GENERAL BADEN-POWELL'S VISIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15002, 25 May 1912, Page 10

GENERAL BADEN-POWELL'S VISIT.

Kindly allow us space to Teply to the letter under the above heading in yesterday's Hebald. Your correspondent Shut Out" is in error in saying that there are no shilling seats for General Baden-Powell's lecture in the- Town Hall on Monday night. If he will refer to yesterday's HfißAtD he will find an announcement to the effect that ono shilling tickets will be sold at tho doors on Monday night We would also like, to further state that " Shut Out's " suggestion that the City Council should only lot tjne.haU conditionally if half the accommodation was set off for ono shilling, is such that if carried into eUect would be the means of debarring us from bringing to Auckland tho big stars we ore in the habit of bringing to Australia and Now Zealand, for to do so tinder those conditions would in most cases mean that wo could not take our expenses. Thanking you. J. AND N. Tait. Grand Hotel, Auckland, May 24, 1912. Sir,—With reference to tho letter appearing in the Herald signed William E. Connelly, jun., Chief Scoutmaster, Cambridge, I desaro to make tho following statements: — Air. Connelly must have been unaware of the facts of tho cose, as those stated in his letter arc in tho main erroneous and misleading. This gentleman makes tbeso statements: "It is a fact that- ho (LioutenantGeneral Baden-Powell) has expressly stated that he does not wish anything in the way of State parades." On tho contrary, I understand that the General has expressed hi 3 pleasure to General Godley that ho will bo afforded the opportunity of seeine tho boys in any capacity. With regard to passes, the grantmsr of tho sain© does not come within the jurisdiction of the Defence . Department, unless in the case where a senior cadet happens to bo a boy scout and where this contingency has occurred passes havo been granted from suburban districts. It was never intended to deal in any way with scouts and cadets in outlying districts. The correspondence states that the boy scouts " can never parade as scouts when tho cadets are called out" On the contrary, again, tho General Officer Commanding tho.Now Zealand Forces has expressly ordered that on Monday next boy scouts should parade as such, whether senior or junior cadets. Finally, I desire to say that I presided at a meeting of senior and junior cadet officers and scoutmasters on Saturday evening last, and I feel certain that, we are all working in unison, and that Lieutenant-Colonel Cosgrove agrees with and has thanked the Dopartment for tho arrangements made. ■. G. C. B. Woure, Colonel Commanding Auckland Military District May 2*.