IN EPPING FOREST.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7868, 2 August 1911, Page 8

IN EPPING FOREST.

SIX THOUSAND NEW ZEALAND GUESTS. SIR JOSEPH WARD AND THE CHILDREN. THOM OUB LADY COBEESPOOTIENT. LONDON, June 16. I am sitting on a fallen elm tree in Epping Forest writing this, surrounded by a thousand boys and girls that, through New Zealand generosity, are spending to-day in the country. No less than six thousand children are to be the guests of tho “Dunedin Star" during the Coronation season, and to-day, the first “New Zealand Day,” the initial batch has been brought from Bethnal Green arid Whitechapel (names that will have instant significance for those readers who know London’s slums',) to this glorious old forest. '

‘Would that I could dip my pen m magic and make you see the scene! It is a day of brilliant sunshine and, from my shady nook, I am looking on to a huge grassy space where a thousand little ppoplo, some of them in costumes that’ would make tho mothers among you weep, are playing and shouting at the top ,of their young lungs. Skipping ropes and hoops have been provided; the girls in ono spot are running races (for prizes provided by the teachers) and, in a fax comer of the green, a group of boys and a couple of masters aro playing cricket. Everyone is ■ very, very happy, there isn’t the least doubt of that, and when one reflects what ninepence—for that is what each child costs—in more civilised quarters will not buy, it is a still greater ’marvel to see how great a treat it gives these Httlo folks—sometiling like twelve hours’ country holiday and plenty of food! Tho method of organising _ outings such as these is exceedingly interesting. A fresh air fund inspector—a j oily old ex-sergeant of the metropolitan police —<awaited tho children, who were marched this morning to Bethnal Green Junction. Here ho assumed command of tho expedition, though tho teachers still remained in change of individual batches. • Eight hundred of to-day’s children ,aro from the Hague street school and two hundned from St. Bartholomew's, a church school—belli. London County Council Institutions. These by no means represent the sumher of pupils in tho schools, but the treat was limited to a thousand, and sad little groups had to be left behind-

A MARVEL OF ORGANISATION. A scene more absolutely different from anything in far away New Zealand than that outside the dingy little railway station this morning it would be hard to picture. Mothers galore—and such mothers!— assembled to see their olive branches start, and the noise when all were grouped in a foul-smcilling, dark street, and the women were shouting injunctions to their children was appalling. “Orl right lovey, don’t ’oiler!” was the reply made by one woman when the inspector told her to stand hack out of tho children’s way. Tho children, by tike rules of school must bo decently clean, however poorly dressed, but no rules bind tho mothers, and a sorry-loolong crowd they appeared, with hair in “curlers,” shabby old shawls round their shoulders, and heads guiltless of covering. The majority held grubby little parcels in their arms, that, turned out, on, inspection, to be babies. *

“How do you pick your children for each outing Y“ -1 ashed the genial inspector, and was told, that the L.C.C. grant a special day’s holiday when the fresh air fond has sufficient money to take the children out. This is considered a better plan than taking them in holiday time, when teachers are, of course, not available to take charge. Each child has a green cardboard badge ' slung round v i±s neck on which its name and instructions are written and definite directions for finding itself if any accident should occur. Regarding accidents I am told that, in the twenty years of the fund’s existence, they have, happily, been conspicuous only by their absence. Once through the barrier at the station the children formed seven deep in a queue, and, as each carriage on the special , train holds fourteen, the , embarkation was a matter of not ten minutes. After hallf-an-hour’s train journey Loughton, the station for the Forest, was reached, and from the station it is only about fifteen minutes slow walk to the ShaKtesbury Retreat—the home of the fresh air fund just within tlie forest. THE NEW ZEALAND FLAG FLYING, . To-day the New Zealand flag waves gaily above the entrance gate, and long lines of bunting cover the front of the ■ various buildings, where the children are given their meals, and where, when it is wet, they can amuse themselves all day. The absence of- ntdes is admirable, and says much for tb® discipline maintained in the schools i. There are no special injunctions as to what may not be done, and the ma:nner in which the children seem instantly to feel that they own the forest, the wild roses, and bracken, and the open sky—far from grime and factory chimneys, and the slums that, spell home—is worth a visit alone.

They are such jollyj little mites, too,

all anxious to make friends and tell one all their infinitesimal joys. The real East End denizon when small, is, unlike those of just a strata higher, remarkably candid and so full of interest. They’re not at all shy, and have plenty of plans to divulge if one cares to listoiw “What are you going to be when yon leave St. Bartholomew’s ?” Xvo fust asked a long thin person, with one elbow sticking through his coat, who dame over and sat down beside mo on the stump after a friendly preliminary as to thq, time. “Butcher,” he said instantly. “You have to get up before three in the morning, and I like that. Then you can make money, too.” “I’m.going a sailor when I’m twentyone” a pitifully garbed urchin told mo. “Got to do something else till then, though.” “What do you know about the sea? I queried, knowing that some of these children, though they live a stone’s throw from the station, have to-day travelled in' a train for tile first time. Ho withered me with a kind of goodnatured tolerance. . , We’ve got baths near our school and I’ve Teamed swimming,” he said, as evidently conclusive evidence that old ocean holds no terrors for him. “How do they manage to dress so elaborately?” I asked Mr Kessell, tbe honorary secretary of the fresh air fund who came down this afternoon. I asked the question because I’d just been talking .to a child in a pink print frock, with a red, white and blue sunbonnet on and three-quarters of the Vay down its “skirt” a brown belt. Boots, shoes, and stockings were only fit for a New Zealand rag bag, and the contrast between feat and bodies was noticeable. “Oh, for days past they’ve been bor--owing from everyone who’d land,” Mr KiesseU answercdl* “The real slunute is as generous a being as you can find anywhere, and this, you must remember, is tbe day of a year to these children.” One of the teachers confirmed .this later.

“It took all my authority to got any •work out of them yesterday,” she said, “their brains could only think of one thing.” MUCH APPRECIATED “GRUB.” A large and substantial meat pie was given each child at noon, and at tea, at four o’clock, unlimited cups of tea and a large round sort of scone-cake affair that it would take a robust grown-up to get through for one meal. At tea-time to the unbounded doKght of the little guests, a party of Now Zealanders interested in - the scheme came down to the Forest specially to see the children. Mr Whitelaw, the London representative of the “Evening Star,” and bis wife receiving them. It was a pretty scene to see all the thousand children salute the New Zealanders, who stood watching them as they marched past. The teachers offered the same compliment and the liveliest disappointment was evident when it was made known that Sir Joseph Ward had been unable to leave the Conference for sufficient time tojmdertako the journey. The Prime Minister, however, sent the following letter to Mr ‘Whitelaw, and this when read out to the youngsters was received with a hurst of cheering that was absolutely deafening. So did the little throats yell with enthusiasm that I actually saw some of them holding their hands over, their own caisl ’ SIR JOSEPH’S LETTER ;

was as follows: “I shall be glad if you will convey to the, children who are assembled at Epping Forest to-day my best wishes for a very happy time for all of them.

“This is essentially a New Zealand day, and it is through the kindness of friends separated from the Homeland by twelve thousand miles of ocean that the little ones are able to have a pleasant day’s outing in Epping Forest. There are many who are thinking of them in far off New Zealand at the moment, and it is on their behalf, as well as

on my own, that I send a message of goodwill and kindly greetings to the children.

“Tours sincerely. “J. G. WARD.

Some of ftbo c-iris (questions about Now Zealand were extraordinary in these enlightened days. Not one of all I questioned had ever even heard of New Zealand, and when one bright-looking girl was told by Mias Seddon •iia.t if she cut a hole through from where she stood' in the Forest she’d probably find herself somewhere near New Zealand, asked/ several things about it, then said, “If they’re right on the other side of the world do they do everything the wrong way round "What New Zealand children are like, what they do, etc., were matters of intense moment to them. Undoubtedly from to-day onwards New Zealand' /becomes a place nearer and dearer to at least a thousand little British citizens, and therp are five thousand still to come.

Sir .William Hail-Jones, who hoped

to have come down sent a telegram instead regretting that ho was too busy to get away, but wishing all the children a nleasamt holiday. New Zealanders who journeyed to the Eorest to see the children were:] Mrs 11. J. Sodden, Miss Mary Seddon. Miss M. Banchop (sister of Lieufi-Colouel Banchop), Mrs J. J. Clapper-ton (Dunedin), Mrs Haggitb (Feilding), Sirs Eraser (Dunedin), Mrs Gabites (Tixnaru), Mr Wm. Davidson (Dunedin), Mrs Hy. Coopar, Mr and! Mrs J. P. White!aw, and Mr Ernest Kessell (bon. secretary of the Fresbi Air Fund). N.Z. SUBSCRIBERS IN LONDON. . A few New Zealanders in London, roost of them Dunediniies, wore invited to contribute to the funds of the Coronation outing, and the following subscriptions were received at our liOndon office, 134, Fleet street, by Mr J. P. Whitoia-w:

Mr W. Dawson £lO, Mr W. Sconlaf 10s, Mrs J. F. Oapperton £l, Mu R. J. Seddon (Wellington) £1 Is, Dr P. J. Batchelor £1 Is, Miss Dtmloj 2s, Mr Wm. Davidson ss, Mr W. A, Fraser ss, Mr I. J. Fraser ss. Mn Fraser 10s, Miss Fraser (Wiangamuij IQs; total £ls 9s.