CHATHAM ISLANDS CHILDREN

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 30

CHATHAM ISLANDS CHILDREN

THEIR DUNEDIN VISIT. In. ihe words of Mr J. A. Thomson, the Chatham Islands school teacher who is with the visiting party from these islands, he and his friends had “a right royal time” in Dunedin. The visitors express themselves as highly delighted with what they have seen and with the manner in which they are being treated. Tuesday turning out wet in" the morning, the visit arranged to the Waipori hydroelectric works was abandoned, and the party inspected with interest the varied collection in the Early Settlers’ Hall. They also visited the Public Library, the Anglican Cathedral, and the premises of Messrs Coulls, teomerville and Wilkie, manufacturing stationers. They were entertained at morning tea, and in the evening attended the Burns Club concert. The first visit on Wednesday, 24th infet.. was paid to Messrs 'lhomson Bros.’ cordial and aerated water factory'. Even more sophisticated visitors than these would have been staggered b- the information that the huge machine there was washing, sterilising, cooling, rinsing, and conveying to the fillers no fewejr than 250 dozen bottles an hour, keeping up an endless supply of bottles for two filling machines, each filling, delivering, and labelling 125 dozen bottles of aerated drinks each hour. No .less wonderful was the washing of the carbon di-oxide gas, the purity of the artesian water supply, and the laboratory where all ingredients are scientifically tested for purity. All these things, and many more, were explained to the children, who also sampled some of the firm’s products, and a generous gift of a case of cordials was made to the master of the Te One School, in charge of the party. Next came a visit to Shaddock’s foundry, where Mr Shaddock personally conducted the tour of the establishment, following the many processes of converting the rough pigiron into the popular Orion range. Another item of interest was an engine in course of construction for a client at the Chathams. In the afternoon the Otago Motor Club took charge of the party, and the run over the hills to Evansdale was a delightful one. A wholly unexpected—and therefore all the more appreciated—event was the welcome tendered by the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Waterside Workers’ Union, who were pienicking dose bv. As soon as the Chathams party arrived the waterside workers’ officials intimated that special prizes had been provided for races for the children. Before the races Mr H. C. Campbell, chairman ot the Otago Harbour Board, tendered the party a most hearty welcome, in the course of his remarks stating that the Chatham Island visitors had already seen more of New Zealand’s factories than many adult New Zealanders, and certainly much more than any of the mainland children. Afternoon tea was provided at Evansdale, and then Mr H. Ilallidav, president of the Otago Motor Club, expressed the pleasure of himself and his fellow-members in being able to contribute a little to the children’s entertainment. At night the members of the party were the guests of Mr John Hamer at the Princess Theatre. ihe party of school children from the Chatham Islands had an interesting day on Thursday, of varied incident. First came a run to St, Clair in an observation tramcar generously provided by the Dunedin City Corporation. Here the main item of interest was the merry-go-round, the first one the children had ever seen •, and great was their joy when Mr Norrish switched on the power arid the melody and gave the children two free rides. A ringing salvo of cheer* testi-eu to the youngsters’ enjoyment of the entertainment. TEen the special car Conveyed me parly to Duke street, whence they walked to tne paper mills at Woodhaugh. They were met by Mr Ross, the local manager, and Mr Cander, who courteously showed them over the mills. Tracing oie paper-making processes through, iney were first introduced to the motley collection of waste paper, old rags, old sacking, bed tiekmg, coal sacks, rope, and flax- In fact, almost every conceivable article made of vegetable fibre. They saw it guillotined and the dust extracted, and saw ihe various stages of "digestion” and storage until at length came the actual production of the finished paper on machines capable of producing some 50 or 60 varieties of paper, iue paper bag-making room was another source of interest, whilst the paper-counting machine held the young visitors almost spellbound. Mention was made of our dependence on paper—for letter-writing, parcel-wrapping, printing, cheques, and so on, and the children were delighted at being privileged lo witness the manufacture of this, one of the most common and yet one of the most important articles in modern merchandising. In the afternoon the visitors were conducted over Messrs Hudson’s biscuit and confectionery works, the Messrs Hudson themselves acting as cicerones, the party being divided into small sections for the convenience of inspection and explanation. Every process in the manufacture of biscuits was being carried on at the time of the visit, and the marvellous laboursaving devices were the subject of pertinent questioning and rapt admiration. Messrs Hudson completed the entertainment by presenting each member of the party with a box of exquisite chocolates. Mr and Mrs P. Barling were the hosts at a sumptuous afternoon tea served in their magnificent Savoy Tea Rooms. At hTght, after a demonstration by the fire brigade, the party spent a happy time a the Octagon Picture Theatre. The fust industrial plant visited on Friday was that of Messrs Hogg and Co., who had kindly offered to demonstrate and explain something of the wood-working industry. , In the initial stages the party saw a large rimu log skidded from the platform on to the breaking-down saw-bench, where two circular saws made short work of cutting it into flitches. Thence it passed

through several saws until soon it was of handy and useful shape. A lightning planer touched it for a second or so, it seemed, and it was completely smoothed over its entire length, the planer having taken off one long shaving at a speed of 1100 ft a minute! Other planing machines, machines for cutting mortice and tenon, wonderful routers, machines for boring square holes, and then the keen little bandsaw which shaped from a piece of three-ply the words Chatham Islands.” This was the master r r, |?k' the stages of door-making were followed. Then came the bending department, , hot timber-drying kilns, the sawdoctor’s workshop, a tramp through the timber yards, a word or two of thanks—and off to the city again. The next item was a panoramic view of Dunedin from the roof of the New Zealand Express Company’s building, spoiled in a measure by the misty weather conditions, then came a welcome rest and morning le Returned Soldiers’ Club. The cable trams ran free to Kaikorai for the party’s visit to the Roslyn Woollen and Worsted Mills. The visitors were received by Mr T. C. Ross and Mr Miller the works manager, and, with the advantage of the knowledge gained during a visit a couple of weeks ago to the Kaiapoi Woolion Mills, near Christchurch, they spent a very instructive afternoon. In the evening the children were resting—a much-needed change. ... _ ,°n Saturday the Chatham Island cliildren visited the Karitane Home and the Salvation Army Home for Qhildren. In the afternoon they were conveyed by steamer to Broad Bav and entertained bv Mr C Speight. A delightful social in the Savoy Lounge. given by the School Committees’ Association of Otago, concluded Saturday’s pleasures. On Sunday a number of the visitors attended services at Knox Church.