THE PATRIOTIC FUND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2269, 1 October 1914, Page 6

THE PATRIOTIC FUND

PRIME MINISTER'S LIST

£700 FROM WHANGAREI The following further donations to the Empire Defence Fund have been received by tho Prime Minister:— £ s. d. Residents of Waerengahika, Gisborno (4th instalment) 33 0 0 Tuapeka County Council ... 200 0 0 Mataura Dcl'cnco Fund, Mataura (3rd instalment), (proceeds of sale of hoifor, donated by J. Hastie)... 5 12 6 Bulls Patriotic Fund, Bulls (sth instalment) 3 5 0 Wiiiten Patriotic Fund, Winton (sth instalment), (collected by Hill's Patriotic skating carnival ... 7 0 0 Heriofc Patriotic Fund, Horiot (2nd instalment) ! 10 11 0 Whangarei Patriotic Com- ' mittcc, Whangarei 700 0 0 Wairoa County Racing Club, Wairoa 25 0 0 Cheviot Defence Fund, Cheviot (3rd instalment) 16 5 0 Pelorus Sound and District, Havclock (sth instalment) 16 0 Wliakatane County Patriot tic Fund, Whakatane, (sth instalment) 40 6 6 J. L. Adani3, treasurer Moana Fund, Stoke 100 0 0 MAYOR'S PATRIOTIC FUND. £ 6. d. Amount previously acknowledged .; 2505 17 9 Well. ' Baseball League Match, September 19... 8 9 6 . £2514 7 3 "THE .DOMINION" LiSTS. The following are the donations to Tite Dominion's War Fund lists to data:— . WAR FUND. / „ ■£ s. d. Previously acknowledged ... 1,962, 3 3 LOCAL RELIEF FUND. Contributions to tile fund'for'the relief of local cases of distress are:— s , ■ ■ £ e. d.Piernisly acknowledged ... 328 7 8 BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. Contributions to the fund for tho relief of the Belgians in distress will subsequently be forwarded to the authorities in Belgium for distribution, v. f, e. d. Previously acknowledged ... 1136 4 7 Gift Auction, .Takapau 123 1 6 Carl Rusmussen 2 0 0 Total 1261 6 1 BLANKET FUND. Contributions to the Blanket Fund in aid of the distressed in England, France, and Belgium, are:— _ . ' , £ s. d. Previously acknowledged ... 82 5 0 "H;C.W." 1 0 0 Total 83 5 0. DISTRESS RELIEF FUNDS POOR OF BRITAIN, IRELAND, AND BELGIUM. ' Tho Wellington Committee of tho Poor of Great Britain and Ireland and Belgium Distress Relief Fund acknowledges receipt of tho following:— . £ 3. d. Previously acknowledged ... 372 18 2 E. S. Greenwood 2 .2 0 .Taranaki Street Methodist Church : 2 5 0 Mrs. H. Middloton 'I 2 0 A. C. Gilford 10 0 E.M.O. 1 10 0 Total to date 381 17 -2 MAYOR'S WAR DISTRESS FUND. £■ L.d. Amount previously acknow-2120-10 5 Proceeds of first salo of • Cocker Spaniel pups 15 0 "A Sister" 0 10 0 £2122. 6 5 RABAUL. A NATURAL NAVAL BASE. In the hrst instance, the capital of German New Guinea was at Frcidrich Wilhelms Hafen, oil the north-east coast of German New Guinea, whoro were situated the headquarters of the poworful New Guinea Company, which appeared at that time to have tho same objects as tho East India Company had in India—that is, to develop the' counand almost dictate the governance of it. Later on ; however, their headquarters were shifted to Herbertshohe, in Blanche, Bay, New Britain. . This remained the capital until about 1900, when It was decided to erect an entirely new capital city.. ' ' For this "purpose a harbour at tho head of Blanche Bay, about ten miles from Herbertshohe, was -selected. This had been christened by the English "Simpson's Harbour," but was afterwards Germanised, and is tiow known as Simpsonshafen. On the spot the Germans mapped_ out an entirely new township, much in the same way as Australia selected a-, site for and mapped out the, Federal city of Canberra. This new township was named Rabaul, that being tho name of a small native village oil tho foreshores of tho -harbour. Prior to the establishment of the new capital of Rabaul, the only settlement on tho harbour was at a small island at the entrance, called Matupi, whero the firm of Hernsheim and Co. established a coaling station for the German Admiralty, which station is still in existence.

The site of Rabanl was evidently selected more for strategic reasons than for any other purpose, because tho spot where tho township now stands was originally a huge-malarial swamp, hemmed ,in by hills which shut out the health-giving sea breeze. ' The township was laid out in fine style, provision being made for botanic gardens, all necessary, Government buildings, doclia, wharfs, and, in fact, everything required for a modern seaport,- and with particular regard to its strategical valtie as a. naval base.

Considerable difficulty was experienced at tho start in inducing settlement at Rabaul, on account of it being so unhealthy ;. but, with that thoroughness for which German . administration is noted, they set to work to drain tho land and fill in the flat swampy foreshores. Special inducements Were offered firms to transfer their .businesses from Herbertshoho to the new' capital, and those who showed themselves laggard Jn taking advantage of the opportunities offered soon fonnd that a little judicious pressure had the desired effect. Tho new capital had not been very long in existence heforc_rnmours began' to reach Australia that it was becoming a fortified naval, base, which might threaten Australia, and rumours were also current regarding fortifications, and enormous coal stocks, which storied upon investigation were, proved to be groundless. The facts were that the harbour, itself possessed all _thr natural advantages of a fertifled town. Except for a narrow ent.ranco about one mile wide, it wan commanded all round by hills, so that guns placed fn' suitable positions and mines at the entrance would render it extremely difficult of attack. .