SAILORS' WELFARE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 9, 10 July 1931, Page 9

SAILORS' WELFARE

MAGNIFICENT WOEK

EMPIRE'S DEBT TO SEAMEN

The debt that the British Empire owed to its seamen both in peace and in war and the excellence of the work carried on by the British Sailors' Society were stressed by the Governor-General (Lordßledisloe) at the twenty-first annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the society last evening. , . The following resolution was proposed by His Excellency: "That this, meeting (a) expresses its gratitude to' Almighty God for the services rendered to the Empire by our sailors,, and (b) approves the manifold activities of the British Sailors'/ Society in contributing to the spiritual, intellectual, and social wellbeing of sailors, .and therefore commends to all who can contribute the appeal for funds to carry on and extend the society's work.'' , . .. ' His Excellency assured the branch of the'sympathy of Her Excellency' and himself with the magnificent objectives of the society and the self-sacrificing activities of those connected with the Wellington branch. Any hesitation he might have felt in attending the meeting, owing to the fact that there were few people more wholly unconnected with the sea than himself and that ho had perforce to .decline a very large number .of invitations in order to execute with some degree of efficiency the work that necessarily fell upon his shoulders, was removed on consideration when he realised that in the first place he would be present as the representative of Great Britain's ' Sailor King and that Prince George had lately become very definitely connected with the central organisation of the society at Home. He, and no doubt others too, were delighted to learn that Prince George had expressed a very definite wish to pay a visit to New Zealand. If and when Prince George did : visit the Dominion, he was sure .that a most cordial, hearty, and loyal welcome would be offered him. Another reason whiclv should fully justify not only his presence but a much larger gathering was the fact that it was the twentyfirst anniversary meeting of the branch. They were apt to ■ forget or possibly take for granted what the Empire owed to its seamen both in peace andin war. To them it owed its existence, its maintenance, and its defence. From the time of Alfred the Great to the present tho sea had: been the safeguard of British security,;,the" channel ,of ; .the; Empire's discovery, and territorial expansion, arid^the supreme test of her sturdy manhood. .';.' It was due to the courageous,.skilful;' and resourceful seamanship of British seafaring men not only that New Zealand was populated but that it,had even an economic existence. But for its ever-increasing export trade carried on and safeguarded by seamen it would have wilted and perished as a worjd economic factor long ago. V . ■' .; -y A PERILOUS LITE. ' The sailor's life was a perilous one, continued His Excellency.'His liability to death' from violence- or accident /was four tiinos that of the average man, and the mortality from disease was groater by over 40 per cent., Thatv,took no account of war. . During the war 15,000 men of the mercantile marine had lost their lives. In time of peace the Empire had reason to recollect and realise the value of its seamen's services and the perils they had to face. ;They were reminded of that, by the loss of the Tahiti, and only five.months 'ago -by wh'atVh'appene'd.'at the;tirrie';of the';earthquake in Hawkos Bay'y. ; "' .':/■'''.'.".■ . His Excellency went on to x say that the society served the religious and material welfare of seamen, throughout the world wherever they met; Referring to the perils of a seafaring life, he-said that on shore in a strange land, .with its ". loneliness, idleness, and manifold temptations there were; dangers which threatened to wreck' the, so- Is of sea: faring men. There Were land sharks, as well a,s sea sharks,' and the' society's 'activities,!-spiritual/'.< intellectual,., and social, were of great value,in warding off the dangers which awaited the men when they reached port. The social side of the society's work was of eriornlous importance. ,: A very great debt was owed to the voluntary workers who gave up so much of their time to the work. But for their efforts,, many hundreds, .of,'pounds.'would have 'to be found or the work could not be carried on. His Excellency1 also'expressed appreciation of the help given by' the clergy.of various denominations, and concluded by appealing for funds -to carry on the ■work, pointing'out that in time of depression the calls upon the resources of the branch became much greater.. '.•■■■ ~ ■■■■'-■■, ■■■■ ■'■ '"".■■■■' " .'(