IN A TRANSPORT.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15279, 15 May 1915, Page 4

IN A TRANSPORT.

ICTIYTTIES OF THE T.M.C.A.'S REPRESENTATIVE. Tho following e_rtracts are taken from" a letter just received from Mr James Tj - X** 3 ?"' official representative of tho V.M.C.A.. upon arrival at Albany with the last batch of reinforvements: — "Tho first few days on board wero occupied in getting tho run of things. The first night I spent mixing as much as possible among tho fellows, gettin? acquainted. Thc sen-ices on Sunday" morning were taken by the captain of tho tcssol and myself. I got our hymn-books out of tho hold, and those will be used at the regular official services during the voyage. I have secured the piano locker for my headquarters, and in it I havo fixed up an arrangement of boxes in which I keep my games, hymn books, magazines, etc. I havo also mado an arrangement whereby the men onii occupy the big mess-room from C.oO to 8 p.m. (tholiour tho lights go out) for writing, games, etc. Judging from the attendance- since this was •ranted tho men appreciate the priviTo<re very much. Then I have placed wnting material in the officers and n c o.'-s quarters, and they make ."treat use of it. Throughout tho ships there are various units not taking part in the usual routine of work, hospital stall and patients, mess-room orderlies, etc nnd I keep theso woll supplied with literature. I also do what 1 can for the ship's staff, and generally I am beginning to be fairly well known. 1 obtained permission to run concerts, and on different nights wo havo mi imnromptu affair on deck. Last Saturday night 1 organised a large concert., and by making friends with tho steward who does tho menu printing, I crot programmes printed for the concere. Cantain "Wilkinson presided. "It was suggested that we sell the programmes ior a penny, which I did, niuf tho money will go to tlie Belgium Fund. I have sold already over £o worth, and tlie steward is going to run off some more, as the stock is exhausted. The fellows aro sending them home. The different companies take turns in furnishing the talent, and tonight "A"' Company will be responsible for the programme. Then we organised a chess and draught tournament, with over '20 entries for tlie latter and ten for tho former. I have found tho library a very popular institution. The books have all been catalogued, and 1 have mado it a circulating library. At thc present moment all of the books have been drawn and arc in use. 1 am rather hampered for room, and havo to keen a lot of things down in the hold of. the ship. Tho two gramophones given by tho Lady Liverpool' Fund have been turned * over to my care, and they m'"" '* ( 'P fc going " 10 st of the time. 1 (md tlie men very appreciative and obliging: their behaviour is splendid. I am writing to the rolativcs of the fellows who aro sick in hospital, and altogether there- is any amount to keep nic busy. "At tlie Sunday evening service the men inst crowd around the piano, and ising lustily. I enlisted tho sympathy of about the hardest caso on board tho boat, and he sang a duet with another man, "Where is My Wandering Boy To-night?" On tha whole I have a fairly free hand, and the officers and men are very appreciative, and cooperate in overy way possible. Next Sunday I start a Biblo Class, but the difficulty is to find a quiet place, as tho ship is pretty crowded with fifteen hundred men on hoard, but I think that I havo found a good place We have had a splendid passage on the whole; some days wero fairly rough, but nothing to speak of." Mr Hay wont out from tho Christchurch Association as the first representative of the National Committee of New Zealand for Field Service Work.