ARBOR DAY SPIRIT. ]

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 167, 15 July 1914, Page 5

ARBOR DAY SPIRIT. ]

ITS EFFECT ON THE FUTURE. TEACHING THi: YOUNXS IDEA."" j I ' CEREMONY AT NORMAL SCHOOL, j j — I j T'.:c function of Arbor Day. an.! -.',-.• I full intension n: iii" spirit, which tii.il, I recognised in :iie tree, a thing of beamy as well us of profit, were effectively ltali=.ed ai ,i prr'.'.y little ceremony held a!, tii..' Normal e.-'aoo! this morning. As befitted the occasion the ceremony was j dce!«nc-l i'or out-of-doors, and iv an interesting iani r therefore .memorable) ! way it impressed' pieaisanTly upon the I mint* of all tiie real of • "Anbor Day."' i The school children, from tire, grade of j/td.n.'fcrJ I. upward*, were assembled in 'ihe lower playground. There were aluo if.res.-nt the. siurfen-te of the Training j College and tiie members of the teaching staffs of ho. a institutions. The Normal IS. haul Cadet.-, looking spruce and smart lin iheir neat uniforms, stood stiffly at attention as if on parade-ground, giving ja siigg.?.--.ic:i i.f ceremonial thai barmon- | ised very well tbe proceedings. ! Mr. 11. A. IMilnes. Principal of the ! Training College, 'briefly welcomed -Mr. |K. K. Mnigan. the Chief Inspector, expressing on .1.'.-iiiilf of the school and the i college thfir appreciation of the honour | conferred! up,.;i tiiem when Mr. Mulgsin had accepted iheir invitation to be present. ; 'Mr. Mulgiii conveyed to the gathering 'the regret which the chairman of tiro Education Heard h.id felt at nor being , able to he present. Speaking in that corvcrealicttal way in which I hese expert* in child |..-y.:hu'.iigy put young .-.'ens completely at iheir ease. Mr. Mulgjwi talked interestingly of trees' and of forests, and' <,f the practical uses to which I .icy were put in a 'busy world. Quite casualty, and not at all in '.lie foi-in ni a if.-,,n. did hv direct the attention of the children to tiie inevitable lick-nit of I.iis steady die-,ruction- nf trees | ■ whole forests were being destroyed to keep up the world supply o-f paper alone unle.-s some steps were taken to re|'.ant rivi.-. Hence there had arisen a moveir.vn; i-.i Amerl-a -onic forty or fifty yi'.ii-s ano-an Arbor Da... or tree-plant-.ing .lav -io counteract ihe tendency tow.ir.'- t'.. n'.loUsule destruction of trees. ; Aiiitialia iv.l followed suit in observing this I'ay. and New Zealand also had in- ; .iliited an Anbor l>ay some fifteen or 'mure yeais ago. The custom had. how- . . ver. fjlle;. |;i;o aibemnce for some 1.1..11-. and 1: wa.- with a great deal of ' j lea-tiro lhat he Ivad learned of its revival. IMr. .Mulgan continued his talk with the children in a way which teemed io •: that I hey were telling him' tl.lr.s. ami not he telling th-f.m, urtlu'lv working iv ihe wholesome moral \ without frightening anybody. Thin country, lie abienved. was an exceedingly plej.-ant place to live in. with I happy conditions -i.inounding us on fiery -ide. Knumeratin-g llirse he dlwcit linaeringly on iii? tliaughtfiil-at.-.-s. the .«i.-e foi-.t ig'it. ami t'.e industry of our I:. :icrr la'Tieis in '.his country, and on ihe fjet lhat tu-d'iy we were enjoying I lltv frulu ~:' ihtir labour* in the pact. Th.y had worked for us. and we wore j able tn live in -tile greater comfort bccai\ ? ut" the plans which t-hry 'had laid. Ac.d ■ .->. -.ireiy, ii was our own duty to thirk of what we cculd do to help thcus who wc.i'-.l come after it-. The tirr/oer .jfply wi:- ra'picJy becoming cxl-.-aueted. in J tl.-.' forcili would soon .become a tiling cf the pjt-i. The few \-er.i that school chili'.en could plant would not. of course, have any real effect on the timber »ti-ply. but they were to think of |t ;-■ i f planting trees, and of their duly in thiisc who wouM come after. The < hligation lay upon all cf its' to gee this ir.att.r -erious thought, to : ec '.•it a * a Airier, t number of trees was ,I'jiittd yr»-'by year in New Zealand li ci.pe wi'ii the destruction, and to work in the interests of ihcee who would ci.mc after. In this way was ir.'ulvated a sp'.'k of uncvltishnew, n spirit of patriotism, that would produce good .-iiizfi:.-. lie could wish no Letter for them than that rhev ehould appreciate li i he full the significance of self-revcr-ciicc. eilf-knowledge, seji-control. In concision. Mr. Mulgan wised flic siatT, the -Diiiienis. aud the scholars every succe-c. iHor 'liio etud«nt% in particular be cxpri.-ctJ the hope that, asihey went out lv rake charge of wihools tii their own. they would realise keenly the need for sy-s'tc ma tic 'planting of trees, and would do what they could to help on the movement. The practical ,part of the proceedings was explained by Mr. Milnes, after the children (had very heartily thanked Mr. .Mulgan for his address to them. Arrangements had been made to have four onore willow trees 'planted on the slope separating the two terraces of the playground. Willows, he explained, had been found to do better than any other tree; on that rough ground. -Some of the children would rememlber. too. how t'.ie lower playground in rainy weather used to become almost flooded, but. in lhc past two year*, the willows that had been planted had absorbed all ,t'ne moisture so that the ground was now- never too wet to play on. These four new trees would he planted by the boys of the first 'four standards. He wanted every iboy to putt ill a little earth so that he would know it was his own tree, and would look after it. Tn a way that the boys. r>\- their confident grins, showed they distinctly understood, the Principal let it be known that the guardianshi.o of the trees was to be a real responsibility. By reouesl. Mr. IMulgan set tilie tree for-Ihe Standard L boys.and. Miss' Helen Cardno (representing the students) set the tree fur the <tandard TV. boys. Mis., Low. tutor of tb» Training Oollege. set the tree foe the Standard TTT. boys, and a vi-utin? Pres-man set. the tree which the Standard 11. boys oaoe wiH go a little wav towards iraaJcins up for ail that are use.t in papeTsirraJcing. SOCTHIERN .OELEBRATIONS. Arbor Day was observed in many parts of Wellington city and suburbs. At Newtown two and a half acres of the town belt land were nhintcsd by children atending the school, and the area was handed over to them. The Oirty Council Reserve- Committee, tbe Mayor. >Maynii>,-. and others planted commemorative tree-. 'Mr. Havidgc, representing iii,. Harden Cities Town Planning Association >.f Crcat. Britain, attended, and tree., were planted in commemoration of himself and his wife. A holiday .was observed by schools and Oovcrnineiit ■' ,-llices. and many citizen*, who were bus- : ily engaged tree-planting. thtring the ' paßt {■■'iv years nearly ninety thousand | tree* hair been planted in the .parks and i gardens of Wellington by the Ciiv | Counca. ' j