H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16741, 23 December 1914, Page 8

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

DONATION OF £SO VOTED BY NAVY LEAGUE. A special meeting of tlie Navy League r.as held last night, Mr J. J. Dougall presiding over a fair attendance of members. A letter was read from Mrs Boyle, stating that she had received a letter from her son on board H.M.S. New Zealand, Informing her that the men on board were greatly in need of oilskins to protect them from the wet. She suggested that the League should cable a sum of money to England for the purpose of providing oilskins. The chairman said that the question was whether the Leaguo had sufficient money at its disposal for the purpose, and if it had, whether it would not , be more advisable to send a sum of j money to Captain Halsey, for him to ! allocate. Mr. H. J. Marriner said that oilskins took about six to eight weeks to make, and it was unlikely that the manufacturers would have sufficient on hand to supply to H.M.S. Now Zealand. Professor T. G. R. Blunt said that he was not in favour of the League supplying oilskins, but would move that the sum of £6O should be cabled to Captain Halsey for the purpose of providing comforts to the men on the New Zealand. Ho thought that the Germans would eventually come rut into the open sea, and as it was probable that the New Zealand would take part in the fight the League should husband its funds, for the purpose of assisting the widows and orphans of those who might be killed. Hie motion was seconded by Mr J. O. Jameson and carried. Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown gave notice to move at the next meeting that the sum of £IOO should bo voted to the relief of the poor refugees of Belgium. The secretary suggested that a circular letter should be prepared, urging members of the League to work or give money to the Red Cross Fund, which, in addition to providing for the Army, also did good work for tho Navy. Mrs Cross saiu that there was a great need of Red Cross material in England, and many of the hospitals were greatly handicapped for lack of appliances. * The matter was referred to the committee

THE REINFORCEMENTS. OTAGO RECRUITS. [Fiiom Our Corrkspondkxt.] jL/emnoer 22. Tho local military auiiionues express themselves as pleased with ilie piogrcss now being made m recruiting. As rar as the Dunedin area is concerned it does not appear as if any difficulty will ho experienced in recruiting 5 per cent per month as origiminy intended, anti it looks as it the Department has in view the mollifying of its demands to the percentage mentioned. Work is plentiful at tno present moment, and a large number of young men, who are at present engaged shearing wiil doubtless bo in a position to enrol \vhcn the shearing season ends, in about a month or live weeks’ time. Sheep shearing i.s an occupation at which good cheques are earned, and it was not. to he expected that ‘any would forgo the opportunity of participating in these good earnings. The Department nil! presumably have some difficulty in getting tho 600 men for Samoa. Otago’s quota is 122 men, and only about a third have yet been secured. It is generally supposed that mobilisation will take place about the middle of January, but probably tho uncertainty of this has a good <lcnl*to do with tho indifferent response io the call for men. This applies not only to the recruiting for the reinforcements hut to the Samoan expedition as well, ft is generally conceded that the formation of concentration camps in the vicinity of the principal towns would materially assist the enrolment of men. The opinion is freely expressed in some quarters that the Department purposes inaugurating some such scheme early in tho coming year. MISSING SOLDIERS. The national representative of the Order of the Star in the East has forwarded tho following note: — Inquiries for missing, wounded, prisoners of war, or interned civilians may he made through Madanlo H. Amstein, Doctor of Law, Advocate, Cours de St Pierre 7, Geneva, Switzerland, who has been appointed by the Swiss National Representative of the Order -to facilitate inquiry. Madame Amstein is in touch with the International Committee of tho Rod Cross at Geneva, the Agency for Prisoners of War. and tho Swiss Bureau for the Repatriation of Interned Civilians at Berne. Inq niters may rely upon Madame Amstein leaving nothing undone to secure information with regard to relatives and friends at the front.