TRAFALGAR DAY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 23, 22 October 1907, Page 6

TRAFALGAR DAY.

SUCCESSFUL ENTERTAINMENT. SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR. .Trafalgar Day was honoured "withiio lack of enthusiasm at the patriotic entertainment held last evening in the Town Hall) under the auspices of the Navy League. The immense hall was packed in overy part with a lighthearted ' audience, which recognised with profuse applause .the efforts of'both'orators and singers to' recall for them the'glories of a by-gone day, and of the stnlwart.sons ,of H.M.S.. Challenger to impress them with the prowess of the present Navy.' His Excellency the Governor, m his speech, made'hearty recognition of the part played by' the. " handy mou "in the evening's 'entertainment. It was a big part, picturesquely striking.• An organ selection by Mr. A. R. Rowley, including French and British National airs, suggested ■at the very-opening the present state of harmony between old foes.. Mr.'A. S. Ballance sang the' " Death of Ncison, and Mr. P. Hockley, " When the Empire calls, ,both with much success. '-,'..'.. PRIZES FOR NAVAL* HISTORY. . Lady Piunkct. then presented the prizct won by school members'6t the '.League..in Naval History, according lo the following list:— ' ■• Wellington College—Vl forms,'F, L. G. West; V forms, A. B. Sienvnglit;. lower forms, F. J.-'S. 'Jones and F. E. Goodcr, equal. Terrace. School (which ; sent up th« record number of competitors, J>o)—°' M'Arthur,- Mvra Hill,- L.. Bruce, G. Vial, May Stephens. Kathleen • Moore, Longburst, A: Buxton, C. Stockman, G.'B. Dale. Te Aro—Oscar Borer. Clyde Quay—V. Evans. Mount Cook—K. Russell; Ncwtowu-Short. Thorndon Normal—lris Hutchmgs, R. Tuckwell. Mount • Cook Girls'—Grace.■ Twist. Technical School—Mowatt. Mitchelltown—b. ; Culverwcll. Khandallah-W. M.:Rybnm. Miss'lvv Hutohens presented a,bouquet to Lady Phiiiket, on behalf' of the .'school members of tho League. , ;• . . '\ ':.; 1 ■> •". THE SPEAKERS.;:';'%, .■' Lord Piunkct then made a happy speech, in praise of the British navy and support of.tu Navy League'. ' He stated that as onefof th« Vice-Presidents of the British-Navy-League, ho would cable Homo the following'day. to tell the people' there about the cntlmsiastio celebration in New Zealand. He praised the energy of the local branch .jf .the League in interesting the. young .-people in. the welfare of the navy,'-which existed, lie. declared, for the' prinio object' of- securing>peace..'Referring toll .M.S.'Challenger, Ire said that meeting would ' have been shorn of some-of its best features if they hail-noVhad-.the-whole-hearted support; of'.its.; men'. He' wished; to sfttte something.winch,woiild'show 'whatkind of man tho "handy man"., of'the. navy was. lie did -not think it had' appeared.,in the newspapers before. When Dominion Day came the Challenger's: men, were.asked to tjike part in' the celebrations. vTliey did so during'the day, and in the evening they beautifully illuminated' their ship.- -Afterwards it. was. proposed to're-illuminate the city, for two nights.; The' Challenger's men hail taken (down their lamps, which they had spent, two' days in "erecting. They had not been' told of any. further-.illuminations, but when the suggestion.was mode to them they did not -say that they- had done their best already. '' They spent .'another': day- and a half putting;all their lamps up again. (Applause.) , : ; ; ■ ''Captain- Bridson,' of tho "Challenger, said that he was': extremely, obliged' .to "His. Excellency for the. kind words' in which, lie had referred'to the part,played by.the'warship's men- on Dominion "Day. 'Since a, largo, number of the men were Now Zealaiidors; it would have been sorry conduct if they had not helped. Referring to the.sailors of tho past, he said that popular attention was perhaps too solely rivet-ted-on the brilliant victories which occurred at;lon;*.intervals, and there was danger ..of. forgetting \ tho hard work done by. tho- ships' companies in the dull days between.- : Ho had nothing .to complain of' in regard to the assistance given to tho navy in New Zealand; :A good: part of his ship's company was • comprised of New Zealaiidors and Australians ' who would be worthy ' successors .indeed of the "men who fought, arid, struggled, at. Trafalgar.''; He wished ovcry success.; to. tho Navy, League and to- New. Zealand. (Applause.) The Mayor (Hon. T. W."" Hislop) said that he had been asked to apologise for. the absence of the Premier (Sir. Joseph Ward). He would like to answer one objection that he had heard raised against their meeting that night. It had: been said that such gatherings. helped ■ to• keep up the spirit: of -antipathy to the French people-winch:existed in Nelson's time. But lie did riot think that the light was with tho French .people at that time. It' was a fight ' against influences brought ;to ! bear by one man.'against,the liberties of, tho world. v There;.were;two;thitas essential to preserve' a ■nation..-. It should take care to. be in .the- right; and it-should have might to defend it-seif when in tho right. It was necessary that those .conditions of a nation's 'permanence should be re-riiembbred'-in'thVfutlre. :: ■ .;■■'.':. ■>■ •■••<\;

THE'"HANDY-MAN." . ! i the rest of the programme'was chiefly in the; hands »of the ; men-o'-warsmenj.> who -acquitted themselves .with dexterity and quickiness' iii expositions of cutlass drill' and swordbayonet "fighting. Nautical selections' w6re i given also by the'band of.H.M.S. Challenger,' and an exposition of naval :huglo: calls/ranging from simple summonses to", a verse of '"■i'iie Anchor's Weighed," -was greeted with much . enthusiasm. . itfrially band played the "Death, of Nelson,' 1 which-was: followed by the National Anthem; r v . . ■ ■ --■■ • Sir Joseph. Ward'arrived, before tho conclusion of the programme.; The cadets of tho Amokura formed .a guard'.of hoiiour'to the Governor on arrival,'and the, proserico of Volunteers iii;uniform'added greatly .to tho br'ghtness. ofthegathering.'.".:. / •• Iho souvenir programme, prepared by tho •Navj r ' League contained illustrations: of the g-oatest seamaiij a ship of-his day, a.modem ironclad, and ■ Nelson's Norfolk- birthplaco. Accouuts were given "alsoVcf 'the immortal Victory arid'the famous'battle. 1 ," >; ■:•,.. AT THE SCHOOLS;;.;'I'-:' Trafalgar Day passed off > very .'quietly at th-i' schools.. References toV.the event, were introduced in the course of the.day's: work ,anu in some■ schools, the flag.was unfurled! There: were, however, no_ ceremonies, or speeches. At the Training.College the, flag was' saluted, arid the., children sang _ the National Anthem arid one pr twesfiatriotio songs. The week's work at the-Triiimiig College will have special reference to .Trafalgar and its associations. /,, ; *.'.•';, .'.'■,. .

. CELEBRATIONS IN/OTHER CENTRES. ' , [dy TELEGRAM.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] '-.'...',...• Gh.-istchurch,, October 21. v f Trafalgar Day was celebrated to'-tfay by a patriotic ceremony in Victoria' Square' ar-. ranged by /the local 'branch of the Navy League, Several school cadet corps paraded, air! speeches .were delivered: by tin Mayor, Bishop Julius, Bishop' Grimes, alia Air. G. T. Booth:::,' .; - .'.^;.; :,: '

A tlir'ce-dn-i' earnivni'is to'be opened at the Salvation Army Citadel, Vivian Street, tonight, by Mr. F: M. B;. Fisher',' MJL'E.'- ~... Milks vendors are referred to an' advertise, meiit in. this issue of a. milk run. for -ialo by. Orchard's Agency, ,32a, Liuiibton Quay.. The Civil Service Amateur • Athletic Cluia i has, been granted permission to hold an evening 'sports meeting at the Basin' Reserve, on October 30.-. ..-'.; -...'. ,-. ... ..;';.; . .Messrs., Hareourt and. Co; draw.-iUehtioh to' an, auction sale,-, to. be 'held at their''rooms', at 2.30. p.m., to-day, •,<-heii..,lhey, Will submit in one. lot the celebrated Arlington; Estate of over2J acres, comprising' two' 'family mansions, two villa residences, stabling, elc. : .The estate.lends -itself, specially to sub-divisioit', by, which 'means a*' number - of suitable .'section's can be obtained, for the erection of. further residences. Full particulars' anil lithograph •plan can be obtained' from-the auctioneers.. June, July, and August..-(lie English ."sum. mer" months, are generally considered to have fdisgraced the.climate. They contained no fewer than 57 rainy' days,, and no, more, than' 470 hours of sunshine. . >iot. once did ;the thermometer in London reach SO. in (ho shade. OmV morning at 9 the temperature was only 50. At 0 in tie morniug on Septciiiboiv i last.year'it was 70. .'.',-'■