ARBOR DAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1272, 16 July 1914, Page 3

ARBOR DAY.

STATE SCHOOL CELEBRATION. Arbor Day was celebrated at the local State School yesterday afternoon in glorious weather. In the morning the pupils were instructed iu lessons appropriate to the occasion. Shortly before 2 p.m., the townspeople gathered in large numbers in the school grounds, and the scholars were assembled in the spacious quadrangle, where a very interesting address was delivered by W. C. Nation Esq., J.P., of Levin, founder of the Arbor Day movement in New Zealand. The proceedings opened with the National Anthem, which the children sang lustily. Mr Hornblow, chairman of the School ' Committee, in introducing Mr Nation, stated that as a small boy the speaiker remembered the first Arbor Day celebration held in New Zealand, at Greytown, in 1890. The movement was started by Mr Nation with the object ot creating a public as well as a private interest in town beautifying, by the planting of suitable trees and shrubs in public reserves and thoroughfares, and to stay the hand of the vandal in totally destroying our beautiful native hush. He regretted that Foxton only ndw possessed a small area of native bush, the Harbour Board reserve at Motuili, and for the sake of posterity the authorities should take steps to protect this for all time. Mr Nation’s efforts in the past had had the sympathy of our legislators and members of local governing bodies, and particularly that grand old statesman, Sir George Grey, after whom Greytown is named. The Government subsequently took the Arbor Day movement up, and now it is publicly observed throughout the Dominion. W ben Arbor Day was first celebrated in Greytown, a tree was planted in honour of her late most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria, and in course of time Mr Nation received a nice letter of recognition Irom Her Majesty. On behalf of the school he would ask Mr Nation to plant an oak tree in the school garden in honour of Queen Mary, and an account of the proceedings would be forwarded to Her Majesty, through the Governor. Mr Nation’s name would go down to posterity honoured as the founder of Arbor Day in New Zealand. Mr Nation was greeted by the children with a hearty round of applause. He said the gathering that day took his memory back to twenty-four years ago, when the first New Zealand Arbor Day celebration took place at Greytown. He could see then that something would have to be done to counteract deforestation, and he

urged upon the Greytown Borough Council to take the matter up. The Council’gave him a free hand, and he set to work to fittingly celebrate the first Arbor Day. Associated with him on that occasion were representative public men, the native race, and the school children. Nearly every one present planted a tree, and the affair was a huge success. Today an avenue of trees marked the spot. T'hey had present with them that, day, in the persons of the Chairman and his daughter, Mrs Barratt, two of the young people who took part in the first celebration. His efforts had been acknowledged, and he was pleased to know that Arbor Day was now a national institution. He then Spoke to the little ones of the influence that flowers should have upon their lives. As a little boy, when wandering through the bush, he delighted to make a hole in the ground and plant seeds here and there, and he supposed many seeds which he then planted were now big trees. He then referred to the sowing of good seeds within the heart, and to pluck out all the noxious thoughts which marred the beauty of. their lives. He hoped he had sown some seeds that afternoon which would bear fruit in their lives, and urged them to remember that when the time came for them to pass away it was not a question of how they died, but how had they lived ? He hoped Foxton would take a fuller interest in Arbor Day in the future.

The children sang two choruses, and cheers followed for Mr Nation. By this time a large number of people had assembled in the grounds, and the proceedings were enlivened by selections from the Borough Band. A squad of boys and willing helpers prepared the ground for tree planting, and an area was partly levelled for a tennis court. After afternoon tea had been dispensed, Mr Nation, in company with Hamuera, representing the Native race, planted an oak in the school garden in honour of Queen Mary. After Mr Nation had made a loyal and appropriate speech, the National Anthem was sung, and cheers given for the King and Queen. The Committee and teaching staff desire to extend their thanks to all who assisted to make the celebration snch a success.