, and thus it may truly be said to come from the hearts of your people and to carry with it a message of affection and goodwill."

In regard to Lady Pomare, Mr Coates said the people of the islands remembered with gratitude her many kindly acts to Cook Islands people, not only during those visits, but particularly when they had been on visits to New Zealand, and also the devoted work performed by her for the soldiers of the Cook Islands during the War period. (Applause.) ‘

US sailors arrive

Shortly after coming on shore yesterday afternoon, a squad of the American sailormen made a bee line for a door marked "Saloon." Their disgust on discovering it was only a barber’s shop was intense. From then on until closing time the barbers were kept busy on point duty, giving the necessary redirection.

— ODT, 11.8.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)