FOR THE SAILORS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 305, 14 November 1906, Page 2

FOR THE SAILORS.

~~TJIE KEV. E. W. MATTHEWS IN NEDS ON;

At llie Provincial Hall this evening the Eev. E. W. Matthews, Secretary to the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, will give an address and will make a presentation to the city of a bust of Lord Nelson, The Visitor haa been warmly received in other parts of the colony, ant) it is anficipalnd that there will. he a large aseeiiiblagc of the public at the Provincial Hall to-night.

Mr Matthews arrived in Nelson from Wellington this morning, after an enjoyable trip across tho Straits, During his short stay here he will be the guest of Bishop Mules. Having his programme for his tour of the North Island mapped out, Mr Matthews regrets that the time at tlis disposal will Hot allow of more than one day being spent in the city named after tho groat Trafalgar hero. But he ia making good .use of his st4j' here, and (this, morning; .jfte.r spending sOmc time afc the MiiflS* Cipal Chamber, ivq Set but, in ttttn.pa.ny with the Mayor, oti A round tif ,ihe city, intending to call, at.t'tie -..colleges and schools to rivo artdilesees. The firrt sdhobl tb ho visitetl Was the Girls' Central in Toi Toi Valley, and afterwards the Boys' Central, the Girls' College, and tho Boys' College were to bo attended in the order named. Each school will be presented with a shield made of '''Victory" oak and copper. It is of interest to mention hero that the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, of which Mr Matthews is the representative, wag formed after the Napoleonic wars, when many ships were laid up and the tens of thousands of sailors thrown out of employment \ver 0 becoTning lho prey of the land sharks, Since then the operations Of the society had .been enormously extended . Speaking! to a Wellington v iPost" reporter, Mr Matt,hows said it had pleased him very much to hear thait in this colony a monii'men haul been erected to Captain 'Cook, whom he regarded as,, next, to Ne,lsok tho .greatest rff ■ Eiiglisii seamen. When he returned to London he intended to urge the public to erect a monument to Captain Cook in Trafalgar-Square. The society is associated with 113 missions iti 118 ports. In these ports there are 114 buildings ; for harbours, roadsteads, and rivers there are 44 floating ißetlvels, steam launches-, missiort cutbers, sail and row boats ; 1193 Christian shipmasters and. 124 Helpers ijad ioiliod since 18t>q the Bethel Uliioh Association, To supoiMlilehd and work all these st&tibns there airc, outskle of committees, s.on.c .450 missionaries, and . helpers. During 1 1905-G thpr.o.i were Q3O „niei;tinsrs held on board ship aiici 990? on shore, and the attendance of seamen was 360,026. Temperance pledges taken numbered ]267.' attendance at. reading rooms 212,698; free meals given, 8872 ; free beds, 3835 ; men „ staying flt h"*Vr rt S, 16,022. ThcSe lißUres piv^n by Mr Matthews give some idea of the ramifications of the society. Tho bust of Nc-ISGH Vvh-ich Mr Matthews will thin evening' present to the city Is made of Victory coppel' aJid mounted on Victory dak. The Mayor of Ncisbn wjli presfde at this ,ev«vihg'!i meet'ihg, and jauiolisSt thdso who will ,be asked to say a fow words will be Bishop Mylcs, Dr .Gratt.an. Guinness; arid Mr A. T. Mhgittriily'.