H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

Evening Star, Issue 15137, 19 March 1913, Page 3

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

[Special to the Star.]

BLUFF, March 18. Judging from the text of the letter received by the secretaries of the various school committees in vSouthland from the District Traffic Manager of Railways, the Bluff is not to be included in the list of ports visited bv New Zealand, the Dominion's Dreadnought gift to the Mother Coun- £,?'• In tllc first itinerary published .Blutt was included, and it seems a slur upon Bluff's excellent harbor that the port should now be omitted and ports of the importance of Timaru included. Why the thousands of school children in Southland who cannot face the expense of a trip to Dimedin should be denied tho opportunity of seeing New Zealand's world-famous tribute of patriotism, especially when Bluff was included in the first itinerary, is a question that is worrying many parents. -Iney state that it is unfair on the face of it, and they trust that the Southland branch of the Navy League will exercise all their influence to have this mistake rectified. The original official programme for H.M.S. New Zealand's tour provided for her calling on the voyage out at St. Vincent, Ascension, »t. Helena, and Simmons Bay, and then leave for Hobart. The New Zealand visit was to commence at Auckland, then round the North Cape and down the west coast of the North Island, calling at New Plymouth, Hawera, Patea, Wangauui, and any other place, where there is a convenient roadstead and some amount of population. Shr> was then to : look in at Nelson and go down the west coast to Wcstport, Greymouth, and Hokit'ika continuing the trip right round Puvsegur Point to the Bluff. It was her intention to look in at several' of the West Coast sounds. Oamaru and Timaru were to be included in the ports visited on the return to Wellington bv the east coast, and the circumnavigation of the two islands was to be completed before the New Zealand left again for Europe. She was, in short to be shown practically wherever there was anyone to look at her. AVhatever has been responsible for the alteration in the arrangements has ruined the educational value of the battleship's visit so far as Southland and a large part of western Otago are concerned.