H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1753, 19 May 1913, Page 5

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

DUNEDIN CHILDREN. LONG TRIP AND OFFERS TO BILLET. GREAT CROWDS ON SHIP. (By Telegraph.—Prcf?3 Association.) Chrlstchurch, May 18. The total, number of visitors to 11.M.5. New Zealand 011 Saturday, as disclosed by tho official tally, reached the very largo total of 23,'JOi. Subtracting the morning figures, tho tally shows that between 1 p.lll. and 3 p.m. 110 fewer Ulan 19,251 peoplo passed over tho gangways. This, it is said, constitutes u record day's ultendanco for tho ship's Dominion cruise. Tlio number of visitors for fivo days is us follows:— Tuesday,-41)00; Wednesday, 10,711; Thursday, 20,000; Friday, 13,731; Saturday, 23,'JOi; total, 73.255." HOUSING THE CHILDREN. (By Telegraph.—Spccial Correspondent.) Christchurch, May 13. Yesterday the Mayor was inundated with offers from citizens and representatives of various organisations to take some of the Dunedin children, who will be arriving 011 Monday night to v.isit tho battleship, and he, with the town clerk and office staff, were kept busily employed sorting and arranging the oilers received. Tlio Mayor of Lyttelton lias arranged that billeting for fifty children from Dunedin shall be found 111 Lyttelton. Tho Elm Road school children have done admirably. They have undertaken to provide accommodation for 150 Dunedin children. Tho chairman of the Waimairi County Council requests the householders of tlio county to make offers for housing tho Dunedin children. The l'r.imo Minister has given valuable assistanco to the scheme for bringing a largo number of Dunedin children up to Lyttelton next week. He has arranged tlmt tho children shall travel by a special train leaving Dunedin at 10.10 a.m. on Monday, which will covcr the distance in tho samo time as tlio express, 1 arriving in Christchurch at 7.1. r ) p.m. Mr. Masscy has noted, with appreciation, what the citizens intend doing m tho way of providing accommodation for tho guests, and by way of further helping them, and because of tho long distance which tho children have to travel, he lias' given instructions that a diningcar is to' be attached to tho spccial train S) as to enable tlio children to have tea 011 tho way up, whilo moro solid refreshment in tlie way of sandwiches, buns, and cakes arc also to be provided for them frco of charge. • Captain Halsoy has agreed to take tho Dunedin children on board the New Zealand from 9.20 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. 011 Tuesday. Tho southern visitors will l>e tho first party 011 board that morning, and. for the first half-hour, they will have tho ship to themselves. In view of the long distance which they have to come, Captain Ilalsey is anxious to give them every opportunity of seeing all that is to be seen.

At a very largely-attended and enthusiastic meeting held in the City Council Chamber this afternoon, the arrangements were made for tho billeting c.f the children from Dunedin. They irerc detailed by tho Mayor (Mr. Holland), who stated that 1202 children would arrive to-morrow evening, including 250 from tho Boys' and Girls' High Schools, and G3 teachers. Ho anounced that arrangements had practically been completed for the accommodation of all. Councillors Loasby ami T. C. Hill' nro to join (he special train from Dunedin tit Timaru, and confer with tho teachers as to arrangements made. ONLY NINE HUNDRED TO GO. Duncdln, Slay 18. Over 1500 children in Standards 5 and 0 intimated to their teachers on Friday ' that they were willing to rnako tho journey to Lytlelton to visit tho warship: At a meeting of teachers held later in the day, however, it was decided, in view of tho great number coming forward, to take only tho children of Standard C, numbering about 900, and this fact was made known to the children when they assembled (according to instructions) at their respectivo schools on Saturday morning. Naturally it caused keen disappointment in tho breasts of many of the young people. An attempt was niado to get tho Railway Department to convoy the Otygo High School Boys and girls, who aro nt present enjoying term holidays, to Lyttelton, but tho Acting-Minister for Education could not see his way to. comply with tho request, although 200 nf tho number will be taken. Tho children's special train will reach Christchurch to-night at 7 o'clock. The parents of the children are vev grateful to the people of Christchurch. for their thoughtful and very generous offers of billeting • WELLINGTON FUNCTION. Tho Wellington Headmasters' Association has asked the Navy J.caguo to cooperate in tho flag presentation to he held on tho afternoon of June 12 or 13 nt tho Town Ilall. The league will abandon their proposed icvcining 'entertainment, and ihiold the programme in that afternoon instead. Tho patriotic choruses will be repeated, nnd little Cecil Haines' and 'Muster l'ankhurst (both Navy Leaguers and well known at the Competitions) are to contribute items. His Worship the Mayor will preside, and Captain Halsey has agreed to make a short address to the children. The Headmasters' Association has arranged to reserve seats for adult and juvenile members of the Navy League, tickets to whom wcro issued'some months back. Mr. G. L. Stewart, of the Education Board, has control of the arrangements. "JACK" ASIIOKE. Christchurch, May 17. To-day a partv consisting of 19G men from the New Zealand and several from H.M.S. Pyramids, undor Lieut. Lovctt Cameron and Warrant Officer C. Legge. travelled by train to Staircase Gully and thoroughly enjoyed the outing. An accident, however, occurred to Leading l Seamail Nichols. Whilst descending to tho railway line a loose boulder struck him on the head, and ho sustained serious injur.v. Other functions in connection with tho visit of the battle-cruiser were a meet of tho hounds at Aylesbury, which was attended by n_ number of tho ship's officers, and a visit of a squad of men to the rifle range a! the Cashmero Hills.

NOTICE TO VKTEIUNP. Sir. E, Newman, 11.P., recently mado representations to the Government ou t'ho .subject of jfrantinp free railway travel (n veterans dciraus of visilinjf (In; battle-cruiser New Zealand. II r. Newman lias now been informal that veterans will bp allowed.to travel free over the railways to aiiv port in order io visit tlio battleship, provided they bclong to a Wteraiis' A ion. It is required that (ho secretary of the association concerned should mal;e application' to t'h-e I?ailway Department, specifying tho veteran? for whom the concession is (lt.=ii"<l. STEAM CLOSE TO WATKOUAITI. Word has ben received in Waikoiiaiti that: the Now Zealand, oil her way down the c«a>t. will steam as dose i:i to tlm Wnilcoiiaiti coast as is compatible with safety in order to allow widen) s and M.'ttbjrs lo obtain a jjo:k! vi<>«- of her. In this connection a representative of the "Utnpo Daily T ; mes" was shown a letter from the lion. Thomas llaelcenzio to a AVaikoiiaiti resident, in which tho resident Ftated Hint: he had asltcd Captain ITalscv to hoop as close to the AVaihoiiait.' coast.'as possible "for old acquaintance sake" and as'o tribute to (he earlv settlers who arrived in the Magnet, and "also," concluded the writer, "in memory of my own happv assoeialions ivilli the d'Striet."