HOSPITALITY TO SAILORS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14191, 13 October 1906, Page 12

HOSPITALITY TO SAILORS.

TO THE EDITOH. Sir, —I trust you will find room in your widely-read paper for .this. latter which I am writing, to draw attention to a humiliating situation in which myself and many others wore placed. There are a number of men on hoard H.M.S. Pioneer who are enthusiastic dancers, and make it a point of attending as many dances as possible.. I hare .attended dances all over Australia and New Zealand, and have always met with a courteous reception. Hearing from same of our .shipmates'’ relations, who reside in Christchurch, of a dance to be held on October 1, we procured tickets, for which a small charge was made, and went to the hall with our Lady friends. We had not been inside long before wo wore asked sto leave, as some ladies objected to our uniform in their midst.

It is rather hard that men who ioin His Majesty’s Navy and serve their country to the best of their ability should he treated in such a manner. Surely we could have been informed beforehand that our presence would be undesirable, thus avoiding such an insult to a uniform which all of ns are , proud to say we wear. And, again, 90 j per cent of the men on H.M.S. Pioneer are New Zealanders, and many are intimate friends of citizens of this noble ! town. In regard to a bluejacket’s behaviour and discipline in a ballroom, I am certain we conducted ourselves _in a far superior manner to the majority of civilians attending these dances, and j

if any club, that holds dances and; wishes 'to have further proof of this, writes to me, I will gladly give them the address of many clubs both in Auckland and Wellington that run most prosperous, sedate, and select dances at which we have, attended. They can write to these clubs for their own satisfaction regarding our conduct, language and behaviour—l am, ©to., ALIGK LEVY, H.M.S. Pioneer, Lyttelton. .