RENOWN MEN RETURN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9292, 29 April 1920, Page 5

RENOWN MEN RETURN.

IIOTORUA, April 28. Ministers had a long conference this evening and discussed the situation with the^ Governor-General at a meet^ ing at which the General Manager of Railways was present. The result was not disclosed.

The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce met to-night and waited on the Minister with a suggestion that some form of rationing should be instituted. The president (Mr. McLean) pointed "out that the normal population at this time of the year, three thousand, had now swelled to between ten and twelve thousand, including"* Maoris, and the

outlook is serious. They feared that when the shops opened to-morrow there would be a rush, and the available stocks snapped up, to the disadvantage of many people. The Ministers promised to assist in any way possible." A train conveying 300 seamen and marines from the 'Renown, with the ship's band, left at 12.20 to-night for Aunckland, the locomotive men having agreed to take these through. , At midnight it was announced that arrangements were being made to carry the Hoyal party back to Auckland to-morrow, but Ministers were reticent as to further movements, evidently hoping that it would be possible that Mr Massey on reaching Wellington to-morrow would be able to arrive at a settlement with the railwaymen that would permit the North Island programme to be carried out as originally planned. It is expected that there will be no difficulty on the run to Auckland, which is the homo town of the train man here, who are naturally anxious to get back.