Jack Ashore at Auckland

New Zealand Tablet, 20 August 1908, Page 9

Jack Ashore at Auckland

Manners made Marlborough. But Jack ashore is not usually bound, to any great extent by little social conventions, and people generally look with smiling indulgence on the (mostly) innocent capers he cuts after the dull monotony and the rigid discipline of a long %oyage. In all the circumstances, the conduct of the American Tar ashore at Auckland during the recent fleet visit seems to have been deserving of honorable mention. ' They were a fine lot of young fellows,' said the Mayor of Dunedin to a representative of our local evening contemporary. ' Th« average age of the crew was about twenty years. They all appear to be happy, comfortable, and well pleased with th-ir lives on board the ships. Asking some of them if they were happy and contented, the reply was :" I guess we are. We arc well paid, and comfortable, and are having a chance of seeing the world." I must also congratulate the Americans on the exceptionally good conduct of the men when on shore. No better-behaved set of men ever set foot on New Zealand shores. On Monday morning was paid out. in wages *'tc, to the crews, and hundreds of the men were seen in the different shops purchasing Maori curios, greenstone in every shape and form, mats, colonial rugs, and numerous other things 1 feel sure that they spent thousands of pounds among the business people of Auckland.'