LIFE IN THE HOMELAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 73, 27 March 1920, Page 20

LIFE IN THE HOMELAND.

Among the passengers on the Athenic who arrived recently wns Miss A. M. Dobbie, of Auckland, who was returning home after spending nil the years of the great Avar within or near the lighting zone. Miss Dobbie was in England studying the violin nt the Guildhall School of Music, and had gone with hor sister on a sketching expedition ,to Belle Isle, in the Bay of Biscay, when war was declared. The rest of the English visitors lied, but the two New Zealanders remained behind for nine weeks, and thus saw- the first batch of German prisoners to reach that part of France. The French wanted 2000 shirts made for the wounded and the prisoners, and the two New Zenlnnders set to work and made twelve ill about two' days. Soon nfter this they returned to England, and Miss Dobbie offered her services for war work. At that period England had not realised the magnitude of the work before the Empire, and refused to be assisted hy her younger offspring. Miss Dobbie then entered a hospital and began to train. This was in March, 1015, nnd afterwards she was sent with 200 other nurses out to Malta, where the authorities had expected to receive about 5000 wounded and sick, and were overwhelmed with the 25,000 overflow from the terrible si niggle for the GMlipoli Peninsula. So short staffed was the hospital at first that there were only two nurses to an average of seventy patients, but afterwards the staff was increased. This rush of sick and wounded took place during fr.jr months, and only ceased when the evacuation had been accomplished. Miss Dobbie said that everywhere she heard praise of the Now Zealanders from Imperial army officers whom she met. Miss Dobbie was then returned to England, and was engaged there for nine months when she was sent to France. She remained in France for two years, and since then has been waiting to get a passage back to New Zealand. In a general conversation with a reporter. Miss Dobbie expressed the opinion that England is a very good place to be out of at the present time, and that the New Zealanders who are rushing home now will, she thinks, regret the adventure. Food is scarce, and everything is very dear, and accommodation could not be got in London when she left for love or money. She did not advise anyone to go at the present time, but to wait till things settled down. They only got one ounce of butter-a week when she left, margarine was plentiful, but it was not very nice. Tbe sugar ration was six ounces. It had recently been reduced. In her opinion, the labour troubles, instead of showing signs of getting better were getting worse, and everybody seemed always on the verge of striking. Butter was 2/6 a lb under the control, and when the control was lifted, which was expected to be soon, thi> people thought it would go up to 4/6 a lb. Bread was also controlled in nrice and was plentiful. The New Zoalander had given 1/6 for three chops', and eggs were four to five shillings a dozen. London had altered a great deal, she thought, since the war. It was crammed with strnngers nnd everybody pushed and rusfhed.