THE NAVY LEAGUE MOVEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3114, 13 February 1909, Page 5

THE NAVY LEAGUE MOVEMENT.

PUBLIC MEETING IN MASTERTON.

LOCAL SUB-BRANCH FORMED. OFFICERS ELECTED AND WORKING DETAILS DISCUSSED. A public meeting, presided over by the Mayor (Mr P. JL.. Hollings) was held in the Borough Council Chambers, at Masterton, last evening, to elect officers for and to otherwise put on a working basis a branch of the Navy League, pursuant to a resolution passed at the lecture delivered by Lieut. Knox recently. The Mayor stated that the chief object of the meeting was to elect officers for the League and to hear Mr C. W. Palmer, Hon. Sec. of the Wellington Branch, who was present. Mr Palmer was, the speaker believed, one of the most enthusiastic Navy League promoters in New Zealand, and not only the Dominion, but the whole of the British Nation, were indebted to people with the enthusiasm such as was evinced by Mr Palmer. Mr Hollings said that too manv peiple in New Zealand failed to recugnise the supreme importance of maintaining Britain's naval supremacy. They did not, in short, recognisa that pithy epigram given expression to by Lieut. Knox "British fleet—British fate." It was to be very earnestly hoped that not only Masterton, but all New Zealand would arouse from its apathy in regard to naval matters and give the Navy League whole hearted support. (Applause). The election of officers was then proceeded with, as follows:—President, Mr H. G. Williams; Vice-Pre-sidents, Messrs J. D. Cruickshank, W. H. Beetham, M. Caselberg. W. H. Jackson, W. C. Buchanan, P. L. Hollings, A. P. Whatman, the Very Rev. Dean McKerma, and the .Rev. Watson; Secretary Mr E. R. B. Daniel; Treasurer, Mr W. T. Mansfield. Mr Williams, who assumed the chair after his election to the office of President, duly returned thanks for the honour conferred upon him. He stated in the course of a short speech that his own personal interest had been aroused in the objects of the League by learning of the fact that on the table of every restaurant and hotel in Germany were to be found models of battleships doing duty as money-collectiong boxes, on I these boxes being inscribed words to | the effect that the money placed , therein was to be,devoted to "smash- I ing up the perfidious Englander." As ' President, the speaker said he would co his utmost to bring the League i into prominence and generally pro j mote its objects. (Applause). j Mr Nevins mad? a trief speech, ' saying that he had heard a lot about the work ot the Navy League for somo year-: past. At the last Confeence of the Farmers' Union, which the speaker attended, a resolut ; on ; was passed that it was desirable that j the Government should increase the ! Dominion's contribution to the | Navy, which showed how the farm- j ers of New Zealand were alive to ! the importance of the movement. ; Personally, he would do his level I best to advance fne objects of the League, an.i he thanked those present for electing him a Vice-Presi-dent. Mr Cruickshank also returned than'<s for his election, and said that | there was no doubt that a keener j interest was desirable in the inter- ' ests of national safety in the main- \ tenance of New Zealand's naval supremacy. Mr Daniel said he was proud to be a member of the League, ard as secretary of the local branch he ' would use earnest endeavours to keep the movement on a progressive ' footing in this district. j The Chairman said that the objects of the L ague woull be, to provide every school between Palliser Bay an! Manawatu rivtr with a frea | Navy League \rnap, to arrange free ! excursions to warships in Welling- j ton, to offer prices to s.hool children ! for essay 3 on naval subject, and in j other ways to infuse intei'est in the i work of the navy. He called on Mr I Palmer to address the meeting. Mr Palmer thanked the Mayor for j his very flattering references to | himself (the speaker), which he thought were hardly deserved. However, he had taken a keen interest in the affa'rs of the Navy League since ever he became associated with it, being , actuated by a sense of the necessity for the existence of such an organisation. He was very pleased indeed to see the interest being manifested in the work of the League in Masterton, as the example set locally would give the movement a fillip throughout the Dominion. Mr Palmer explained what the position of various branches were, and the qualifications for membership. In Dunedin, he stated, there no less than three hundred "guinea" members, while throughout the Dominion there were fully a thousand members who contributed half a guinea. All the offices were honorary. There were in Wellington alone one thousand five hundred school children memners of the League, who were all scholars in or higher than the fifth standard. The League could greatly increase its number of school members, but it was not capable of cooing with the requirements of the large number who would join if scholars in lower than the fifth standard were admitted. Each school member was furnished with a book, badge, and a diploma, and was also taken on free trips to the warships when in port. Mr Palmer said he was confident that the Railway Department would make a liberal concession if excursions were arranged by the League Branch. So far as the harbour transport was concerned, the scholars would not, he thought, entail any expense on the Branch, as the naval officers had during the past three years placed boats at the disposal of the League, and generally assisted in making the excursion a profitable one for the visitors. Regarding the offering of prizes for naval essays the Wellington Branch left the details of the competitions to the Headmasters' Association, of which there were nineteen members in Wellington. The League merely supplied the subject of the essay, and left the conducting of the competition to the headmasters. Seventy prizes were offered last year by the League, and to supply the prizes the League indented its own literature from Home, I and was thus able to supply very fine

prizes at a nominal Outlay. If the local branch could provide a lantern, Mr Palmer said he would send up to Masterton a large quantity of slides, and entertainments of a most interesting character could be held. The data for explaining the slides would also be furnished. The speaker baid that the work of the Navy League was meeting with high appreciation from naval circles, and he read letters of commendation written to the Wellington Branch from various admirals md officers who had visited Wellington. Mr Palmer suggested that His Excellency the Governor be asKed to accept the office of Patron to the Masterton Branch. Lord Plunket had shown very keen interest in the work of the League, and was already patron of a number of branches. Should there ever be held any function in Masterton under the League's auspices, the Governor would, he believed, attend ihem if possible, as he had always attended the Wellington gatherings whenever possible. The holding of a demonstration on Trafalgar Day was a matter to which the branch should givo attention, as throughout New Zealand the various branches arranged some function to commemorate the occasion. Mr Palmer said he thought it quite practicable for the branch to arrange for a dsmonstration by naval men at Masterton when there were any warships in Wellington. matters in regard to the carrying on the work of the League- were dealt with by Mr Palmer, whose? remarks w ere heariily applauded. On the motion of Mr Cruickshank seconded by Mr H. C. Swan, it was dec i lei o ?:sk the Governor to accept tie office of Patron of the Masterton branch. After some discussion it was decided to call the Masterton organisation "The Masterton Sub-Branch of the Navy League." The following were elected an Executive Committee:—Messrs W. H. L. Galwey, W. B. Chennells, H. Holmes, H. H. Buchanan, H. C. Robinson, A. C. Major, C. E. Daniell, W. E. Bidwili, H. C. Swan and N. D. Bunting and Dr R. V. Hosking. This committee was also appointed a Canvassing Committee. The following were appointed to superintend the work of the League among the schools —Messrs Jackson, Bunting, the Secretary and Dr. R. V. Ho3king. Mr Palmer stated that he was sorry to notice that one of the local newspapers had termed the Navy League movement a jingoistic one. Such was not a fact. There had been a section of the League at Home which had desired to go rather far in its work, but this section had finally seceded from the main body of the League. The Leagu-3 was simply formed to stimulate a healthier interest among the apathetic of the public—which was a large one. In mentioning other details which the local sub-branch should take in hand, Mr Palmer said that the displaying of bunting and special bcai newspaper references on Trafalgar Day were desirable, and the permanent posting up of Navy League maps on the railway stations along the line in the oiib branch's district. After some furrth°r discussion a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Palmer was carried with aDplause, al-:o a complimentary vote to the chair, the meatin? then terminating.

ADDRESS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

At the District High School, yesterday afternoon, at the invitation of the H3admaster (Mr W. H. Jackson), Mr Palmer delivered an address to the senior scholars of the school. In the course of his remarks Mr Palm3r reminded the scholars of th"* privileges and advantages they enjoyed as citizens of the British Empire, "°mparing the benign rule of the B tisn Sov -reignty with other c jntries, which were supposed to have adv need'a long distance along the road of civilisation. T>e lecturer pointed out that the position of the British Empire to-day was only attained after centuries of strife, and it coild only be maintained by the preservation of the balance of sea power by the British Navy. Mr Palmer quoted Macauley's well-known patriotic enunciation:—"A people which takes no pride in the noble achievements of its remote ancestors is never likely to achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by its remote descendants." Mr Palmer pointed out to the children that they were now in the midst of a living history —helping to form that history—helping to make it either inglorious by apathy and indifference to great national needs and aims, or glonous by patriotic enthusiasm, and energy and self-sacrifice. The schools by the circulation of the L.eague literature would have their knowledge of naval subjects extended, and in other ways the school members of the League would be educated in naval subjects. Mr J. D. Cruickshank, who accompanied Mr Palmer, also delivered a brief address. The Headmaster also made a short but stirring speech to the scholars, and called for three hearty cheers for Mr Palmer, which were duly given.