T0 TOUR N.Z.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1929, Page 1

T 0 TOUR N.Z.

PARTY OF ENGLISH SCHOOLBOYS

OBJECTS OF VISIT .EXPLAINED

AUCKLAND, January 22

A party of 45 English Public School boys, between the ages of 17 and 19, is expected to reach Auckland from England by the lonic on Monday, February 11 tli. The boys, who have just left school and are about to enter public life, are coming here to learn as much as they can of the Dominion in the seven weeks at their disposal. This is the third and most ambitious of the tours of this character arranged by the Public Schools Enipiie Tour Committee, the two previous ones to Canada and to South Africa having proved successful. This Committee was created by Mr L. S. Amery, Secretary of'State for the Dominions, and is under the chairmanship of Dr Eendall, late headmaster of Winchester. While the organisation is not actually an official one, it has been set up after consultation with the Ministry in England, and the Home Government is in full sympathy with its o’ ject.

The hoys are widely representative of English Public School life, being drawn from such well-known schools as Charterhouse, Clifton, Eton, Harrow, Haileybury, Lancing, Radley, Retpon, Rugby, Stowe, Tonbridge. Winchester, and others. The director in charge of the party is Mr J. R. Darling, master at Charterhouse, who has associated with him Lieutenant Grenfell Smith-Dorrien and Mr Michael Scott.

Mr Francis Portal has come to the Dominion a mouth ahead ol the pait\ and is at present in Auckland making arrangements for the tour. The main object of the visit is, of course, educational. The idea is to acquire firsthand knowledge and spread it at Home, to exchange views and establish poisonal contact with the people in the Dominion, and to study local conditions from the point ol view of . tnc possible settler. These objects it is hoped to accomplish by int.iodiuiug the party to every aspect of the life ol tlie country. As a large proportion oil these lads will in all probability fill influential positions in England in after life it is expected through this tour t~ accelerate the development of still greater mutual interest and understanding between New Zealand and the Motherland.

The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of the New Zealand Government, and a very comprehensive itinerary has been arranged in conjunction with the Internal Aflairs Department.