NEARLY 1000.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 34, 10 February 1939, Page 9

NEARLY 1000.

PASSENGERS ARRIVE. CRUISE' SHIP STRATHEDEN.: BERTH AT "WESTERN WHARF.; With 073 passengers, including 843' Australian tourists, the Peninsula and; Oriental Steam Navigation Company's liner Strathoden, 24,000 tons, arrived in. Auckland from Brisbane early this, afternoon. She berthed at Western, wharf. This is the cruise ship's first; visit to New Zealand. She resumes her voyage at 1,1 p.m. to-morrow, when she. will sail for* Wellington. ,

The Strathcden is a twin-scrow tur-: bine-driven vessel, designed for tho company's oxpress service between England,; Bombay and Australia. Kuilt by Vie-; kcrs'-Armstrong, Limited, at Karrow-in-. Furuess, she entered the Australian trade early last year. She has pico linos and a dignified appearance, with straight, stem and cruiser stern. Her one funnel,' to which two pole masts arc fitted, is of large dimensions, The liner closely re-;' scmbles the Stratlimore, which has paid several visits to Auckland. , ; !

The Stratheden's turbines develop", 24,000 shaft horse-power and are de : : signed to give a speed of 21 knots. On; her trials a top speed of 22.47 knots" wore attained, tho mean'speed of the two fastest runs being 21.8 knots.

The commander of the Strathedcn is Captain R. Harriso::, D.5.0., R.P., R.N.R., commodore of tho I'. and 0. fleet. He has been in charge since the liner was commissioned, bis previous com-, inand being tho Strathmorc, ;. Tours to inland resorts havq been arranged for the tourist passengers, a. full programme having been drawn up. Many will travel to North Island re-, sorts and rejoin the vessol at Wellington on Monday. The public will have an opportunity of inspecting the Strath-' eden to-morrow nftornoon, when the proceeds collected from the public will be devoted to the Flying Angel Mission for Seamen and the Shipwrecked Marin : ers' Society. ' ' Tho company's Strathallnn, a later ship than the Sf-rathedcn, is scheduled to visit New Zealand this season. This will be the last cruise ship to arrive this summer, and tho eighth for the season. She is due from Brisbaiio on March 10. /-.;.' Fine Crossing. Captain Harrison said tho weather had been fine for the Tasman-crossing, and ho spoke in glowing terms of the trip down the coast this morning. He said he could nut imagine coining into port on a more glorious day. Among the ">0 passengers who joined the liner in England and are mnkinej the round trip is .Sir William Glower, of the Colonial Office, London. He was formerly Governor of Uganda, and is now head of the Crown Agents' Departs ment. He said he had been looking forward with great ■ pleasure to seeing some of the sights of New Zealand, of which he had heard so much. A.R.P. Worker's Visit. "England is rot preparing for war, but in ease of it," said Mrs. JV. WnrUMH, of England, who was an air raid precaution worker during the Czcchoslovakian crisis in September, and who, with her husband, will spend a mouth in tho Dominion. Mr. Warmnn is proprietor of the Metropolitan Cold Stores, Nniiliifiolrt, and hopes while in the Dominion to visit some of the freezing Works, Mr. Warman commented briefly that it was very noticeable that Xcw Zealand meat arrived on the London market in very good condition always, but beyond that he would not comment mi tllfl went industry.

Mrs, Wnrmail Sflid that she was glad to notice that 4,R.P. work in London had boon taken over by the Metropolitan Folice, as tho work was in a hopeloss position during the crisis. At that time, she said, she was engaged at delivering and fitting gas -masks' to the people. The; work revealed tliat greater organisation was necessary, and the Metropolitan Police, she* felt sure, would ensure this.

Mrs. Warinan said that she had responded to the appeal made 18 months ago to take the A,J?,P, course, and had volunteered for work as • a ambulance driver in casp of emergency.-In Britain at the present time they were organising all public and other services, including' hie brigndes, ambulances and motor car drivers, in order that they should lio ready ill ap emergency, Since the crisis every householder in the country' districts had received a paper asking if he could accommodate people from the citios should war develop.

Mr, and Mrs, Warnian will leave New Zealand on March 9, ,Mi'. and Mrs. W. F. Simmonds, also of London, will carry out a similar itinerary, Mr. B. IS. Fjslicr, of London, is making another of his periodical visits to the Dominion. He said that lie had been ill for practically the whole of the voyage. When it was suggested that lip had come to New Zealand to fish, lie remarked: "Fish. By jove, I've not even got tho strength to caste a fly."