Waipawa Function.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 71, 26 April 1929, Page 8

Waipawa Function.

The Anzac Day cplebrations in Waipawa yesterday were spoiled to a great extent by the bad weather whicli • prevailed. Heavy rain eommenced to fall eaidy in the morning and continued with a persistent monotony all day. These conditions made it necessary to completel.v alter the arrangements and instead o'f holding the seryices at the War Memorial as in previous vears, the.v were lield in the Municipal Theatre. A small procession, consisting of retumed soldiers, cadets. Guides, firemen and band, assembled at 9,50 and marclied to tlie Memorial. A number of wreath s. including one from the returned soldiers, the scliool. and other institutions, were deposited on the steps at the foot of tHe tower. Tlie procession then reformed and marched

to the theatre, which hv this time was i well-filled. The first part of the ceremony was | the official cereinony organised by the Returned Soldiers' Association. In 0])ening the procoeding.s. the Mayorelect. Mr G. H. Hunt, expressed pleasure at seeing such a large numlicr prespnt in spite of tho had weatlier conditions. It showed the.v had still rememhrance of what took plaoe in the Great War and of those who had so nobl.v done their dutv during that sin'ggl 1 for lihortv. Sir George Hunter. i\I.P., was the next speaker and oncc again ivmuided those pre^ent nf tho gallant deeds of our brave trnops, w hott the.v made history on Gallijjoli at the conimeucemcnt of th® war. Sir Cliarles Fergusson. in a recout sjjceeh. had suggosted that in tho fnture the Anzac. celehrations should he oi' a more cheer- , ful naturc now that our meniories had nielloned. Prohahlv there was no >ccasion to mourn unduly, hut the day • would aluays he one if reinembranee of tliosc who had so gallantly givcn all for freedom and right. "Father in Thv sjieeia! keeju'ng. Leave mo now Thv sorvants sleeping." Tlie hymn. "Abide with Mo.'' was then sung and tlie meeting was addressed by Mr A. F. Black. a returned soldior. The sjieaker said it was not r.Ofessary to rerapitulate the doeds of our men to the older people wlio had gone thrugh tlie stress of the Great War, hut a younger generation had grnwn up since the war. and for their sr.ke it was necessary to bring to rclnembraine those who had gone out to fight for country and had nohly givcn tlieir lives in doing so. War might he neecssiiry at times. hut lf thoso who were growing up could be educatcf! to trv to hring ahout other conditions of settling disputcs and tluis avoid the horrors of war. tlie sacrifices made in the last war would not have heen made in vnin. A firing party nf Cadets, under Sorgount Knoblndi, then marclied with reversed arms on to the stage. the band playing a Iament while tliey were taking up tlieir positions. Tliroe volloys were fired and then Mr Jack Russell sounded the "Last Post." Tlie singing of the X'ational Anthem brought a touching ceremony to a ilose. At the elose of tlie official ceremony a united service was lield, which was eonducted h.v the ministers of the various eliurches. This was o]iened witli tho singing of the "Old Hundredth," followed by a scripturc reading hy the Rev. W. T. Hooper. Prayer was ofl'ered hy tlie Bev. J. I'igott and this was follouetl hy the singing of tlie grnnd old hymn "Oh, God, Our Helu in Ages I'ast." Tlie Bev. F. W. Robertson gave a sGrring address on the lessons to he lenrncfl from Anzac. The service was c losed by al! joiuing in the singing of "God Have tlie King."