WHERE IS WELLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 328, 15 October 1908, Page 7

WHERE IS WELLINGTON.

AMERICAN TEACHERS POSED. ■ When Mr. H. Baillio, city librarian, was travelling in Amcrica, he did his best, in interviews and speeches, to induce a good opinion of Now Zealand. Judging from what happened when ho attended, at .Cleveland, a meeting of the National. Education Association, at which between ■ 7000 and ■ 8000 teachers were assembled,-/ithere are'.' still Americans who sit in -darkness,/with -regard: to tho " country that is leading-the world." The incident was thus reported iii an American newspaper:— _ - "What's the capital of . Now Zealand? Even teachers find this a hard one. "What is the capital of Now Zealand? " The question was too much for scores of school teachers at the registration headquarters in the Federal Building, Monday. "The arrival of Horbert.Baillie, a New Zealandor brought out the question.: Baillio registered as from New Zealand; and:- remarked, ' I belicvo I hold tho record in distance covored to attend the convention. T am from the capital of New Zealand,,-and have travelled 11,300 miles'to bo ljero. 1 "'Lot's see,' said the pressman to whom: the cleric gave this information, ' what is tho capital of Now Zealand?' " 'The capital?' repeated the clerk. 'Why, it's—ali—humph—ah—why, it's—well, really, I don't know. But I can find out. Hero is a teacher. She will know.' :, "But the teacher didn't, and neither did the next, nor the next.' Just,; for fun, the clerk and tho reporter continued to ask, but nobody knew. ' "Tho atlas and encyclopaedia, however, say Wellington is tho capital." Mr. Baillio docs not deny tho story.