He stated the Government had in view the opening of the next Parliament at Canberra.
Rugby chant and a mother’s lament
"Gau, Gau, New Zealand, Wir-r-r-r,
Mu-i-au, yil-ling,
Yu, rang ul lou yang,
Yai, yai, Gun-yil, lou yang.
Yah!"
Pride of place must certainly be given this week to the mighty, melodious, soulful chant of the New South Wales footballers. For many and many an hour, leaving ordinary affairs aside, I have been striving to get the glorious words — as Browning has it, "with heart’s endeavour," to make them "stay in my soul for ever." As for the meaning, I wouldn’t presume. Such mystical incantations would lose half their charm if they were interpreted.
Similarly — and, yet with distinction of tragic significance — is one’s mystic sense arrested by a dirge in the For the Empire’s Cause in memoriam column:
"Moe mai e Te Aute
I runga I Go Karipori
I hinga rangatira Koe
E whawhai ana Kite hoariri.
Aue te Aroha
Aue to Mamae
E pehi kino nei i au
Moa e tama o tore nei e hokimai.
— inserted by his loving mother."
Here again, I cannot translate; but I know that the meaning is profound and superbly simple and majestically maternal.
— by "Wayfarer"
Massey leaves for London
"I am leaving for England within a very little while now to attend what I consider will be the most important gathering of the kind ever held," said the Prime Minister shortly before the Tahiti sailed tonight. "And it is comforting to me to know that I go with the full accord of every member of both branches of the Legislature and, I believe, of every man and woman in the dominion. Don’t let anyone run away with the idea that the mission I am about to undertake will be of the nature of a joy ride. It will not. I will appreciate the sea voyage after the strenuous times recently passed through, but my staff and I will have to work solidly and steadily almost the whole way Home, and once we get to London there will be no escape from hard work till we again board the steamer for New Zealand. However, my aim is worthily to represent New Zealand by doing my utmost in the interests of this my country, and of the Empire."
Mr Massey talked interestingly on several subjects which are to be discussed by the Imperial Conference, and he emphasised the fact that the decisions are subject to ratification by the countries concerned.
"An important subject to be discussed at the Conference is immigration, and while I can spare time to touch on this only very briefly now, I desire to make it clear that as far as possible we should keep this a white man’s country."
— ODT, 29.8.1923 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
