THE TAHITI'S RETURN

Evening Star, Issue 15907, 13 September 1915, Page 9

THE TAHITI'S RETURN

- A GOOD VOYAGE. The Tahiti had a good trip on her return to the Dominion. Apart from two days' rough weather, just before Albany was reached, the steamer had travelled comfortably over smooth seas, and only two cases of illness occurred on the trip. Twelve days after leaving, Suez a measles patient was discovered, but he was effectually isolated, and the ,day before - arrival a man was attacked by pneumonia. Such a clean bill of health is to the credit of Captain Evans, the master of the Tahiti; who appears to have personally undertaken the rigid enforcement of sanitary precautions. His task was not an easy one, for a large number of military orderlies had to be drilled into efficiency. The fact that this orderly work had to be undertaken by healthy men, who did not get as far as the front, and who have been returned on ""account of various technical disabilities, led to some: grumbling en their part, but close investigation shows that, while Captain Evans, acting in conjunction with the military and medical officers, maintained an admirable system of discipline and cleanliness, there is no reason to believe that anyone throughout the voyage suffered ill-treatment or injustice. The' returned soldiers were driven to the Town Hall at Wellington, in motor care, with a great display of enthusiasm on the part oi the onlookers. Congratulatory speeches were given by the Mavor and leading and light refreshments served out; the proceedings altogether passed off most pleasantly" to all concerned. In the- evening a large number of troopers proceeded by train to Auckland, and the New Plymouth and Hawke's Bay oontingents were accommodated with specials yesterday morning. UNFOUNDED COMPLAINTS. fFROM Our Own Repobteb.l WELLINGTON, September 13. ■ rhere appears to have been considerable dissatisfaction on board the Tahiti during the voyage over the dieemlinary conditions, which some of the "men asserted were excessive. After hearing both, sides of the story, however, one is compelled to believe that Commander Evans, who has a knowledge of how .things are done in the -\avy,_ merely took stringent precautions to maintain that cleanliness and discipline so essential in a troopship passing through widely different climatic conditions. As regards certain complaints about tooa, it is only right to say that manv of the men, with a varied experience- of troopships and camps under warlike conditions state they were never on a bettertound ship than the Tahiti, and that the disciplinary conditions demanded by the skipper were not unreasonably irksome ihe unwounded men certainly looted pretty fit, while the wounded ' heroes seemed very appreciative of the conditions, and made no complaints at ail. It really seems a 6 though Commander Evans deeerves to be commended rather than censured. ihat, at any rate, is the honest opinion of a number of men who -know what war really means.