DR THACKER IN GAY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17182, 27 October 1923, Page 1

DR THACKER IN GAY

PAREE. CHANNEL ISLANDS TRIP. CHAT TO SCHOOL CHILDREN. The last mail brought letters from Dr Thacker from the Channel Islands, Paris and battlefield towns. He and Mrs Thacker expected to reach London again by September 17. From his letters to a Christchurch friend the following extracts are taken: A PEACEFUL PICTURE. September 6 (Guernsey)—Wonderful industry and intense cultivation. They milk some of the cows in the fields, tethered to feed. In the cans there is a gauze strainer to be taken out and washed. The milk goes from teat to steamer. September 7 (Jersey)—We arrived here this morning, leaving Guernsey at 7.40, and did the thirty miles by steamer in two hours less ten minutes, smooth and fresh. This is a much larger island than Guernsey. Sark, seven miles from Guernsey, is a beauti-

ful place. Ycstenk • we attended the autumn show of the north end of Guernsey, prime products, cattle, goats, rabbits, fowls. ducks, turkeys, Guinea pigs, fruit (grapes, figs, melons, pears, apples, tomatoes, bulbs) they were splendid. The cows are splendid, much larger than Jerseys and fitter for beef. Such lovely fish, salmon, turbot, crabs and lobsters. There are industrious folk. We expect to be back in London by September 17. ACRES OF TOMATOES. A picture of tomato pickers in Jersey shows four young ladies in big sunshade hats, with square baskets, picking between rows of staked tomato plants extending for hundreds of yards. ” We saw this going on,” Dr Thacker writes. “ Acres of tomatoes, cabbages 10ft high, tethered cows to save the feed, lucerne growing, brick-making.— I am sending C.B.T. some of the cabbage seed.” As an instance of the reasonable charges at a very good hotel at Guernsey, Dr Thacker has sent a bill indicating that at a guinea a day each, with all extras, six days for two persons, cost only £l4 14s. ADDRESS TO SCHOLARS. While in Guernsey Dr Thacker addressed the scholars at the Ilautes Capelles Girls’ School, St Sampson’s, and suggested an interchange of correspondence with scholars in Christchurch schools, mentioning Beckenham, Waltham and East Christchurch. In his mail a day or two later he found the following letter signed by Leah Martel, one of the scholars: Dear Dr Thacker, The girls of my class whom you

visited on Monday, liked the idea of having a “ dux.” so much that they asked to be allowed to choose one for themselves, and so I am writing to you as their representative. We want to thank you very much for your visit, and especially for putting us into touch with the school children of New Zealand. We are eager to hear from them, and we shall like pur geography lessons better and understand it more through this correspondence. We remember all you told us, and hope we may see you again some day. We wish you a happy and successful tour, and with best wishes for the health and happiness of yourself and Mrs Thacker, I remain, yours sincerely, Leah Martel, “ Dux.” IN “ GAY PAREE.” September ' 8 (St Malo). —Plenty of churches everywhere. W© had a fine crossing from Jersey this afternoon and are now in La Belle France. Such a wonderful port this is—huge stone walls all round and a fine harbour, aud cathedral. We motor around here to Dinard and St Michel, Granville, Dinan, and Cartaret, and then Paree. September 9.- Here we are in Gay Paree. It has just been one joy ride through the Channel Islands, then to St Malo. through Brittany, Normandy, the Marne. Oh, this fine country ; ! how they work !We havo 200 per j cent too many roads in New Zealand j —wasted land and upkeep. We want

waterways for heavy haulage. This country is a weeded flower garden, crops standing and cut in the agricultural paddocks, some already reploughed. There are fruit trees laden, and where there are stock the fruit limbs are out of the beasts’ reach. Everyone seems to be working and busy, no joy motors or ’buses abut. Horns go all night in this city, the old horns, no electric hooters. What is most delightful to my mind is the delightful grace and manners of the men to men, the women to women, and the men to women. I went to sleep last night with the elegant ‘‘ rnerci, madam ” in my oars. Boys and girls are all the same, and none too poor to do reverence to. To-morow w© leave again for a motor trip of three days to Reims-Verdun and back by Chateau Thierry and Chalons. This hotel is small (Hotel Metropolitan, 8, Rue Cambon Quartier Vendome), hut the best we have been in yet. The bathroom and toilet accoutrements are wondrous, unique and utilitarian. An American said yesterday, ‘‘Yea, Rotorua is just like hell.” Quoth I, “How do you know unless you have been there?” Fancy the wine card shows Pommory £3 in New Zealand and U.R.A., 7s fid here, owing to the £ equalling 80 francs. We have been out this afternoon for a run. and saw the wonderful Vic tor v painting in the Pantheon. It is indescribable—shows war. guns, battlefields, generals, fieldmarshals. politicians. Ministers, nurses, war memorials, devastation, admirals—you could take a week and then not have dissected it. New Zealand and our flags stand out —the King, Prince of Wales, nemanrean,. Briand. Kitchener, Jellicoe. all life size, and life like. Tt is grand : it is magnificent.

France wins every way let us hope she will be paid. Please excuse this menagerie. THE BATTLEFIELDS. September 11 (Vienne-le-Chateau).— j We are having just a glorious time— I blue sky, hot sun, and n view of the j battlefields that makes one realise what this war was. Tanks paralysed by trap mines, dug-outs, corrugated iron with corrugations of six to twelve 1 inches of chilled steel, steel corkscrews. ! Just marvellous. September 12.—Here we are at the I famous Verdun. Tt has been terribly j smashed, but stands some kilometres; behind the forts, and it was these that stood the fearful hammering of the Huns. We now return to Paris, and ! see other points of strife as we go back. September 12 (Soissons). Bright 1 sunshine, crops all in stacks, fruit trees laden on each side of Cremin, sugar beets over hundred of acres. Trees cut off by shells. Barbed wire heaps. Cemeteries with thousands of crosses— : African troops alongside the French. J