TWENTY-SIXTH REINFORCEMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 February 1917, Page 2

TWENTY-SIXTH REINFORCEMENTS

THIRD DRAFT FAREWELLED

The third draft .of recruits to leaves Greymouth for the Twenty-sixth Reinforcements were krewelled at the Town Hal] yesterday afternoon < jvheit there was a fair attendance of the public, consider- - irig it was an inconvenient hour for business people to attend, . * Mr Jesse Steer occupied the chair the request of the Mayor, the latter being-.ab-sent from the district, and the proceedings opened with the National - Anthem. The speakers were the Chairman, Captain Ingiis, of the Salvation Army, and Mir, B. C. Webb, member for the district. Titos latter entered the hall at the close of the Chairman’s address, and was promptly invited to take his seat on the platform, Mr Webb as readily responding. Thus, it would appear, the* Patriotic Association's regrets at Mr Webb’s absence from thesri send-offs in the past and Mr Webb’s re - cent explanation that he had" not been invited to speak at the civic farewells to : soldiers.'' has been looked—upon in th« broader sense, and anything in the nature of .pettifogging that might have existed set aside. Mr Webb was heartily .-.applauded in accepting the Chairman's invitation to take the platform. The vocalists for the afternoon were Miss NO” Cluuiii, Miss Hatch and Mr H. F. Doogan, A and their respective solos were well received. • -

Mr Steer, on behalf of the Mayor arid • citizens, wished the mciv going forward, and of whom there were ten present, God speed and a safe return. They had iliefc ; frequently to bid farewell to soldiers leaving these parts, and "would have to : meet oftener in future than had been the case in the past. He regretted the eaUM still was for more men, and also that the Government were compelled ’ to take tho measures they were now'being forced to do to fill the ranks and provide the neces r sary reriliorcsments. The war was the, f largest in history and Britain, in self de-. fence; was forced to adopt the same compulsory measures -is Germany, although ■ the adoption of these .measures was not .in accordance with Britofte’ likes. He referred to the submarine Menace and, ac- '. cording to press reports, it satisfactory to notice that the British Nftyv were successfully combatting the enemy’s submarines. It was for them, at this reihofe paft of the earth, to show, in supplying men, that they were prepared to fight the war out to a victorious finish. The way •was bringing men closer together and displaying fine traits in men’s characters, AC particular case cited by the, speaker was ilio ia so of a man who could not leave the front as was his worit on account offamily responsibilities, but two of IRs chums had made over their pensions to a dependent old lady, and he (the speaker) would he glad to shake hands with the ‘■chums” and congratulate them .oil (Shft sacrifice made. (Applause). . ' ..Captain Ingiis commenced in telling a-' joke against himself. While he was passing the Greymouth Post Office the other day, one oftwo lads, who had carefully scrutinised the speaker’s- anatomy, re- ' marked: ‘‘My, ain’t he a wopper!” However. he had great pleasure to. say a few words to the men leaving for the training camps. He was ftot a military expert arid, could not traverse the war situation, but he would advise them not to allow themselves to become bloated with anything in „ the nature of a aupreficiul peace, for real and lasting peace must come through ■Righteousness and the removal of those things from their lives that damn them as citizens of this Empire; for, ho believed, had they lived cleanly as the Master had laid down they, would not have had the present scourge of-war. The war had gone so far that it was now not a matter of retreating: they could not do it. If they tried to bring about a patchedup peace, then, as the “New Zealand Herald” pointed out, “those boys slain oil Gallipoli would cry shame.” Speaking to the recruits he said they experience new* environments arid mangle with men of different beliefs'arid nationafitics. Their opportunities would be: great’ and lie hoped they would make the most of them. Personally, if he had-to go to the front he would either have to ,be rolled out or planed' down. (Laiighter). Ho urged them to guard against excesses, such as drunkenness, gluttony and gambling. If tempted they were to look To a . supernatural power, and he hoped they ’ would quit themselves like men. Mr Webb thanked the Chairman for an invitation to speak. He congratulated the previous speaker . on .the way lie (Captain Ingiis) had addressed 1 the meeting. Mr Webb said he felt the boys would have s'trength to resist evil, although he doubted if they would get tire opportunity to gluttonize on roast turkey. (Laughter)* He hoped the boys about to take their departure would return as ftfc and well as they were at that moment;' that when they did come back they would have a lasting peace-—not'that the world is always at peace,, for where might held sway over right; they needed the power of righteousness. The boys giving their lives for the people of New Zealand, and' New Zealand should see to it that their dependents were adequately provided for. ■ Jpst as they were prepared to give their all for New Zealand so should the people ■ of; this Dominion be prepared to-do all ; for them.; otherwise they would be false - to tho spirit of righteousness. • Some people were prepared to cry for and see others die for righteousness, but were not prepared to give up for the boys their ill-gotten gains out of the war. He wished it could b« said that riot one rif the boys’ parents hull been treated shamefully, but he regretted having personally-, come across .such a ease He hoped the Government would take the blood money and take the wealth as well as the brains and muscle, of the v country. It would be a mean country' if the crippled and the dependents of those killed in action, are allowed to bo worse off lifter the war. He.-hoped the wa fwould soon he over and, person-,, ally, lie did not fear an immediate recurrence of hostilities, for .any ending now would leave the enemy far worse off, and thoseresponsible for the war- would be relegated to- private, life - and deprived of the power to bring about a similgy catastrophe. •He .hoped .they would remember their mothers, and, if tempted, or they saw- women in distress, help them. and never let the crimes attributed to the enemy rest mi their hands. As they were playing llieir part by the State, ho hoped the Slate would play its part by the men going forward. • ■ % After the speeches the men were presented with the usual toilet outfits, and were subsequently entertained at afternoon tea by the Ladies’ Committee at the Soldiers’’ (Tub rooms. ■■■/;/. LEFT TO-DAY. The following is a list of- the names of the men who left by the Mapourika.at 10 o’clock this morning in charge of Sergt.Instructor E. A.: Shaw-: — - : G;'

Arnold, Francis Plieney, labourer, Inaugahua Junction. , M Almond,' Thos., traveller, Cobden. Beroz, Nicholas, goldminer, Hokitika. Browne, John, surfaceman, Westport. ~ ' Cameron, Arthur, groom, Humphrey’s Gully. . ' Duncan, Alexander, drover, Aickens. Elcock, Thomas William, cattle raiser, Donoghues, Ross. ‘ Feary. Horace M. G., farmer, Rotomanu. Freitas David sawmill hand Three Mile, Hokitika. ' ‘ Freitas, Manuel. Sawmill hand, Throe Mile. Hokitika. ■ Groufsky*. Joseph, carrier, Hokitika.. Hughes," Joseph, train .examiner, Westport. * ' ;■/ Killen, James Matthew, labourer, Hoki--1 tika. d • /■;: Knight, Thomas, miner. Blacks. Point. Mackle, James Joseph, labourer, Kopara. Okey. Charles, labourer, Totara, Flat, i Rociiford, Nicholas, labourer, .Karangarua, •Small, Thomas, farmer, Karamea. Smith, Clarence H. W., goldminer, ' Ahaura • .’d Watson, Rikari, labourer," Westport. d