THE ROTORUA'S TRIP

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2285, 20 October 1914, Page 6

THE ROTORUA'S TRIP

UNEVENTFUL VOYAGE. : "Everybody believes it is a just, war, and all in England are banded- together to do the best," eaid Mr. 3. H. Board, tho well-known cricketing coach, to a reporter yesterday, after the arrival of the Rotorua. This makes Mr. Board's sixth visit to New Zealand as coach for the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association. While stating that war. hae upset everything in England, he says that. the people aro not at all anxious as to the result. They have a quiet confidence in those guiding tho destinies of tbo nation; take the deepest interest the progress of tho war, but they aro not excited. Tho English cricketing season was abruptly concluded by tho beginning of hostilities, saye Mr. Board. With such a crisis at hand the minds of the English people could not dwell on their great national pastime. This proved hard luck for Surrey, who only had two matches to play, and wero well in the way. of annexing the cham.pionsliip, as they we're playing in good form. "Everybody is confident at Homo, continued Mr. Board. "We know that it is serious, but wo are going to seo

it through. There is 110 divided opinion about the policy of going to war, for" wo all knew. that it was only just that England should step in. (From tho moment hostilities were declared—and it was evident for days before the'outbreak that England would have to take p ar t_everyouo began to do all they could to help. Money was raised on oil eidea to alleviate any distress, and an excellent example was given by the English gentry." ' The passengers on the Hotorua, Earn Mr. Board, were fortunate in getting a beautiful passage out. It was his 6 ixth trip, and wae the best he nad ever made, and was quite uneventful so far as the war was concerned. The boat seemed to take a new route to that of tho usual run, for tho island of .St. Helena was the only land sighted from tho time Dover dropped out of view till Hobarf wae reached. And not onco were the engines slowed down. The passengers had practically no fear of being stopped by German boats, and on their long run interest in ftio war naturally, dropped off, for very little news reache'd them. They got a wireless message notifying them of tho loss of the Pathfinder, but otherwiso verv little of importance was heard. On*reaching Hobart a great rush was made •to securo newspapers, . and the news of week-old evente was eagerly listened to.

'About twenty leading vocah'sts met at tho studio of Professor Saner, Baker's Buildings, Li6t week, and formed a society to bo known in futuro as tho Wellington Philharmonic Society. It is tho intention of the society to cultivate part songs, madrigals, and works from modern and classic masters, as well as vocal music generally, and to form quartets, trios, duets, etc., on the same principle as kindred organisations abroad. The conductor invites applications {row good vocalists for membor-' shin.