FOR MERCHANT SEAMEN

Chronicle (Levin), 22 June 1946, Page 4

FOR MERCHANT SEAMEN

, street DAY to be held in | 1 . levin i : An interesting and comprehensive talk was given to an appreciative audience on Thursday night in the R.S.A. rooms when Mr. C; A. H.. ; Hutton, honorary of ganiser of the ! British Sailors' Society for Mer1 chant Seamen, visited , Levin in regard to raising fun'ds for tnis worthy organisation. The speaker was introduced to the meeting by the Mayor N(Mr. H. J3. Burdekin), who said that he was very pleased to; see such a representative . gathering.- " " . Mr. Hutton said he was pleased to be in Levin that evening. His primary objective was to ask the people of Levin to (subscribe to the missionC He stated that there were . three missions, the British Sailors' 'Society, the Mission to Seamen (-"The Fiying Angel"-) and the Apostleship of the Sea, and all cooperated when street day appeals were held, but were eritirely iiideI^endent in all other matters. The object of the society was to cater for all merchant seamen when on shore, and to help'them when they 'were in hospital. Continuing, Mr. Hutton said that the three missions catered for approximately 1000 men per week, and often entertained them "by hiring buses and having . picnics out of the city. The spirit of the merchant seaman wds alwyays very high and during the war over 30,000 of the men were ldiled, while another 19,000 were wounded. i Mr. Hutton said that now thc war was over, people 'thought that fewer 'ships were coming to New Zealand, but this was entirely wrong. The number of vessels with their tonnage from January 1 to May .31 was British,' 64 vessels representing 459,694 tons ; foreign. .58 ships representing 288,386' tons; and Australian, 12 vessels representing 20,926 tons, making a tota.l of 134 vessels representing 769,006 tons. These ships had an average of 200 men on board and the society helped to entertain thpm while irr New Zealand, but at quite an expense. - - It was then deeided by the meeting to hold a street day appeal m Levin on July 9 to help raise funds for the missions.