TRANSPORT AT BLUFF

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 712, 21 January 1919, Page 1

TRANSPORT AT BLUFF

PORT'S INTEREST IN MAYOR'S ACTION. | The residents of Bluff are keenly interest ed, writes our correspondent, m the proposal by the Mayor of luvercargill, to urge upon the Acting - Prime Minister (Sir James Allen ) on behalf of the people of Southland, the claim of the province's residents to witness the embarkation, and welcome Southland's returning soldiers, at the province's port. At the time of the armistice celebrations, a resolution was carried by a public meeting at Bluff, regarding the same matter, and this was conveyed to the Prime Minister and | Sir Joseph Ward by the Mayor of Bluff (Mr J. S. A. McDougall). The Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) replied to the Mayor that the return of Southland men will probably be a matter for the Repatriation Board to deal with, and it would be his pleasure to ask the Board to give effect, if practicable, to the request for their return by transport direct to Bhiff Harbour. Writing again at a later date the Prime Minister stated that he had been informed by the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) that the matter would be mainly one for the Ministry of Shipping m London as the first "port of call of shipE i would depend on bow they were loaded, especially as to cargo. It was hoped that some ships might make the Bluff their first port of call, and the demobilisation scheme provided that any ships destined for southern ports would be loaded as far as practicable with men for that district, provided the ! general principle as to the order of return was not interfered with. ; It was not possible '• however to ensure that "all Southland men will be disembarked at Bluff. - Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of Finance, replied that he would be pleased to do his best m the matter, but he was afraid it ( would be difficult to arrange, as the work J of separation at ports m England and France I controlled steamers' destinations. He would however dearly like to -see the proposal put into effect, and would ; do all possible to bring it about. • ■ !