CHRISTCHURCH CHILDREN

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 27

CHRISTCHURCH CHILDREN

SIR FRANK HEATH ENTERTAINED. All day long the school children of Christchurch moved through the Exhibition visiting various selected sections and receiving interesting lectures from the commissioners. They formed a large proportion of the visitors early in the day, but in the afternoon when the weather cleared crowds streamed towards Logan Park as usual. Those of the bandsmen who were not engaged in the sections of the competitions spent an interesting day in the pavilions, and tho Exhibition Orchestra gave an enjoyable concert in the Motor Pavilion. In the morning a prominent visitor was Sir Frank Heath, who was accompanied by Dr M'Laurin, the Government Analyst. In company with the directors and the New Zealand Government Commissioner (Mr J. W. Collins) he made a short tou* of inspection visiting various courts in the western wing of the Exhibition. “The wonderful industrial advance o* New Zealand is brought home in a way that cannot be got even by travelling round tho country/' he said, after a visit to the New Zealand Secondaiy Industries Pavilion. “It is almost miraculous to think that all this has been done in less than three generations.” “You are the first contingent of boys and girls to come to the Exhibition from outside Otago, and on behalf of the directors of the Exhibition I bid you a very hearty

welcome, and hope that your stay in Dunedin will be a happy and profitable one/ said Mr J. Sutherland Ross to the school children cf Canterbury who were wel corned in the New Zealand Secondary Industries Pavilion on Tuesday. There was present a large gathering of teachers and chiidrcu, the manager of the Education Court (Mr C. A. Strack), and the Mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley, M.P.) Mr J. Somerville (chairman of School Excursions Committee), who was the first speaker, congratulated Mr A. Maxwell (superintendent in charge of the excursion) and the teachers on the excellent behaviour of the children and the very fine manner in which the visit had been carried out. He was quite sure the thing had been w’ell thought out. He wished to publicly thank Mr Strack and the other members of the Dunedin Executive w’ho had worked so hard to bring the undertaking to a successful issue. Everything possible had been done for the comfort of the children. He thanked the directors for giving them free admission to the Exhibition aud the commissioners of the courts who had given the children lecturettes while going through the Exhibition; also the Manufacturers' Association, the Teachers’ Institute, and the Women's Court for giving them assistance in the matter of funds. He was sorry to say that the Government had not done anything at all in that direction. The Ladies’ Committee of Teachers who provided supper also deserved the utmost praise. They came night after night to give the children their supper. He thanked, too, Messrs Hudson and Co., who had donated biscuits, cocoa, etc., for 5000 children free of cost; and also the Fruitgrowers’ Association, who had donated fruit; the various churches who had greatly assisted them in securing free billeting for the children; the Technical College Board of Governors, and others who had provided accommodation; and the Tramways Committee for their assistance in giving them penny fares everywhere through the city. Mr Sutherland Ross, on behalf of the directors of the Exhibition, expressed the great pleasure it was to them to see all the children there present. There was a very great deal for them to learn in the Exhibition, and, however little they wanted to learn, they could not help learning something there, both young an I old. There were just three things he wanted to say to the children. Firstly, they represented Canterbury province; they would be the fathers and mothers of the Canterbury children when the next Exhibition came along; and he wanted them to stand up for Canterbury the whole time. Thev must not let the Otago people say that Otago was better than Canterbury Canterbury had a very fine court here. The other provinces, too, had very good courts; but Canterbury certainly had one cf the best. Secondly, he wanted them to stand up for New Zealand. This Exhibition showed what New Zealand was, and what New Zealand had done in the last 70 or 80 years, since the white people first settled here. Many of the boys present would no doubt go on the land sooner or later. Well, the New Zealand Government hal given them a very fine display showing what the various animals, crops, and grasses grown in New Zealand could be and should be, and the exhibits in the Agricultural Department's section would no doubt interest the boys very greatly. Then they had New Zealand nanufacturers wonderfully represented in the New Zealand Secondary Industries Court. He hoped they would see there what very fine goods our New Zealand manufacturers could produce, and he urged them to do their best, when they grew up, to see that they bought New Zealand goods only if those goods were as good as, or better than, anyone else could supply. Going through the Industries Court, both young and old, he thought, must realise that there was a very great deal that they could buy in New Zealand in place of buying imported goods. To buy New Zealand goods would give employment to themselves when they were growing up, in manufacturing the goods, and would keep the money in the country. Thirdly, he was going to ask them to stand up for the Empire. They had got in the Exhibition a magnificent demon stration of what this great Empire was, the things the Empire could make, and the men who had made the Empire. He had never seen anything finer than the procession of the ships of the British Navy from the year 600 A.D. up to the present: time—nothing more educational from the Imperial point of view; and the map of the world, too, gave them a picture of what the Empire was in such fashion as he had never seen before. In the British Pavilion the history of the Empire, the things the Empire produced, and the things the Empire stood for, were put before them very plainly. All parts of the Empire were not represente-3 in the Exhibition, but they had some splendid displays in the Canadian Pavilion, in the Australian Pavilion, and in the Fijian Court, as well as in the British and New Zealand Pavilions. On behalf of the directors of the Exhibition and the people of Dunedin he wished them a very, very hearty welcome, and hoped they would have a very enjoyable stay in Dunedin. Mr C. M. Strack (manager of the Education Court) also extended to the children a very hearty welcome to the Exhibition and especially to their own court, the Education Court. As a teacher of over 40 years’ experience he said he was confident the children would learn more of New Zealand and the Empire at the Exhibition during their stay than they would learn in a year at school; and the teachers, also, would learn a good deal. Mr Maxwell, who is in charge of the excursion, thanked the Dunedin people very heartily for the cordial welcome that had been entended to the teachers and the children, spoke eulogistlcally of the manner In which the work of organisation for their visit had been carried out, and he said he was sure they would greatly enjoy their stay. He asked them to express by three most hearty cheers their appreciation of all that had been done for them. The cheers were given with a will. His Worship the Mayor said it gave him very great pleasure to come down there as Mayor of the city to give them a civic welcome. He was very glad indeed to have the opportunity, on behalf of the people and the boys and girls of Dunedin, of extending to them a very warm welcome to the city. It was very

satisfactory to the people of Dunedin to know that the school children, of the South Island at any rate, were, coming down to see the Exhibition in that way; because in years to come, if they had not seen the Exhibition, they would always have a feeling of regret. It really marked ..u epoch in the history, not only of Dunedin, but of New Zealand, l’he Exhibition belonged to the whole of New Zealand. He was sure that if the school boys and girls of Dunedin could only have foregathered with the Canterbury children they would have been very glad indeed to meet them. But it was impossible to arrange that, as of course they had to go back to their homes and to school, so that other children could come down and see the Exhibition. He hoped they would have a good look round, and had no doubt they would find in the various pavilions many things of great interest. The boys and girls who were beginning to think fjr themselves would see in the Industries Court what New Zealand could produce in the way of manufactures; and in the British C. .iit they could also get some splendid objte lessons in the history of Britain and ot the British Empire. He called their attention specially to the procession of ships, showing the history and development of the British Navy from the rude war canoes of 600 a.d. to the splendid H.M.S. Hood of the present day. There were many other things of interest in connection with the army and also the Royal Air Force. They would see the aeroplanes and airships which played such an important part in the Great War, and would play a still more important part if ever another great war took place, which Heaven forbid. He need not enumerate the many other matters of interest, because they would be going about with their eyes open and would see for themselves. He hoped they kept their eyes open, as no doubt they would be asked to write an essay on the Exhibition when they got back to school. He was sorry they would not have time to see the beaut spots of Dunedin as well, but no doubt later on they would have an opportunity of doing so. He hoped they would carry away with them the very happiest recollections of their visit, and wished them a very pleasant trip. The National Anthem and three hearty cheers concluded the proceedings.