A CONTRETEMPS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 983, 25 November 1910, Page 6

A CONTRETEMPS.

'{WIS EXCELLENCY AND! THE. NAVY !' LEAGUE.. :•> What was officially described as "an g tmfortunato' misunderstanding" was re- £ 6porisiblo for' a' little contretemps in coni} uection: v with the visit to Wellington yesi; terday of the Wairarapa members of the £ INaY'iv League.. His Excelleucy .the Gov-' ■K«rnor (Lord Islington) had very kindly 'i consented' to, come down- and. see the Jjefore they left on their return ..••■"jdinrncy,- and it had been originally or-. « ranged that this function should take g .place at Lambton Railway Station, about « 5.30 p.m.-7-tlie special train.was timed, to ri leave. at G. 7 p.m. As a matter of convenience, and as a safeguard against pos- £ eible bad .weather, it ■ was . subsequently § arranged that the children should assemble lit the Missions to Seamen's Hall, : i' where his. Excellency Would address them. ' . The . time appointed—s.lo p.m.—duly 5 arrived, but of the 1000, odd children who' had eomo down from the Wairarapa. r.'i to see the squadron only about 100. put k in an. appearance,, to meet his Excel-' lqricy at the Seamen's Mission Hall. Lord Islington presently arrived, attended by ;; one of his aides, and was received by 4 Mr.' Jas. .Moore, the inissioner,.' and members of the Navy League. The pro.cession; Headed by his Excellency, did 'i not ascend the platform, but disappeared " into an ante-room at 1 tho rear.- After a' '•f brief interval, his Exccllency reappeared, .'i and a hush of expectation settled' upon j;. the . children.,, As the vice-regal party m. passed -the press, table/however, it was apparent that something.was wrong, for 'irlibrd Islington, briefly 1 replying. to some remark by Mr. Moore, at once left the ■^building. The question which naturally suggested itself to everyone' present was: "What •has gone amiss?" The reply came in , the shape, of an official, explanation by Mr. C. W. Palmer, secretary of the Navy League, who regretted to state that through an"" unfortunate misunderstanding tho majority of the children had .either gone to the railway station . or ; . were roaming about the town,'and his , Excellency had , therefore decided 1 not to -address them.' ■ — ■-•■■■ V! Frojn what could be ,gathered after- ..." wards, there appeared to have been some ■ lack of sympathy between the secretary . of the Wairarapa branch of the league I'.and the Masterton School authorities,- in ■ connection with the arrangements for the • Visit to - .Wellington, and that eacli, it .was' stated, had tacitly agreed to differ, - and .go their respective ways, which probably accounts.for the circumstance that of the. 1000 odd who visited the capital, .. only 400 odd .went on board the flagship, .-■while'a mere handful inspected tho Fire '■'Brigade Station and attended the short .-organ recital arranged for their cdifica- ' tion'at. the Town.Hall.. -