HOME HOSPITALITY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 21, 25 July 1945, Page 6

HOME HOSPITALITY

Sir, —I should like, through your columns, to thank all those people who so kindly responded to my call for hospitality for yisiting servicemen recently. Everything had to be' done so hurriedly, and the quick response was most gratifying and enabled us all to give pleasure to so many men. When I went on board the ship I spoke to the men myself through the internal loud-speaker system 'and explained that a number of Wellington residents wished to offer home hospitality to those men who did not wish to go to any of the dances arranged for them. I expected to get about 40 or 50 men to send out. There was a queue of about 300. I wondered if my urge to offer hospitality to these men was going to rebound back on my own head. Four of us sat in a row taking down names. I sent off a corporal with a message to Miss Ruth Fuller, who has assisted me on previous occasions and for whose assistance this time I am very grateful. We met our large! family later in the afternoon, thinking that probably only half of them would turn up. They all turned up, to a man. I wondered if they thought the home would mean parties for them, so I told them that the evening would most probably be spent round a homely fireside after dinner, and explained again where the various dances would be should they wish to go. I asked for a show of hands for those who still wished hospitality, and up went 490. We sent them out in parties of from two to six, as the hostess wished. Both Miss Fuller and myself expected some difficulty over rationing, but none arose. Many people must have sacrificed practically a whole week's meat and butter to give these men a good dinner, and willingly so, a number of hostesses told me later —just a small return for the kindness shown to our men in England and Australia. The men themselves next day hadn't words enough to praise the hospitality they had received. Lieut.-Colonel Boyd has asked me to pass on*his own personal thanks for the kindness shown to his men by all in Wellington. My personal thanks are due to Lieutenant Robertson, Staff-Sergeant Hogan, and Sergeant Irving, of the Allied Services Club, for the very willing and able assistance they gave me, and also the Austraian High Commissioner for the use of one of their rooms for the afternoon and the cooperation of his staff. Should any further hostesses wish to»offer hospitality my home telephone number .is 24-650, or a message may be left at the Salvation Army Hut at the railway station. Telephone number is 46-282.—1 am, etc., (MRS.) J. W. INNES. MODERN STEAM VEHICLES Sir, —From time to time complaints are heard from city authorities regarding the ever-growing problem of increasing the efficiency of municipal transport systems, and of street congestion due to manipulation and parking of private and business vehicles. Since the complaints are but precursory to a raid on th: ratepayers' money in the former case, and on the privat* vehicle owners' rights and convenience in the latter instance, any avenue offering a prospect of settling those problems should be explored by the civic authority. The Wellington City Council has not done this and traffic problems are to be added to by trolley buses with overhead wires. A new suburb was recently created where one major consideration was the absence of poles and lines from the streets! % Available in England today is a modern steam plant for the conversion of cars, buses, etc., to steam power and it appears to Offer advantages meriting its consideration. Briefly stated, its features are: Burns coke; 3s 6d as against 19s 8d for petrol; home produced fuel; no smoke, very slight fumes; safe; no. steam ticket required for driver; more power and greater flexibility than petrol; silent, no vibration; much less wear on engine; verylittle upkeep costs; can be wholly built locally; range of vehicle not limited to overhead wires; no power failure can affect all units; existing vehicles can be improved by its adoption. Much more could be written of the improved modern steam car engines if "The Post" had space to spare. And consider the performance of steam in the ships and railways of the world! Too long have steam road vehicles been regulated out of their just due. —I am, etc., C. de V. WILLIAMS. [The correspondent appends a copy of an article (for which we have insufficient space) from an English journal setting out the performances of this type of engine.] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Ex-Gunner" and J.W. —Regret we cannot give space for comment on radio programmes. "England."—Thank you, but we have no space available at present. "Jay Pay."—Similar argument was advanced and answered recently. It would be impossible to divert funds subscribed to another purpose, as they must be held by a legally-constituted trust. "A Scapegoat."—Thank you, but such comment woulfl not lead to a solution. "Anti-Nazi." —By his position the official quoted is required to keep free from party politics and it would not be fair to read Into his statements a meaning he may not have intended and yet could not contradict without embarrassment.