GIFT FOR BELGIANS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 6

GIFT FOR BELGIANS

;■ \;';: : CLOTHING WOETH :.' (Br IWegronh.—Preisa .Association.) .'■;■- 'v. '■ ■•■ Auckland, December 3. ,;A trainloao! of clothing for the Belgians Lvas dispatched from Auckland to-day to Eg* shipped it Wellington for London. iff ho train of fourteen '■carriages and a |12040n . engine -Was/piofusely decorated Jjrith' national flags. Mr. Burns, the Bel- ; : Consul, stated .that 637 cases clolthfinff were being sent away to-day and 101 4jnoro : cases were to follow. The. very ' -value of the clothing was 320,000. ' ■"■■ '.'• ■;Vp PATBIOTIC. SPEECHES. '; ■'■';•" .; 'Auckland,, December 8. ' :•;,('■. Speaking at :the'departure of the spe- . &ial train for . Wellington ■'.with clothing : Belgians the Prime Minister said that the whole Dominion, had risen splendidly to the occasion, and-.he thought the district, of Auckland ■ had done particularly well in rendering assistance :'to our brave Allies, the Belgians. ■' A jjproud boast in okkm. times was: "lam a ••Homan citizen." He thought our boast ■\,to-ilay. should be," "I be'a citizen of- the British f . Empire." (Ap- ■', plause.) New Zealand was prompt to '..v'een'd troops to the'i'rontahd:,her' soldiers ' .vere first to set.foot oh conquered'Germanterritory. (Applause.).'; Sue was now ■first, and' Auckland deserved; : the/ to send a train load of clothing, away: for our hcedy friends; the' Belgians.'.'We had W>t gone to war for fun, but because',we {conceived it to be our duty.and we.wpuld.. .continue until- Garmaa. despotism and "Kaiserism" were things, of the. past; He was sura the .unique occasion would be . remembered for scpfes ; of year's tci come. /(Applause.) •'.'''''.•'': :.' : ; ''. • Sir Joseph Ward'said : it was'a grand •thing, to see a New Zealand-made engine '•drawing: the train-fully equipped ; with .(■clothing for suffering! Belgians,: and; .he *w as pleased to cndorse.'tbe sentiments expressed by the ■ Prime:;Miaisfor., (Applause.). '.'■ ''.'.'■'•'■ ■■'-~)'-'■'•-■■'--' '-'■-■- The "Manchester Guardian" (according '. -,fo ,a Press AssaciationY'message"received .from London yesterday) states that- the .: Belgian Relief Commission : ■ denies . tho ■'Jnis-statementa. respecting the attitude of 'tho Germans, who ivefe said to be holding lip supplies. The Commission statcs-.that the Germans- afforded ;every assistance in .: obtaining prompt, delivery of the relief supplies. The" American Minister at /'Brussels''states- that, without assistance '.ihero must be famine; 'A story is being told in Tokomoru Bay \fcfc the expense of Mr. W. D. .S.'MaoDonald, the Opposition candidate for Bav of Plenty.- In order to give the ohildren on- insight into tne method of conducting a ballot tho headmaster of the local school arranged to have a mock ballot after i.thoy had heard the speeches of the two candidates for the Bay of Plenty ■ seat. '-Unfortunately for his plans a combination of circumstances prevented a big attendance of his pupils at Mr.MacDonald's meeting on Saturday evening. On Monday, after reminding them of Mr. K. S. Williams's'mooting for that night he told them that the mock ballot would be held tho following day and that those who. were ' present.- on the Saturday evening could: indicate to those who were not ■\ the nature of the policy outlined by Mr. Mac Donald. This was evidently a puzzle, for one of tho senior .pupils went to one ■-. of tho' staff and'said:- "Wo' wore told to toll the children who were not at Sat- " urday night's meeting the nature of Mr. 'Macllonald'J}' views, .but. wo don't know . what to. fell tlicin for lie never expressed anv views as to a policy."