EXCHANGE OF FLAGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 57, 1 April 1909, Page 4

EXCHANGE OF FLAGS.

SCHOOL-CHILDREN OF NEW AND OLD PLYMOUTH. IXTERESTIXG CEREMONY AT OLD PLYMOUTH.

(Western Daily Mercury, Plymouth.)

The Jlayor of Plymouth (Air. A. i Spender) took a prominent part in most interesting ceremony on 13th Vel ■ruary, when he handed over to th Regent-street Intermediate Schools, o behalf of the school-children of Se\ Plvmouth, New Zealand, a flag to b flown from the school flagstaff, and sut mittcd letters of greeting written b children Jo the children. The cereuon; ■was a peculiarly interesting one, am was carried out with every success. Th( sun shone in a clear sky, but there wai a bitterly cold north-easterly wine blowing, which made things very uncomfortable for those who took part in the outdoor portion of the proceedings, Even here, however, the intense enthusiasm of the children served to keep them warm, and when the two flags were hoisted in turn, the one to be sent to New Zealand, and the other to be kept flying from the school flagstaff, there was loud cheering and singing of the National Anthem, the singing being led by two little girls—Gertie and Flossie Edgcumbe—who played on the cornet.

The proceedings were commenced in the large schoolroom, where a temporary platform was erected and gaily decorated with fancy ferns, etc. Councillor T. B. Senior (chairman of the Elementary Schools Sub-Committee) presided, and was supported by members of the Education Committee, among them being the Rev. W. H. Child, Dr. Russell Rcndle, tne Rev. \V. K. Burford, and Messrs. W. L. Munday, J. P. Brown, S. Edgcumbe, T. Williams, Hayne Pillar, W. S. Spear, 3. L. Cornish, and Chandler Cook.

The Mayor of Plymouth was present in his chain of office, really as an ambassador from the children of the Central School, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

BRITISH EMPIRE LEAGUE. The chairman read the following letters:— The first letter was from the British Empire League in Australia, who wrote: "For the purpose of promoting among children of the Empire a feeling of interest and a recognition of kinship, we are suggesting to schools an exchange of Empire flags, especially between places having some common association as mother and daughter towns. You may be aware that the town of Plymouth, wJiich has played so important a part in the history of the Empire, has a daughter in New Zealand, aad the scholars of New Plymouth, New Zealand, )vish to claim kinship with their cousins oversea in the Plymouth in Old England. I am having a Union Jack, the emblem of our unity as one people, prepared and suitably inscribed. I shall forward it to Mr. H. Dempsey, principal of the Central School, New Plymouth, that it may be loyally saluted by the young New Zealauders before being forwarded to your kind care. Will you please present it to' the most representative school in your town ?' Photographs and other matters of interest will accompany the flag. The children of Sew Plymouth will hope to be favored with a flag in return,' that the two flying over the respective schools inay serve as constant reminders that "wa are one people and that Ihe tie 9 of blood which unite us are more than the oceans which divide us. New Plymouth has had a more romantic history than any other part of New Zealand, and I am sure that views of it will be of. interest to the English school, whilst the New- Zealand one wonM highly value any of your historic town."

LETTEK FROM NEW ZEALAND. The second letter was from the head schoolboy of the Central School, New Plymouth, New Zealand:— "Central School, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 24th November, 1903.

"To tho Head Boy, Regent-street School, Plymouth, England. "My Dear Friend,—As our school is sending a flag to your school so as to keep up the communication between our Mother Country and the colonies far across the sea. I have the pleasure of telling you the history of New Plymouth.

"New 'Plymouth was founded about fifty ydara'agoby people from Cornwall and Devon, most of whom are now dead. Our'maitt street is called Devon-street, while there are others such as Elliottstreet, Buller-street, Gill-street, Vivianstreet, and several others all named after the early settlers. "New Plymouth is not a very large town; it contains 5500 people, but in the days to come I expect it will be more thickly populated. What the people \vant is a better harbor, and then perhaps the trade will increase.

"Around the town are several pretty places; for instance, the Recreation Ground, the Hospital Gardens, the Esplanade, the "Breakwater, and the Lovers' Walk, -whicli extends along the

right bank of the Henui River at the north-east aide of the town, and leads into the cemetery. The prettiest place is the Recreation Ground, said by the tourists to be the best in New Zealand for the number of its paths, native and foreign shrubs, manukas, and pongas; arid its three lakes, filled with fish, make up the exquisite beauty of these grounds. "Marsland Hill is a small ridge from which a beautiful view of the surrounding country can be obtained, and at the back of the hill is the gaol. ( _ "The Central School is' the largest school in New Plymouth. It has about 600 scholars attending it, two companies of cadets, and plenty of ground to play on. We have a large flagstaff, oi which the flag was hoisted and sahrted. "Besides this school there are the West End, the High School, and several private schools. I hope that you may some day be able to visit New Plymouth, and that this exchange oi letters may prove to he of use to both of us.

"I remain, yours sincerely, "HARKY McGAHEY, Stan. VT." Continuing, the chairman said that a few months ago he received a letter from friends in New Zealand telling them that flags were being sent from that country to the Mother Country. The flags were being sent for the purpose of promoting amongst the children of the Empire a feeling of kinship. It was suggested that there should be an exchange of flags, f he Education Committee, he salo, received the flag for Plymouth with great pleasure, and accepted the suggestion of their friends in New Zealand that another should be sent back to them. As the children had actually subscribeß to the New Zealand flag, it was thought the children at Regent-street would like to return the compliment. (Hear, hear, and applause.) He was glad to know that) they had subscribed sufficient money to send back a flag. They had the flag with them that afternoon, and before the ceremony was over they would see it hoisted on the flagstaff, and afterwards it would

i be sent as a ealutefi flag to New Zealand. (Applause.) He regarded it as a unique ceremony and one that fully warranted the function that aftcmOon. (Ilea'', hear.) They were proud of their great Empire, and its flag. It stood before all the world for national righteousness. It should not make them arrogant, but good. (Hear, hear.) It was surprising what love and reverence there was for the name Plymouth. There were fortythice I'l.Miiuirths in the world. There was scarcely a Slate in America that did not have U» Plymouth. That went to show that Plymouth men and women who went beyond tho seas always retained a warm all'ection for their native town. (Applause.) Tliey extended the hand of good fellowship to their friends across the sea, and wished them great success and a more brilliant future than the mother town of Old England hod had, and that was 'wishing them great things indeed. (Applause.)

THE CHILDREN'S LETTERS. Extracts irom Icttcre from New Plymouth Central School children were read by Kathleen Rued, Edith Bran, and George Reeves: The first letter, signed by Muriel Harker, and read by Kathle6n Reed, was confined to describing the manners and customs of the Maoris. The second was from a, little girl who, in the course o't the letter, said: "Please, then, allow ine to eay I am Miss Annie Fretliey. By descent," she continued, "I belong to your part of England, my father being a native of central Cornwall, and my mother, who died when I was an infant, was Xew Zealand-born, of parents who J came from Somersetshire with the first' immigrants. Now about the place. Please get your atlas, open up at the map of Xew Zealand, look on the west coast of the North Island for Taranaki, which is the name of the district ot which Xew Plymouth is t!Te chief town. You will observe that there is no natural harbor, and that it is situated right on the coast racing the ocean. Now, keep your finger on the spot while I tell you something about its birth and name Somewhere between sixty and seventy years since a number of Devon and Cornish gentlemen formed what wis known as the 'Plymouth Company,' for, the purpose of securing from the native Maoris a tract of land and forming a settlement here. SHTps were chartered, and the embarkation made at Plymouth, and after a long voyage they arrived off the eoa9t here, and a landing was made by means of.boats, through the surf, on io the beach. . . . Evidently to retain an affectionate remembrance and to perpetuate the tie between the old and the new lands, they gave to the town they founded the name of New Plymouth, and to many of its streets the names of prominent Devon and Cornish 'families. For instance, the principal is Devon-6treet, then we have besides St. Aubyn. Powderhani, Gilbert, Molesworth, Lemon, Courtenay, Buller, Vivian, and Pendarves."

The Mayor then presented the flag to I the school as representing the Central | School of New Plymouth. Only recently he wa9 speakyig to a gentleman who ■ lived in Plymouth who remembered a i day in January, sixty-seven years ago, when three ships filled with Dcvonshiremen and Cornishmen sailed from the Barbican, Plymouth, and these men consisted of sturdy yeomen of the West of England. The colony of New Zealand, he felt, could be proud of these'men to-. day. (Applause.) He spoke of the difficulties they had to encounter. Those were days before they had a distress committee, and when men looked to themselves to get out of difliculty. Now in New Zealand they iad their fintr streets, buildings, breakwaters, anJ "Wembury Docks." (Laughter.) The Mayor handed the flag to Mr. Lothbridge, The headmaster of the school, who on receiving it said that it was a day when they oil felt very proud, not only of the flag, but because it was handed over to them by the chief magistrate of the borough. He thanked the Mayor for his eloquent address, and accepted The flag on behalf of the school most gratefully. (Applause.) HEAD BO? OF REGENT-STREET. It was decideci .to send the following reply from tho head boy of the Plymouth Regent-street"BSnool to the head boy of the Central School, New Plymouth:—

"Regent-street School, Plymouth, Devon. England, February 10th, 1909.

"Master Harry McGahcy, Central School, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

"Dear Friend,—ln reply to your letter. I would like to say how pleased we are to receive the flag that your school sent us. We are sending you a flag in return. I have seen that your letter contained facts concerning "the history of your town, New Plymouth, and I will do my best to tell you about our school and town.

"Of course, you know that the Plymouth Hoc is one of the historic parts of Plymouth. It was era this grassy slope that Sir Francis Drake's memorable game of bowls was played. A bowling club- has now been formed in remembrance of Sir Francis Drake.

"Another historic part is Freedom Field's, where a battle 'for freedom' took place between Cromwell's Ironsides and the Royalists. The height of Freedom Fields enables one to 6Ce the famous Plymouth Sound, where some of Britain's 'Empire Guardians' may be seen. "There is also the Barbican, where the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for America.

"There are several recreation grounds and public parks. "I will now try to tell you about our school.

"It is situated not far from the centre of the town; being a little towards the north-east. The building is a fine one, three stories high. It has both a woodwork and metal-work department underneath the ground floor.

"The first storey contains the clement ary classes. The second storey is occupied by the girls and by the cookerv department, while the third storey consists of two laboratories and the Dock yard and commercial classes.

"The explanation I have given you it the best I can give, for by birth*l am not a Plymouth hoy, hut am Cornish, and I have only lived in Plymouth a little over two years. "I must now bring my letter to a close by wishing you, your 'school, and New Plymouth evcTy success. "I remain, yours sincerely. "GEORGE L. REEVES." The school song, "The Rod. White, and Blue," was then sung by the children. ~" i* . ■

Mr. W. T. Mirnilay, in, moving a vote of thanks to the Mayor, said it was indeed a red-letter day w.hen they saw the flag which they acknowledged a« their own sent to them from children at the, other side of the world, who lived under the same flag. Mr. J. P. Brown seconded, and n forest of children's hands demonstrated the fact that the vote was carried.

The Mayor's reply concluded the ceremony inside the building. Then followed the hoisting of the flag' ■to be sent to, and the flag rccoivcd.from. | New Zealand. The children were drawn up in front of the school, and gave rousing cheers as the, flags were hoisted, O'.i. ishing up by the singing of the Natir,i n l Anthem, led by two young 'ladies with cornets—the Alisses Gertie and Flossie Edgcumbe. '<✓'*/ ' Three cheers for the MayoD and Education Authority concluded the ceremony. h ' '~~" / t :,. ■