TO HELP THE SEAFARER

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14223, 11 December 1911, Page 9

TO HELP THE SEAFARER

--lATTELTON SEAMEN'S \ INSTITUTE. j GOVERNOR LAYS FOUNDATION i STONE. ] " j In the presence of a large gathering o? seafarers and citizens of '.Lyt- t telton ar.fl Chrstchnrch, the i ceremony of laying the foundation etono of the new Seamen's Institute, ■which is being erected by the Lyttclton branch, of the British and Foreign. Sailors' Society, was performed on Saturday afternoon by his Excellency the Governor, Lord Islington. The' weather was beautifully fine, although there was a strong nor'-west gale blowing. The steamers in port were decorated with flags and hunting in honour of the occasion. His Excellency tlio Governor, accompanied by Lady Islington, arrived at Lvtteiton from Christchurch at 3.10 p.m., and • was met and welcomed by the Mayor of Lyttclton (Mr M. J. Miller), "and Mr Ueo. Laurenson, M.P., and conducted to the site of the institute, at the extreme cast end of" Norwich Quay. The Lyttelton Marino Band played the National Anthem. After the assemblage had sung the well-known, sailor's hymn, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," the ■Reverend. E. E-iot Chambers offered up appropriate players. The Mayor (Mr M. J. Miller) then introduced his Excellency the Governor and Lady Islington, and said that the Lyttelton. people were proud to bo honoured with their presence at this important function. The lieed ot an-up-to-date institute for seamen ha-d long been felt in Lyttelton, and it was gratifying to know that the ceremony they were part.cip?*ting in marked the commencement of the erection of a iLuo institute building. The Lyttelton Borough ■ Council had felt that it was its duty to ass:st in the project, an|d had made liberal concessions to the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. Tho fin© building which was being (erected would bo the Lyttelton Coronation Memorial. I Lord Islington, who was received ■with cheers and 'loud applause, announced that ho had received from Lord iStrathcona, President of the British and. Foreign Sailors' Society, the following cable message:—''The British and Foreign Sailors' Society, of ( which the King is patron, begs to tliauk your Excellency , 'for,'laying tho foundation stone of the new Sailors' Institute in his Majesty's. Coronation year; also Premier, Parliament, Press, and pulpit for help given. Congratulations _ and best wishes for another useful' Institutein.your glorious Dominion.—Strathcona, President." (Applause.) His Excellency said ho wished .to express, on behalf of Lady Islington and himself, their pleasure at taking pjirt in a public ceremony which was of great importance to Lyttelton. and they were all the more pleased that the ceremony was in connection-with'a Society' which Tendered immense benefit to .all engaged in the maritime profession. lie felt that it was fit and proper for Him to take' part as bains the direct representative in New Zealand of his Majesty tlio King, for as they all know, particularly the seafarers present, that his late Majesty King Edward VIL and our present Sovereign, King George V., wero intimately concerned and connected with tho British and Foreign Sailors' Society. 110 felt safe in saying tliat the time for a properly equipped Sauore' Institute in Lyttelton was overdue, as a port of its prominence and importance should have such a 'building. It was true th.it ■ work among the seafarers visiting Lvtteiton had been carried on. by the do-votion of certain ladies and gentlemen, but he-was informed that the placo at their disposal in no way mot tho , increasing requirements, -.-of tho port. Lyttelton was a town that would substantially increase in importance in years to couio. .Quite' recently ho had travelled some hundreds of miles over developed and undeveloped country, he had seen the present railways," and where it was proposed to build railways, and ho was certain that in the next few years, when the lines wore linked up through tho north-west, and from cast to west of tho iaeuth Island, tho traffic and volume of trade to Lyttclton would show a very sound and substantial increase (Applause.). ' In 1901 tho number of ships which visited tho port was 1433, amd last year it was 217G, an increase of 693 vessels. Tliis showed how great had been the increase of trade, and by calculation the number of seafarers visiting Lyttelton showed an increase of 3i,820. That was sufficient to commend to the peoplo of Lyttelton and of Canterbury as a. whole, an Institute of the sizo and importance that was to be erected on the site. Tho people of Lyttelton, his Excellency added, did not require to be converted to tho immense importance of tho Sailors' Institute. Ho Avanted to impress on the people of Christchureh and of tho whole of Canterbury tho necessity of such an Institute. .Sea transport was closely and indissolubly interwoven with all the trade- Interests of tho Dominion. Tho town merchant and no less-the farmer, was intimately Concerned with the work on the ships trading to and from New Zealand and other parts of the. world, and lie wished to appeal earnestly not only to Lyttelton and Christchureh, but to , all the towns and country districts to come forward with tlio most generous financial assistance for the Institute. The Lyttelton Sailors' Institute was an ambitious project, and tho building would be a very fine structure. Up to the present a little over £1000 had been collected by generous subscriptions and Government subsidy, but over £1500 was still required to complete the work: and he hoped that his appeal would meet .-with a generous response. His Excellency referred to the great work carried on by the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, -which had missioners and branches in 117 ports in different parto ot the world, and there wero in addition hundreds of other institutions to help/the sailor. Already in New Zealand, there wero excellent institutes at Auckland, Wellington, Timaru, Dunedin, Bluff, and. on the West Coast, and it was high time that Lyttelton had a suitable Institute. (Applause.) Oho great advantage" of a Seamen's Institute wits its cosmopolitan character. No race, no creed, was debarred, but all were welcome within its walls. The British Empire comprised a multitude.of- creeds and religions, and it was only right that the doors of the Seamen's Institute should bo open in tho -widest sense to all who might desire to enter. Finally, there was no class or no profession who had more claim on such an institution than the men who" went down to the sea in 6hips. They had less of the joys and advantages of homo life than any other body of men. These pleasures were theirs only at very long intervals, and, ordinarily, their lives were most arduous, monotonous, and, oftentimes, turbulent, uncomfortable, and perilous. They deserved almost more than any other class, and an. Institute of the type that was to be erected would assist to provide them in Lyttelton with the pleasures of a happy home, a Social Club, and a friend 'j meeting - house. (Applause.) He earnestly hoped that the stone he was about /to lay would soon bo super-imposed by a buildinc that would be opened to assist seafarers, rree of debt and free of charge, and that it would btand as one of tho most important and most useful institutions that Lyttelton possessed. (Cheers.) Lady Islington was then handed a beautiful bouquet by Hiss Jessie laurenson,' and after being presented Tvitb. a silver trowel »>s a memento of tho occasion, Lord

Islington proceeded to lay - tho foundation stone, which bore the following inscrintion:—"This stone- Was laid by his Excellency, Lord Islington, D.5.0., Governor of New Zealand, lor tbo Glory of God and tho good of His Seafarers, December 9th, 1911." In ■the customary manner his Excellency declared the "stone- well and truly laid. ] (Applause.) A number of telegrams and letters of apology for absence, including one from his Excellency, Vice-Admiral King-Hall, a director of tho British and Foreign Sailors' Society, were then read by tho secretary. Mr It. A. Dearsley, after which a brief speech was delivered by Mr George Laurenson, j M.P. |, The proceedings closed with tho sinking of the National Anthem, and with oheers for his Excellency the Governor and Lady Islington. Subsequently a Targe number of ladies and gentlemen were, entertained at afternoon tea on board the \Vhito Star liner Corinthic, by the commander.. ■Captain-Frank Hart, R.N.R., and iris officers. • '■.-,-