OUR DREADNOUGHT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 308, 21 May 1913, Page 5

OUR DREADNOUGHT

THE DUNEDIN CHILDREN. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christe'aurch, Tiusc'ay. The twelve hundred cnillren from the South are having the time of their lives to-day. The weather h fne and warm. The children visited I.yttellon this morning and were sno»vn over the New Zealand liy a special iMn-hincnt of the crew. They were given refreshments and returned v.o ( hi'Hjjhiirch and were taken in hand by th.j Tramway Board which gave -.hem an ruling to New Brighton. This evening the 'New Zealand was to be closed ij visitors, but Captain Halsey will receive an Oamaru contingent.

SOUTH CANTERBURY CONTINGENT. Timaru, Last Night. A large number of children from South Canterbury schools, requiring three trains, visited the battleship to°They were favoured with fine weather, but arrived home tired but cheerful.

NEW PLYMOUTH ARRANGEMENTS. ACCOMMODATING THE SCHOOL CHILDREN. MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE. The, executive arranged to be set up at.a public meeting last week to make arrangements in connection with the visit of the H.M.a New Zealand to New Plymouth on June 17 prox., was held in the Mayor's room last evening, there being present: The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne) and Jas Clark, representing the New Plymouth Borough Council; Mr. C. E. Bellringer, Harbour Board; Mr. H. Trimble, Rev/ Bradbury, Taranaki Education Board; Messrs ¥. S. Johns, ami D. K. Morrison, Chamber of Commerce; Messrs. T. C. List and W. G Weston, Expansion and Tourist League. It was explained that the County Council had not yet appointed its representative to the committee. The Mayor was appointed to the chair. Captain Waller and representatives of the Harbour Board were appointed a sub-committee to deal with all harbour arrangements. The Mayor reported that he had seen the local agent for the Nor* them Steamship Company and ascertained that tlie Rarawa would be available on the day on which the warship arrived, and he understood that the Union Company's Taviuni would also be here then. Between these two boats they could deal with about ICOO or 1700 people per trip without the service of the Tutanekai, which in all probability would also be here. The Mayor, Messrs. Johns and List were appointed a sub-committee to interview the agents of the shipping companies, as well as the railway authorities, and report to next meeting. The question of accommodating visiting school children who would "be unable to return home on the same day, elicited a good deal of discussion, it was the feeling of the meeting that the town should take in hand the accommodation of the children and give them j the best time possible whilst they are here. It was mentioned that King George's Hall, the Drillshed, the Jockey Club's buildings, Messrs. Nolan and Co.'s store and other places had been offered for the purpose of providing sleeping accommodation for the children, whilst many private people had expressed their willingness to billet a number of children. The Recreation Grounds Sports Committee were desirous of entertain'na the children in the sports ground. Mr. Trimble undertook to ascertain by telegram from the schools off the railway lino the number likely to make the trip. Messrs. List and Weston wore deputed to attend to the children's housing arrangements.

Messrs. Browne and Clark were appointed a sub-eoramittee to make arrangements in connection with the Territorials, Senior Cadets, and Veterans. The East End and West End Seaside Committees are to be asked to undertake the providing, of hot water, milk, tea, etc., and generally attend, to the requirements of the "inner man." It was reported that the Recreation Grounds Sports Committee were working up a programme for the dav at this park, so that visitors after having s«e:"i the warship could spend the rest of the day pleasurably. A couple of football matches, Rugby and Association, between Taranaki'niul teams from the warship were also being arranged for the occasion.

The \ T ew Plymouth Tradesmen's Association are to be requested to declare a holiday between 12 and 5 o'clock, reopening at the latter hour for an hour to enable visitors to obtain any p.ircels or make late purchases. The matter of the safety of the roadstead for the warship to lie in, mentioned by Captain Halsey in a recent wire, was discussed at length, the feeling being general that he was labouring iuklw a serious misapprehension regarding the position of the port, bnt nonaction" 1 was taken, it being understood that the Harbour Board would probably be taking steps to disabuse the mind of th» Ci:plain of the doubts he had expressed. The Mayor said it h:\<] been suggested that the district should combine and purchase a Maori curio as a present to tiie officers and crew of the warship, but so many presents of a like nature had alieady been given them that he thought they might' with advantage vary the form of the present and make it more practicable and in keeping with the district. To that end, he suggested they should approach the dairy companies and ask them to give a few 'boxes of butter and crates of cheese, to be handed to the warship. The suggestion was' approved, and Mr. Trimble and Mr. A. Morton are to be asked to approach the companies on the matter. Tt was reported that Mr. Walker, the Maori interpreter, was arranging with a number of local Maoris to welcome in ancient Maori fashion the arrival of the ''wak.a-nui" and to offer salutations to the naval visitors in their own way. Tt was decided to include this feature in the programme, and to invite Mr. Walker to proceed with the arrangements.

The action of the Railway Department in making arrangements for the people nf South Taranaki to visit Wanganui instead of Now Plymouth was roundly condemned by the meeting. It was stated that the Department should provide the facilities for the public to visit New Plymouth if they desired, it being pointed out that even if all could not go aboard the vessel in New Plymouth they would, .it least, be able to have a much better view of the vessel at New Plymouth than off Wanganui. It was felt that the whole movement to divert the people southward was engineered bv the town of Wanganui. and it was decided to join with the Member for the district in protesting to the Minister for Railways against the action of the traffic manager at Wanganui, and to rcmiest that the special trains run from Hawera as originally planned.

LETTER FROM CAPTAIN HALREY. TO THE CHILDREN. A letter f Tr >i*> ('"ntain Halsev <.n tlm children of New Zealand is "ep rod need in facsimile in the Mav number of the School Journal. The letter is as follows: "H.M.S. New Zealand. '•To the Children of the Dominion of New Zealand'. "It is with great pleasure that the

officers and men of this ship have been able to already receive so many 6f you on board the great battle-cruiser which bears the name of your own Dominion, 'New Zealand,' and it is the earnest wish iif all of us that the visit of you who have yet to -visit the ship •will show you what a vitally important duty you all have before you in life to uphold the great traditions of the glorious Empire to which wc all belong. ''Whether we' are living in the Mother Country or in any dominion or colony, wo all belong to that Empire, and it is the duty of every one of us to be ready to defend that Empire. "Your fathers and mothers have given that "reat 'battle-cruiser* to the Empire in order to make that Empire strong and united, and, therefore, safe. 'You, children, as you grow up, must always bear in mind that you have to, also, in some way or another, do your duty to your Empire by your actions; and to do this vcrv little is required of you. It is only this:— "First.—Always' remember that your first duty to your King and Country isallegiance and loyalty. "Second.—Refrain from doing any act which you know is not straight and! right, ' ''Third—By every act of your life, endeavour to uphold that great heritage which your ancestors fought for, died for, but won—namely, Honour. "In conclusion, I should like to say to you that every one of you who does not lead a straight, clean "life, and who docs not do his or her duty in life to the utmost possible, is helping' to endanger our grand Empire and to tarn- ■ ish its honour. "LIONET, HALSEY, "Captain Royal Navv. "Wellington, April 20th, 1913." The Otaheko correspondent of the Hawera Star writes that at the meeting convened by the chairman of the school committee of the parents of children desirous of visiting the warship, a letter was read from the Traffic Manager of the railways, stating that it would be impossible to convey the children to New Plymouth, and suggested Wanganui as an alternative. It was decided that, as this scheme was unworkable, the committee take no action other than procuring tickets and making the train arrangements for those parents and children desirous of visiting Wanganui.