By 11 o’clock a large gathering of citizens had assembled outside the Cathedral, and all unreserved pews were filled. The aisles were also crowded when the service commenced, and many were unable to gain admittance to the Cathedral. Their Excellencies, Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson, together with the other members of the Vice-Regal party took their places at the head of the officers from the Royal Navy and the New Zealand Defence Forces. His Excellency wore a plain black band on the sleeve of his full-dress uniform, and Lady Alice was in deep mourning.
Novel portrays Aotearoa romance
"A True Romance of the South Seas" is the description given to a recently published book entitled Rahwedia (Messrs D. Appleton and Co; 7s 6d). "Rahwedia" is the name of a Maori maiden, whom the author, Mr C. Harold Smith, met and became friends with for a few months in the summer of 1875-6. To-day the author still wears a Maori talisman, the gift of Rahwedia. A boy of 16 years took passage by the White Eagle clipper ship for Auckland, his uncle in finds him a place in the timber mills of Hikutaia, near the Thames. Presently he is lost in the bush. He meets the girl Rahwedia, grandchild of an Englishman, and settles down as a young pakeha Maori, learning the language from the beautiful Rahwedia. In due course all the inhabitants of the pa go down the river to take part in the festivities in connection with the reunion of the Hau-Haus and the tribes which had been friendly to the English.
There is a delicate love theme running through the simply told story, with little action. It nevertheless has a tenderness and delicacy which leaves a wistful impression on the mind of the reader. — by ODT London correspondent
Chambers oppose suppression
The value of newspaper publicity as a deterrent to offenders was the subject of remits before the conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce sitting here yesterday afternoon. The remits were in the following terms: "That while admitting that the suppression of the publication of offenders’ names may in very special circumstances be justified as facilitating the rehabilitation of first offenders, this conference is strongly of the opinion that the relinquishment of so effective a deterrent to the commission of minor offences will impose a grave disability upon the mercantile and industrial community, unless applied with the utmost discretion. This conference therefore recommends that the Minister of Justice be asked to consider the possibility of framing rules for the guidance of those responsible for giving effect to the measure, thus ensuring more uniformity in its application. That this chamber is of the opinion that necessary steps should be taken to permit the publication in newspapers and mercantile magazines, of summonses confessed in Magistrates’ Courts." — ODT, 28.11.1925
Compiled by Peter Dowden
