THE COOK MEMORIAL FUND

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 50, 3 March 1903, Page 4

THE COOK MEMORIAL FUND

TO THE EDITOK.

i Sib, —Some months ago I wrote you 'on the subject of the " Children's Section" of the Cook Memorial Fund, asking you foi? your kindly co-opera-tion in our object. In respond« you posted me a paper with a. generouslyworded leading article on the subject, showing that at least you had done your best* Now, may I remark that only one school in the whole of the Marlborough province has returned an answer. The name' of that school is Kekerangu, and the contribution was Id. I believe there were only four pupils attending the school, so you may see I am not referring to the amount on account of its smallnes9, though it is not unlike the widow's mite. They gave more than their mite, while the rest of Marlborough looked on in silence. Stephen's Island is also very much to the fore—four children with a contribution of 7s, more than good, and still Marlborough says nothing. Is it that the residents thereof have not found ours such a golden land that they are grateful to the amount of a penny for each child, or is it that the schoolmasters in each and every school but too before-men-tioned " two" have not been taught that a. letter with a request such as I sent requires at least an acknowledgment other than the waste - paper basket ? I sent them courtesy, and it at least demanded recognition. What can you expect from the pupils when the master and teachers are so wanting in manners g,ud loyalty. Had there been no James Cpok, navigator, mayb9 t&ey might not hare hat} such a sunny laad to Jabor in. Gratitude is a great virtue i Ifc \% 3 colonial national monument, and Gisborn^has no greater right to raise it than any othe* part of New Zealand, say* the one only that of possessing tba spot where Captain Cook first lauded; and every traveller coding here ask* where is £09 spot

where he first trod New Zealand, and we have boon derided often that there was nothing to mark it. Captain Cook left us a miserable heritage in the name of " Poverty" Bay, but we are slowly living it down or soaring above it; and the higher we go the more we honor the man who found the way to this corner of the world. Would it be asking too much to hope that you would see your way to stir tip in the children of your province a little of this loyalty, so that I may be able to say, 11 Vive Mavlborough."—lam, etc.,

Fanny Sampson, Hon. Sec. C.S.

Tlie following appeared in ovr second edition last issue: —