TROOPS RETURN HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17256, 4 September 1919, Page 7

TROOPS RETURN HOME.

DRAFT BY THE ATHENIC.

ARRIVAL AT AUCKLAND.

SEVENTY-SIX WIVES INCLUDED.

The Auckland section of the Athenic's draft arrived by special train at 8.10 a.m. yesterday. The men fcr the city and the North totalled about 90, and there were also 76 wives, some of whom • have babies. Owing to the Defence Department having announced that the train would arrive at 9 a.m. the usual fleet of cars provided by the Volunteer Motor Corps was not in attendance when the train arrived, and some of the men made their own arrangements for getting to their destinations. •JJn "tE b u d if are of an excellent stamp. The bulk of them are English ( girls, but a few come from Ireland and j France. An official who was on the train spoke in very complimentary terms of the wives. "There is no doubt about the influence they have over their husbands," he said. " There never was such a welldisciplined lot of soldiers on a train The men who otherwise might have been, inclined to 'kick over the traces' a little—a most pardonable offence after a long sea voyage— military paragons —obviously the result of wifelv influence." j In regard to the confusion which arose • over the time of arrival of the train, the railway officials state that the hour at which they expected the train wa, s 7.50 a.m. The Defence officials state that in the forenoon on Tuesday they were advised that the hour would be 9 a.m It is quite unusual for a troop train to arrive so near to schedule time. The reason apparently is that at Marton only an hour halt was made for meals, instead of one of an hour and a-half, and the stop at Frankton was also reduced, the chief reason being the excellent discipline of the men. Complaints were made yesterday that there was a lack of co-ordina-tion between the Defence Department, the railway, and shipping offices in regard to the arrival of troops, but a Defence official said that this was not so. The Department kept in constant touch with the railway and shipping offices. The expected time of arrival of men particularly by transports, was often changed, but the Defence Department obtained advice about the changes at the i earliest moment.