The Press. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1901.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11098, 17 October 1901, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1901.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR "OUR BOYS." The wtr la dragging on to * trftary length, and we fare got tired of talking tad even thinking abdtrfc Wβ nn»t not foTget, however, that a aimW of New ZcftZ&oders are ttill flgfefcitig at tie frost, engaged in some of Ui« m<wt »rduon» end h»m»eiag mark ot the oampoigo. A tooTemeift in on foot in Dantdin and Wellington to «£itd them *oma kindly remioder in toe chape of "comforte/ , to reach them about Christmas, to show that their existence is

taot forgotten, and thefc their patriotic Urvices & the field «♦ Appreciated by their fetfov.erfeitfrt*. #c an* sate that ear reader* would not like Cant«*bmr to ** left out of a movement, of thw kind. Thie ; province tdok the Je*d in organising and \ despatching the Third Contingent to South 1 AflSdA, and ttm the fliet it h« ghdttft thfe liveliest *ympa*hy with "6ar Bdy»" wito have ventured tfceh* lives in &* wrvic* of th« Empire. Any little Christmas gift which we may send to the** still at tb* , front wiR, w * feel eutt, b* grttefttHy ap- j ' predated by the redpiente, if only on ac- | const of the kindly spirit which prompted ; it. Bat it -will have a practical value besides, i coming it *uch **ime. Only tao*e who hate experienced the hards&ifte of an Arduous campaign know fihe value of slich & pleasant little surprise ftoni ''heme ,, in the way of putting fresh heart into the thtti tired out with fofOSd aAreheS and hatfd fighting. Surely it is the least we can dd for out , oWti lads who htare done so much for the colony. Wβ ehall five Christmas presents by tfise thousand t<s our children and 6uf ' relfttioea in New 2ealartd, and" we feel safe there are few household*, however poor, | fhat wilt not gladly spart a shilling or , tiro to seed » kindly token of sympathy ' and eiW6aragement to "Our Boye" across i the sett. Only, as we have explained in another column, titert is iio tittle to be lost. We hope, therefore, that tWtwe of our reader* who intend to subtcribfe will , *6nd in their donations to "TII9 Press" Of- j fice without a <iay's delay. 1 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS, j There is some reason to fear tfidt the re<sptidn ot the officers and crew of the Antarctic . exploring ship D&covfcry may be father a patchwork affair. As matters stand at present the Lytfcelton Borough Council have appointed a committee to Make amttgeinents for the reception of the members of the Expedition. The City Council, in reply to the . suggestion from the Harbour Soard that they should combine to entertain the visitors, f came to the cofloJtirfiicm that It Was not ill ; their power to do so, but passed a resolution expressing the opinion that a public meeting should be called to consider the matter. ' , It is a pify, w think, that the resolution 1 %t"ae not more definite, and that the Mayor wa* not asked to call a meeting at o&<ie« The ; QOvemnient, as we have <«een, will do nothing bey&nd giving th 6 &n& tnvf of ' the *hip free payees oa the railway-»-a privilege which would be granted to the officers '. and ttew of any insignificant foreign traJn- , ; ing brig. This boon hardly come* up to our , idea of the v Government's reepdneibilitj in ft matter of so mu«h c6l6aial iiitere*t. Surely. . : this is hot Mr. Seddon'e idea of what, the , Qeverninent should do towards welcoming ; the first - Antarctic expedition that hae ever ] tndde a New Zealand pott its i«4dquartei* ; and its final port of departure. It eSeniß 1 hardly sufficiently recognised that this visit ( of the Diwimry is really rather a striking . incident in "local history, and despite the ( Government's indifference, this district , should make a great effort to celebrate the -, occasion fitly and gite our visitors the he*arti- c est of welcomes. This can only be done in • adequate fashion hy the combination of i\\ ' j those concerned, and whenever , the yuVli'e • t meeting is called in Cforistchurch —and it j Should not long be delayed—t\'e hope rept*- ( sentative* of all the local bodice will be in- ' t vited to be present. Lyttelton alone would ] no doubt do itfi befct to great and entertain « the expedition, bat its beet would fall far j sh«*rt of what could; be done, by a' comriiitt&e -v representative of the City Council, Borough * Councils, Harbour Board, Philosophical In- ;'j etitate, Canterbury College Board of Gover- ' { nors, and so on. But before w& are called upon to welcome 1 the Discovery expedition we shall have among .us a very distinguished military viii. ] tor, General Sir Hector Macdonald, who < New Zealand early next week, and j may be expected to arrif fe in Chnstchureli a 1 few days later. This colony hae selddm hftd i the opportunity of a British officer of such fame and standing in hie pro- - fession./ Mr Bennett Burleigh, who knows a* mdeh about war as many military men, declare* of "Fighting Mac." that he "has "just, of genius which. distin" "guiehes the great soldier from ,the good "one. , ! It would be difficult to define exact- h ly the qualities which have stiTed to raise j the former private ma- Scottish regiment to 1 th* command of a district" in India, but' the t j dogged d*termination which bne reads in i: 1 his features explain a good deal. He might, *' JiOvrever, have jmreued his career, as many * another good man has done, almost unknown \ to the great majority of the public; had it n not been for another war correspondent. In a A Stxt vividly picturesque phrases Steevec. n drew the portrait of &ii man who, he d -•- t closed, was , the.real hero of the battle of n Omdurman, and the British people awoke . \ to a recognition: of Macdonald's worth. Om- ! b durman was the apotheosis of the years of ' «J bi rd work the then Goloiwi Macdonald had ' b (•pent in making,."riflemen from mud," iv i{ tarriing Egyptian*and Soudanese into *' did fighting material. The fortune of the c day at om time hung upon the steadiness of' t< blffck brigade, but it stood the 2 test, while it* commander wa& go confident of bis men that?he executed, in the face of the, t! rashing foe, a manteuvre so daring that Lord Kitchener is said to have turned pale with c< apprehension <?f disaster* General Mac- * donald's serrices in South Africa, especially ' * as the successor of the gallant Wauchope in " the command of the Highland Brigade, added J fresh laurels to his fame, and Hector Mao o j donald, of whom it may truly be said, as of 8 Lord Roberts, that "he does not advertise," b; and wi» hae won hi* way apward by sheer n force of merit, is a household word through- ** oat the Empire. Scotchmen have particu- T lar-reason to be proud of him, for be ie a * Scot of Scots, & splendid type of tfc* ratfe which has given to many illustrious men to in l&e service of the- Empire, but all Britoa* C share in hi* renown. In Australia General ai Mecddnald has been Mceived with all the F honour due to him, and wae the .gueet of the " Governor-General. Invetcargill and Ihaiedin ht are preparing to give him an, enthusiastic tl reception, and in the latter city ii« will be *" the guest of the municipality. So far Christ. m church ha* taken no steps in- the matter; ** erm toe Caledonian Society* though it i< not a matter for them alone, have given zhj ci indication that they intend to do anything, fi We sinoerely hope to hear of som» action ** being tikea to welcome the General to our lo «dty. I««