PICTON.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 144, 16 June 1909, Page 5

PICTON.

[fkom ottr cokrespondeni.] Tuesday. The Pieton Rowing Club brought the season to a close ;on Saturday, when the finals for the handsome cup presented by Mr T. Ji Storey were rowed. In.the first heat jT. (killer y beat R. Andrews and E. Kenny beat F. Burns, who up to Saturday, had seven successive wins to his credit. E. Kenny then met T. Gullery, the present holder of the cup, and succeeded in defeating him by the comfortable margin of six lengths. Kenny therefore holds the cup for a year. Mr R. Paul acted as starter and Mr "W. Martin was the judge. During the afternoon Mr E. R. Lane successfully launched Mr D. Monro's new launch from his sheds on the Domain beach. As the boat glided into the water Mrs Lane performed the christening ceremony with a bottle of the usual "gold top." The boat's name is Psyche. A party of townspeople were invited tcte a run down the harbour and Psycheion her maiden trip behaved splencuuly. She is a fine roomy boat, 45' feet long with a 9ft. beam, and her draught is 4ft. She has a turtle deck forward and flush decks aft. She has a 20 h.p. Union engine and has. two masts rigged with sails. She has a roomy twoberth cabin wifh port-holes and skylights. The hull is divided off into three other separate compartments, viz., galley, engine-room and hold; and altogether she is one of the smartest and most useful craft that has yet been built here, and is a credit to her builder, Mr Lane. On her trial run she averaged nine miles per hour. . Mr R. McNab arrived by the Pateena yesterday afternoon and was met by his "Worship the Mayor (Mr H. McCormick), Mr Crompton-Smith, Secretary of the Defence League, and Captains Kenny arid Robinson. In the evening Mr McNab delivered his promised address on universal military training, at which the Mayor presided. There was a good attendance, and from first to last the speaker carried his audience with him, and the proceedings were marked with keen interest and much enthusiasm and applause: It was a masterly speech, delivered in the most convincing style. Every word breathed the pure spirit of true patriotism, and there is no doubt that many who attended the meeting in an antagonistic spirit were, long before the conclusion of the brilliant address, convinced that in defence matters we in New Zealand are "living in a fool's paradise." At the conclusion of the address a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr McNab on the motion of Dr Redman, who also moved "That notwithstanding the good work done by the Volunteers, this meeting is of opinion that the time for the introduction of military training has arrived, and strongly urges the Govern 7 ment to put it into force." The motion was seconded by Mr CromptonSmith and carried unanimously, cheers being given' for Mr McNab, who left for Nelson by the Pateena directly after the meeting. He delivers an address to-night (Tuesday) and returns in time for his-Blenheim meeting on Wednesday. "Whatever their opinions on defence matters I would strongly urge your Blenheim .readers not to miss Mr McNab's meeting. ;"