THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1308, 20 May 1915, Page 40

THE TOURIST and TRAVELLER

HERE AND THERE.

The guests who were staying at the Grand Hotel, Auckland, last week included the following:—Mr., Mrs. and Miss G. J. Hoskins, Sydney; Mr. J. Bolton, Sydney; Mr. and Mrs. Caselberg, Masterton; Mr. L. G. Bramwell, Box Hill; Mr. R. H. Johnson, Melbourne; Mr. L. C. Rathbone, Dannevirke; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, London; Miss D. Jerome; Miss Dent; Mr. and Mrs. F. R. Brown, Wellington; Mr. O. G. Mycander; Mr C. F. Cameron, San Franciscos Mr P. Witherby, Napier; Mr. L. E. Munson, Wellington; Mr. L. de Chateau, Melbourne;' Mr. H. Love, Montreal; Mr. C. A. Fletcher, Wellington; Mr. A. E. Howells, Sydney; Mr L. A. Smith, Sydney; Mr. J. H. Lue-fing, Chicago; Mr. J. S. McCulloch, Melbourne; Mr. F. H. Merrikin, Sydney; Mr. O. D. Gordon, Canada; Mr. W. Gibbs, Sydney; Mr. and Mrs. C. F. C. Miller, Bay of Islands; Mr W. Clarke, Melbourne; Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Johnson, Te Kuiti; Mr. and Mrs. Mather, Marton; Mr. P. T. Williams, Auckland; Mrs. M. Eichelbaum, Wellington; Mr. E. E. Groome, Napier; Mr. P. F. Ware; Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Cox, Calcutta; Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Williams, Mangarata; Mr. W. G. Sherratt, Gisborne; Mr. F. Hamilton, Nelson; and Mr. A. B. Williams, Wellington.

Amongst the guests at the Star Hotel last week were the following: — Mr. and Mrs. F. Jagger, Stanley Bay; Mr. McDougal, Christchurch; Mr. Friedlander, Mercer; Mr. Yoeman, Sydney; Mr. McCarthy, Hamilton; Miss Barton, Christchurch; Mr. S. P. Finley, Te Kuiti; Mr. Jenning, M.P., Taumarunui; Mr. Cornford, Cambridge; Mrs. Carlton-Williams and child, Christchurch; Mr. T. Brown, Christchurch; Mr. C. A. Barnfather, Gisborne; Mr. R. Clay, Gisborne; Mr. and Mrs. J. Smith, Gisborne; Mr. M. Hampson, Rotorua; Mr. S. Butler; Mr. Balnevis; Mr. J. H. Hamilton, Thames/ Mr. A. Pearson, Foxton; Mr. Sughan; Mr. Friedlander; Mr. and Mrs. Pillans, Tauranga; Mr. Earle, Tauranga; and Mr. A. B. Pownall, Dunedin.

The guests at the Central Hotel last week included: Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Wright and son, Napier; Mr. and Mrs. Monteith, Reefton; Mr. and Mrs. F. Selley, Sydney; Mr. W. K. Bristow, Sydney; Mr. J. D. Macdonald, Sydney; Mrs. and Miss Wyatt, Dunedin; Dr. T. Wilson, Sydney; Mr. C. Cranby, Napier; Mr. E. Righton, Wellington; and Mr. J. B. Clarkson, Christchurch.

The guests at the Royal Hotel last week were: Mr. G. Gammon, Tauranga; Mr. A. A. Paape, Wellington; Major Mackersy, Whangarei; Mr. J. R. Corrigan, New Plymouth; Mr. Riddell, Tauranga; Mr. J. Hay, Wellington; Mr. and Mrs. Adlin, Taihape; Mr. E. J. O’Brien, Waiheke; Mr. and Mrs. J. Hirst, Wanganui; Mr. and Mrs. Wachsmann, Gisborne; Mrs. Scott, Gisborne; Miss Tullock, Gisborne; Mr. and Mrs. McKay, Glenmurray; Mr. Montifiore, Te Awamutu; Mr. A. Allen, Wellington; Mr. Whittle, Wellington; Mr. J. Fleming, Dargaville; Mr. R. G*. Butcher, Wellington; Mr. Goodman, Hamilton; Mr. and Mrs. Seifert, Taihape; Mr. Huddleston, Hamilton; Mr. Chase, Kawhia; Mr. Rudman, Thames; Mr. Campbell Nicholl, Gisborne; and Mrs. Dr. Clay, Wellington.

Mrs. Clay, wife of Dr. Clay, Wellington, passed through Auckland last week on her way to Whangarei to visit her brother before his departure for the war.

Mr. C. V. Houghton, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, Auckland, left last week on a journey to Napier. Miss A. Walker a’so returned to the latter town.

Mr. Theo. Larsen, of Waikino, leaves by the Japanese steamer Nikko Maru this month for Japan, en route to Central Siberia.

Mrs. and Miss Morrison sailed on the Talune on their return to Rarotonga. Major Large also left by the same boat on a holiday visit.

Mrs. Emma Pinch, of Hawera, Taranaki, intended to leave by the Niagara last week upon a visit to England.

Professor J. C. Johnson, of Auckland, left by the Talune for a round trp of Rarotonga and the other islands. ,

Mr. C. Stoddart, a well-known English sportsman, who frequently visits New Zealand for trout fishing, has decided not to return to England at the present time, and instead left by the Niagara for Newfoundland, where he will indulge in some big sea fishing.

Mr. John de Renzi, a well-known Auckland business man, proposes to leave by the Oceanic Company’s Ventura at the end of the present month for San Francisco and New York. If war circumstances will permit, he intends to continue his trip round the world.

Mr. Dan. McAulfield and his sister, Mrs. Coppers, of Paeroa, left last week en route to Pittsburgh, United States.

The great Leipsig Fair, though by no means as important an affair as in former years, has attracted 2500 exhibitors from Germany and neutral countries. One of the features is a special section devoted to an “exhibition of substitutes for goods from enemy countries.” One of the leading German newspapers expresses lively satisfaction at the alleged extensive English purchases of German toys through the Agency of American buyers!

An accident of a peculiar nature happened to Mr. Jared Allwill, of Claremont, Hautapu, when he was attacked and knocked about considerably by a buck fallow deer. The animal was obtained when a little one from the Maungakawa ranges, and it

was reared upon Mr. Allwill’s lawn, where it was kept chained. Hitherto it had proved harmless. When Mr. Allwill went near it it knocked him down and attempted to horn him. At this season of the year stags are particularly savage, and but for help being at hand serious injury might have been done to Mr. Allwill. He has now fairly recovered from his injuries.

Mr., Mrs. and Miss Clapham, of Wanganui, have sailed to Suva upon a holiday trip.

sian naval power and activity in the Baltic, it seems quite possible that these two ferries may become the main route of communication between Sweden and Germany; but the German ferry steamers may have to be withdrawn from both, for the Warnemunde Gjedser route is not much less liable than that by Sassnitz and Trelleborg to submarine attach.

Sportsmen are not waxing enthusiastic on the prospects of the shooting season around Wanganui, especially those who took out £1 licenses for shooting pheasants and Californian quail. The former are reported to be scarce, wild and showing remarkable signs of deterioration on account of the inbreeding which has been going on for years. The need of new strain of the English ring-neck or hardy Mongolian variety appears to be fully established.- In the immediate vicinity of Wanganui the long-tail is regarded as a rara avis. At one time it was possible to get a fair bag at localities on the No. 1 Line, but close cultivation and poaching have had an exterminating effect. The wily grey duck was fairly plentiful on some of the lakes on May 1, but now appears to have left for safer haunts. While on the game subject it is interesting to note that the opossum is thriving amazingly well, and at Fordell some fine specimens quite as robust as a well-developed tom-cat have come under observation. Farmers complain that the Australian importation is very destructive, particularly in the vicinity of orchards, where it plays havoc with the fruit trees when bearing.

“Referring to the scrap with the Turks on the Canal,” writes a Stratford man from Zeitoun Camp, Cairo, “this was mere child’s play. I saw about 300 of the prisoners, and a. more wretched, ragged-looking lot of human beings it is hardly possible to imagine. The majority were glad to give themselves up. The attack lasted but a few days. You will perhaps hear reports of the doings of the New Zealanders, but the bulk of what fighting there was was done by the Ghurkas. However, about as cool a thing as you could wish for must be placed to the credit of the C Company, Wellington Regiment. This crowd sat down about a thousand yards from the Turks, and had their midday ration under fire. Of the New Zealand forces the officer commanding Canal operations said: ‘lf that’s a sample of the Maorilander, he’ll do me; but the beggar wants a Christmas dinner wherever he goes.’ ”

The interruption by Russian submarines of the Sassnitz-Trelleborg train ferry connecting Germany with Sweden would be a very grave matter for Germany if it were permanent. The route is 65 miles in length, and the ferry, like the Dover-Calais service, is ordinarily carried on by steamers of both countries, two being German and two Swedish, and there are two services each way daily, the minimum number of steamers required to maintain them being three. Passenger traffic, which is the main object of the service, must have lost a good deal of its importance during the war, but the ferry was expected, when it was opened in 1909, greatly to facilitate goods traffic. Each steamer is built to take 18 goods waggons, when not carrying passenger trains, and schedules of through rates were issued between the principal stations in Germany and Sweden. From the latier country fresh provis’ons and building material (doors, window-frames and stone) were expected to constitute the chief part of the traffic. Now that the Baltic is largely mined and partly closed by the winter, this ferry and the other short routes from Sweden to Germany have acquired special importance.

When tender babes, oppressed, by croup, Lie gasping in their little cots, Their anguished parents o’er them stoop And strive to save the tiny tots. To such as these there comes a boon, Which needs no doct< r but a spoon A syrup, soothing, safe, and sure— World-famous “Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.”

Greece is unstable as ever, and is living up to her old political reputation. Her one great statesman, M. Venizelos, who is heart and soul with the Allies, has measured his strength against King Constantine and been temporarily overthrown.

The Balkan kingdoms are not yet finally convinced that the Allies are going to win. Above all, they are waiting to see what Italy will do, and for them the action of Italy will be decisive.

The moujik soldier Ivan is superior to his German foe Michel in one respect. He is more original and poetical. Ivan never talks with the banality and conventionality of the daily newspaper. If he is not imaginative he does not borrow' other men’s images. If he is imaginative he talks like a poet.

’ Not a man in the Slav army doubts that Russia will win. Faith moves mountains, and faith is the thing which the Grand Duke Nicholas’ army outweighs all techn’cal training and other defects.

On the plain of Troy proper, where the New Zealanders are fighting, a

little to the north of the actual ruins, some of the finest hard wheat in Asia . Minor is grown. Rye, barley, maize, haricot beans, and water melons are cultivated for export.

The Exhibition attendance at San Francisco, although it appeared large, is understood not to be satisfactory to the promoters.

A policeman’s or soldier’s pay in Egypt "is only about 3 to 5 piastres a day, a piastre being

It is reported that LieutenantColonel P. C. Fenwick, who left w.th the main Expeditionary Force as Deputy-Assistant Director of Medical Services, has been promoted to be colonel, and succeeds Colonel W. J. Hill as Director of Medical Services.

While fishing at Castlepoint, Mrs. Peter Oliver, of Fernridge, caught a groper weighing 841 b. Mrs. Oliver, who is an expert fisher, played the fish in good style, and eventually landed it with the assitsance of Mr. Oliver.

Acting-Sergeant Cecil F. G. Humphries, of Mataura, who was promoted from private on the field, and who was recently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous coolness anti gallantry at the battle of Givenchy, where he carried his company commander’s body off the field under heavy fire, was wounded at Neuve Chapelle, and at the end of March was in hospital at Sevenoaks. He is in the Ist Manchester Regiment, to which he was transferred from the Army Service Corps.

Mount Egmbnt shows a coating of snow well down, on the mountain side.

: “The advance in sea freights have had a considerable effect on prices of food in England. As an example we may mention that 20s. is being paid, as against the normal 12s. 6d. per ton, for chartering shops to fetch wheat from the Argentine.”

As the majority of the peasants are practically vegetarians, it is not an expensive business to feed the Russian Army.

We used to talk of the phlegmatic German, now we think of them as the most excitable and melodramatic people in Europe. Even before this war a crowd of Germans looked to Englishmen all over-expressive, all wearing consciously on their faces the iron determination of the Fatherland and the sense of their national destiny.

The allied fleets in the Dardanelles have passed Troy, whose walls were loopholed and whose warriors’ weapons were made for use at very close quarters, and where the Agamemnon was hit at 11,000 yards. What would be the thoughts of King Priam could he rise from the dead for one brief hour and see the modern warfare?

The week-end excursion trips in winter from Dunedin to Queenstown were greatly patronised last year, the number of passengers expected by the Railway Department being greatly exceeded'.’

“The cost of living in England has advanced about 25 per cent. Bread, which cost 6d. in July last, is now Bd., and bacon has advanced from lOd. to Is. Id. All vegetables are dearer, and meat 2d. to 3d. a pound dearer.

There will shortly reach New Zealand one of the pontoons carried over the desert by the Turkish soldiers, and launched in the Suez Canal during the enemy’s unsuccessful effort to cross. The Minister for Defence says the Nelson company of the Expeditionary Force captured the pontoon, and, therefore, it will be presented to that town in commemoration of their good work.

The Russian remount officer is sometimes a glittering figure. One who was buying on the Don was a Cossack, in the full panopoly of military finery,, wide-spirited, gorgeous coat, silver braid, glittering yataghan in a richly decorated scabbard, and highly ornamental bandoliers. It is doubtful if even in the time of Peter, in the historical siege of Azo, there fought a more magnificent warrior.

A vivid light is shed on the distressful condition of Hungary by the Buda Pesth journal “Pesti Hirlap,” It states that the Buda Pesth bakers have decided, at a private conference, to close down their businesses and to return their shop licenses to the authorities. In an interview one of the leading bakers explained that during the whole of the previous week he could only obtain sufficient flour for one day’s requirements.

To-day more. than three-fourths of the officers commanding armies and army corps are less than sixty years of age. Some are considerably younger. A number of the army corps commanders are from. 46 to 54 years of age, and the brigade commanders are usually -under 50. There are, in fact, at the front extremely few general officers over 60, and these are men who are in full possession of their physical and intellectual powers.

The general opinion at Home is that the men who have joined Kitchener’s Army are by thousands going out now every day to the front. The necessity for this will be easily appreciated as it is generally understood that there are now between two and three million men to be got out by the end of May. Then it is anticipated that the advance on the Rhine will commence, although it is very doubtful

whether many of those who have been in the trenches throughout the'winter will be in a fit condition to bear the strain of continual marching.

The Germans and Austrians have, between them, at least 6,000 000 available men, and it will be a close race between them and the Allies. After the reinforcements reach the front we shall need drafts by the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands to fill the gaps in our fighting line.

Including all ranks, France now has more than 2,500 000 men at the front, and every unit is, or was on January 15, at war strength. The infantry companies are at least 200 strong. In many regiments the companies have a strength of 250 or more. In the other arms, which have suffered less than the infantry, the units are all up to, or above, regulation strength.

The Kursal, one of the best music halls in Cairo, starts at 5 p.m. Seats cost from 3 piastres up to 60 piastres for a box. The programme is really vaudeville, with the singing in French, says a New Zealand trooper, writing home. “There were several exceedingly good items, and for the 5 piastres, or is. each, we paid I thoroughly enjoyed my share. Several songs that we knew, including ‘Tipperary,’ were sung in French, the soldiers present joining in the chorus, can smoke as much as he pleases,

It seems curious to us,- but there one and from a cafe attached to the place can order drinks of any kind or can purchase cigarettes, etc. There is a good orchestra there, and no long, weary waits between items.”

The Greeks heartily favour the Allies, as every episode in their past history must impel therp to do. They have dreams of obtaining Constantinople. They would certainly like Smyrna, with its great Greek population; but they have not yet fully digested the large new territories they have recently won, and think the time is perhaps not yet ripe to acquire more. Their habitual irresolution gives King Constantine a chance to avoid a quarrel with his German friends (to whom he really owes very little), while at the same time he remains on amicable terms with the Allies.

In the west, where the Russians are attacking Turkey, they have advanced many miles beyond the limit of the railways. In this war the railway plays but the smallest part. Unlike the west, where whole armies are continually moved from point to point by rail, here everything—wounded, ammunition, food—is carried on camels,.or in-mule cart. The speed of transport is reduced to that of days before machinery, and, as in old times, there are continued engagements between small parties, and single combats, not at long range with rifles, but foot to foot, with yataghan and scimitar.

It is the little tradespeople, the professional class and the people with small fixed incomes in England who are suffering from the war. At the best of times they have had a hard struggle to keep up appearances and make both ends meet. For them the increase in the price of bread —it has just doubled in most parts of England since the war began—is a real tragedy, and the addition of a few pence a pound, to the price of meat means that less of it must be eaten. All sorts of little comforts and luxuries must be cut off, and while the condition of these people can hardly be compared to that of the working man wlm must actually see his. family starve in hard times, it really is a serious one to the people involved.