Tourist and Traveller

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1486, 17 October 1918, Page 36

Tourist and Traveller

HERE AND THERE.

Mr. Louis Schatz was in Wellington last week on his way to America. * * * * Mr. and Mrs. Veitch, of Wellington, have returned from a trip to Sydney. * ♦ * ♦ Mr. Arthur Kidman, a well-known Sydney business man, was a passenger by the Moeraki, which arrived at Wellington from Sydney. * * ♦ ♦ Mr. T. R. Leithead, manager of the Kaiapoi Wollen Mills, who has been on an extended business trip to England and America, has returned to Kaiapoi. Mr. John C. Collard, principal of the English firm of Collard and Collard, pianoforte manufacturers, died in Devon last week. He visited New Zealand several times. * * • • The “end of the war” is the day on which the peace treaty becomes binding, is the view of a Select Committee following the report of Mr. Justice Atkin’s Committee in London. * ♦ ♦ • Mr. W. W. Collins, who has been a resident of Christchurch for nearly 30 years, and who represented the city in the House of Representatives for six years, is leaving to take up his permanent residence in Sydney. * • ♦ • The announcement is made of the sudden death in Melbourne of Mr. William Steele, manager in Australia and New Zealand for Messrs. Ward, Lock and Co. Mr. Steele has left a 'fine record of hard work and faithful service, having been for over half a century in the service of his firm, which he entered as a boy of 14 in London. In 1884 he founded the Australian branch, and had since done much to promote the growth of a healthy type of Australian literature for young people, beginning with the “discovery,” in 1894, of Ethel Turner, the Australian writer. For many years Mr. Steele paid an annual business visit to New Zealand. * • « « Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington, who left recently on a visit to Australia, is now at Toowoomba, where his two nephews reside. He intends to meet General Pau with whom he went to school for many years in France. ♦ • • • . Captain H. R. Vercoe, D.S 0., of the . New Zealand Forces, who returned for special service by the last troopship that arrived in Auckland, was entertained by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. Other guests were the relatives of officers and soldiers with whom the captain was associated on the western front. * * * « Mr. W. H. Weaver, for the last five years manager and buyer of the dress departments of Messrs. Milne and Choyce, Ltd., Auckland, was presented at a gathering of the staff with a cheque from the firm and gifts from the buyers and the employees. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver are returning to Australia for health reasons. » ♦ * * Major T. Farr, who has been awarded the D. 5.0., w r as formerly a ser-geant-major in the R.N.Z.A. He was educated at the Maori College at Gisborne, and worked for some time as a school teacher Then he joined the old Submarine Mining Corps, in which he gained a reputation as an expert electrician. He was a member of the Main Body, and has been on active service continuously. He was mentioned in despatches in November, 1915, and awarded the Military Cross. In Wellington he was known as a good Rugby player, and was for several seasons a member of the Oriental Club’s senior team. ♦ * • • Prior to his departure for camp, the Wellington despatch clerks and telegraph message boys and girls made Mr. A. Thomas, senior despatch clerk at the Telegraph Office, the recipient of a silver wristlet watch and. a photograph frame. Mr. Talbot, superintend., dent, made the presentation, and on behalf of the disuatch branch wished Mr. Thomas success in his new duties and a safe return.

Mr. C. E. Mackay Mayor of Wanganui, who has had a severe illness, has now recovered from his indisposition. Mr. E. J. Barry, Mayor of Ohakune, is mentioned as a likely candidate for the Waimarino seat at the next general election. « • * Mr. Edwin Ashby, of Pahiatua, has been advised that his eldest son, Lieut. F. E. Ashby, M.C., has been awarded a bar to his Cross for gallantry in the field. Lieut. Ashby was employed in the Bank of New Zealand in Pahiatua previous to enlisting. Another old resident of the Poverty Bay district in the person of Mr. William Witters passed away at his residence, Makauri, the other day at the age of 75 years. The late Mr. Witters was born at Donegal, Ireland, and, accompanied by Mrs. Witters, came out to New Zealand in the ship Alumhaugh, arriving at Auckland in July, 1875, after a passage of 90 days.

Landing at Gisborne in August of the same year, Mr. Witters went on Waiohika station, then owned by Major Westrup, and after remaining there a short period Mr. Witters took up land for himself at Makauri, where he had been carrying on farming pursuits ever since. Deceased leaves a widow and family, the latter including Miss Witters and Messrs. R. J. George, William, and Corporal Dick Witters (on active service). - » « » Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Weston, D. 5.0., of New Plymouth, who left with the tenth reinforcements, and served on Gallipoli, is among the latest arrivals of returned soldiers. In France he commanded the Taranaki Company at the Somme, where he was slightly wounded, and he had command of the 2nd, Wellington, Battalion at Messines and La Basseville. At Passchendaele, when in command of the 3rd Wellingtons, he was severely wounded.

The Waihou River, in the Te Arolia district, and the Oraka, at Tirau, are favourite resorts for anglers, while several streams in the Ohinemuri district are said to be well worth a visit. The chief stream of the Ohinemuri district is the Waitawheta, which has its source between Te Arolia and Katikati, and is suitable for fishing for 12 miles above Karangahake, where it joins the Ohinemuri. It is an excellent fly-fishing stream, running for several miles through native bush and rocky gorges. There are also flat reaches of the river, which can be reached by motor car. V * * * Among the soldiers who returned to Wellington last week was Lieutenant D. Russell, son of the Hon. G. W. Russell, he having been wounded at the Somme. His brother, Corporal George Russell, who was on a hospital ship, was declared unfit for further military service recently. ♦ * * • Some interesting evidence was given at a meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of the licensee of a

hotel at Aratapu. Bankrupt, in a sworn statement, stated, that in April, 1917, he purchased the’ lease of the Aratapu Hotel for £7OOO, subject to a mortgage of £l2OO. The business paid till six o’clock closing came into operation, but after that the takings fell off to the amount of about £2O a week. The Austrians being taken away from the district by the Govern; ment also affected the business detrimentally. He had made efforts to sell without success. The official assignee said he proposed to carry on the business until a purchaser could be obtained. ♦ ♦ ♦ * Mr. M. Rudd, who was recently transferred from Auckland to Dunedin to 'fill the position as acting secretary of the Union Steam Ship Company, is at present in charge of the company’s Christchurch office, in place of Mr. S. K. Sleigh, who is relieving Mr. W. A. Kennedy in Wellington.

“I have seen all the harbours of France, the United States and England, but I have seen nothing to equal Sydney harbour.” Thus spoke General Pau, at Sydney, alter a launch trip to view the wharfage and loading facilities of the port. What struck the members of the mission most of all was the depths of the berths in Sydney as compared with the French ports. At Marseilles the depth is 29ft. 6in., at Boulogne 32ft„ and at Sydney up to 60ft. The Sydney harbour water frontage extends 188 miles, and there is 65,000 feet of wharfage. ♦ » * * A Queensland aboriginal, Harry Cahill, now employed as a teamster at Bankside was refused exemption by the Second Canterbury Military Service Board. Cahill claimed exemption on account of his birth. It appeared that he had previously enlisted and been rejected, but he now objected to service, on the ground that his race had not always received the best of treatment from the whites. Right up to the time of the Boar war, when the Government stepped in with protection, the Queensland blacks had just been shot down, and he himself had had a relative fall a victim to the white men’s guns. Now he was asked to fight for those whites. * * » V Mr. C. G. Young, of the well-known Wanganui firm of Messrs. Young and Collins, Ltd., was a visitor to Auckland last week. Mr. Young has just returned from a business trip to England. A complimentary dinner was given last week at the Rutland Hotel, Wanganui, by the West Coast Main Body in honour of Lieutenant (act-ing-Captain) D. Curham and C.S M. A. Tronson. Amongst those present were Messrs. J. R. Rowe, T. I. Morgan J. M. Archer, D. C. Moore, C. C. McNaught, F. J. Hill, R. Smythe, W. Connel, Chas. Booth, E. Bevedge,’ E. Holt, K. Crotty, and F. H. Moore. * * * * Bombardier 1. J. Y. Cochran, who has been awarded the Military Medal, is the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Cochran, of Trentham, late of Manawatu. Bombardier Cochran, with his brother, Sergeant R. D. Cochran (Meritorious Service Medal), left with the 9th Reinforcements. Both have since seen continuous fighting in France. Before enlisting, both were on the staff of the head office of New Zealand Railways. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Second-Lieutenant H. A. McKenzie (Rhodes scholar), son of Professor McKenzie, is making satisfactory progress. Since September Ist he has been in hospital suffering from a gunshot wound in the leg. News has been received by Mr. William McAlpine, J.P., of Hataitai, Wellington, that his cousin, Mr. Robert McAlpine, J.P., a contractor, of Motherwell, Scotland, has been made a baronet, the honour having been conferred for continuous public patriotic services for many years in the provision of workmen’s dwellings and the creation of garden cities, and for meritorious work in the construction of shell factories in Scotland and England. Mr. W. McAlpine’s fifth and youngest daughter was married last year to Major Lloyd George, the eldest son of the Prime Minister. Another cousin is Mr. Robert McAlpine, of Westport, South Island, who has been farming for over thirty years in New Zealand. » * ♦ * The death occurred at Lyttelton the other morning of Mr. Samuel Brooking, who was born at Kelly Bridge, Cornwall, and came out to New Zealand 39 years ago. He was for eight years licensee of the Sumner Hotel, and he then went to Lyttelton, where he had been licensee of the Saxon Hotel for the last 12 years. The late Mr. Brooking was formerly a vice-president of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, and was secretary of the Lyttelton branch of the association. In former years he was an enthusiastic poultry fancier, and had held the Canterbury championship, while he was also an ardent horticulturist, and a grower of many prize blooms.

ROLL OF HONOUR.

Corporal E. Newton Matthews, reported as missing and later as killed in action in France on August 28. was the eldest son of Mr. Newton Matthews, of the Chief Post Office, Auckland. He had lived from early childhood in Remuera and was educated at the Remuera and Auckland Grammar schools. He entered the National Bank, Auckland, on leaving school, ljut later resigned in favour of taking up farming with his uncles at Paengaroa, Bay of Plenty. He enlisted at the age of 19, leaving with the 11th Reinforcements. Corporal Matthews reached France in July, 1916, and served with the 2nd Battalion 16th Waikato A.I.R. all through the first Somme offensive. He was wounded on February 21, 1917, and sent to Walton-on-Thames. On recovering he spent some months at Sling Camp, where he was an instructor in several subjects. He returned to France in March last, and served with the 2nd Otago Entrenching Battalion, afterwards joining the Ist Battalion of his old regiment. Corporal Matthews was an old member of the 3rd Auckland Mounted Rifles, with which company his brother, Trooper Victoi’ Matthews, is at present serving his country in Palestine. The late Corporal A. Savage, of Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, who was killed in action, left New Zealand with the 9th Reinforcement. He was by birth a grandson of Tionga, the great warrior and chief of Ngati Rangitihi tribe, Arawa, while on his father’s side he was a grandson of the late Mr. Benjamin Boscowen Savage, a native of West Casset, State of Maine (U.S.). Corp. Savage was the third of that gentleman’s grandsons killed at the front; several, are still serving, whil’e four have returned invalided. Private Ernest T. Bock, of Christchurch, killed in action, was born in South Australia 37 years ago, and came to New Zealand 15 years ago, settling in Canterbury. He was employed on the railway for about 12 years, and during that period took a great interest in ambulance work, gaining high certificates. He volunteered over two years ago, and was in almost every action with the New Zealanders as' a machine-gun specialist, until killed on September 12. His brother, Captain Bock, of the Australian Forces, gained the Military Cross. His parents reside in Oakey, Queensland. The late Private E. T. Bock was an uncle of Luke Wilson, the well-known lightweight jockey, and leaves a wife and two children.

A well-known Invercargill musiciansoldier, writing from one of the largest training camps in the world situated in England, mentions that 10,000 German prisoners are at present interned nearby where the New Zealanders are located, and that they are particularly well fed and housed. He says that when it was announced recently that arrangements had been made with Germany for an exchange of prisoners and volunteers were called for from the ranks of the Huns to return to the Fatherland, only about 50 men stood forth from the great body of internees. The young cornetist from Southland suggests that “the Germans will have to be introduced to the ballot system to start a sufficient number on the way .home.” * ♦ * * Lieutenant Garth Jackson has written the Masterton Borough Council from Egypt, stating that he is forwarding a copy of a reproduction of drawing of Shellal Mosaic. The latter was found close to the Shellal crossings of the Wadi Ghuzzee, about twelve miles south of Gaza. The Mosaic itself will probably be sent to a museum in Australia or New Zealand. ♦ * » * Second-Lieutenant Robert Norbury, who has received the appointment of electrician in charge of the branch of the military service under the Director of Railways and Works, has had a wide experience in electrical engineering. Prior to coming to New Zealand, he studied his profession in the various centres in Europe, and was in Germany shortly before the declaration of war. Lieutenant Norbury enlisted for service early in the war, but was not accepted. He relinquished a lucrative appointment in the South Island in order to serve the Empire in the military home service branch. At the Arbitration Court in Wellington last week ,the secretary of the Storemen’s Union (Mr. A. L. Monteith) quoted figures showing the huge profits made by New Zealand companies during the past four years. The country, he said, was extremely prosperous, yet none of this prosperity was reflected on the worker. The richer a nation got, the poorer grew its workers. Referring to one company whose profits were published, the employers’ representative (Mr. W. Scott) observed that in 1912 this company was faced with bankruptcy. Mr. Monteith replied that this bore out the enormous profits being made. Mr. Scott said that, looking over the list of employers of storemen, he could see that come companies were doing very well, but with others the case was exactly the opposite. Mr. Monteith said that probably some of these companies had relied on a supply of German goods, and were now suffering accordingly. Others probably had disposed of their big stocks at big- ' ger profits, and on account of the war had nothing to go on with now. »■ * * * Lieutenant-Colonel T. A. Hunter, who has had the Order of the British Empire conferred on him, is Director of Dental Services to the New Zealand Forces. Before the war he was in private practice in Dunedin, and was connected with the New Zealand Dental Association. When the dental organisation on a military basis was inaugurated in 1915, and a Dental Corps was formed, Colonel Hunter was appointed Director of Dental Services. In 1916 he visited Egypt, France, and England for the purpose of instituting similar organisations for the troops abroad. In a Canadian camp “Somewhere in England” a second George Washington has been found. He, in company with several others, had been granted four days’ leave, and as usual wired for extension. But no hackneyed excuse was his. In fact, it was so original that it has been framed and now hangs in a prominent spot in the battalion orderly room. It ran as follows: “Nobody dead, nobody ill, still going strong, having a good time, and got plenty of money. Please grant extension!” And he got it. A floating crane with a lifting capacity of 150 tons, has been constructed at Cockatoo Naval Dockyards, Sydney. It is intended foi’ use in the building and refitting of ships under the Commonwealth control. The crane is on the gantry principle, and looks like the section of a huge bridge when swinging round into position.

Mr. H. E. Pither, who has for the past eight years been country traveller for Messrs. Gordon and Gotch Proprietary, Ltd., Wellington, went into camp with last week’s draft. Before leaving he was presented by the members of the staff with a silver wristlet watch and a safety razor as tokens of esteem. The presentation was made by the manager for New Zealand (Mr. W. E. Jackson), who referred to the cordial relations that

had always existed between the firms’ customers and Mr. Pitcher, and to the happy manner in which he had always worked with the rest of the . staff. Mr. Pitcher briefly returned thanks. * * * * Lieut.-Commander Drummond, who was severely wounded in the assault on Zeebrugge some months ago, and whose gallant conduct on that occasion earned him the Victoria Cross, is a young New Zealander, born in Dunedin. As a youth he joined a New Zealand naval vessel, and as soon as war broke out he went Home and joined the British navy. Daring and exciting exploits brought quick promotion. Lieut.-Commander Drummond is a cousin of Mr. R. Sutherland, of Masterton. Before Sir James Allen stepped on ' to the troop train the other morning he informed a Dunedin “Star” representative that the arrangement was still continuing . under which 50 of our soldiers who had been on service for three years or over would return on duty furlough every month. About 400 were back already. The arrangement had been temporarily Relayed on account of the pressure of the enemy, but it had been resumed, and would continue if shipping were available. The sending of these men was in the hands of the Imperial authorities. Other men were returning on business leave, and in their case the arrangements were made out here. * * * * The funeral of the late Lieutenant Leslie Craven, M.C., which took place the other afternoon, was one of the most impressive ever witnessed in Blenheim. A large concourse of people watched the cortege pass through the town, and there was also a large attendance at the graveside, where the burial service was read by the Ven. Archdeacon York and the Rev. W. W. Bedwell. The mortal remains of the deceased soldier were conveyed to their last resting-place on a gun-carriage covered by a Union Jack, the only wreath on the casket being one from General Sir Edward Chayter. The machine-gun used by the deceased was also in the cortege. Lieutenant-Colonel H. J. Robinson (officer in charge of the 12 th Nelson and Marlborough Regiment) represented the officer commanding the district, Lieutenant Freeth the Mounted Brigade, Lieutenant .1 Pritchard the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, and Captain R. W. Fisher the Rifle Brigade. « • • « “I have no time for these nambypamby views with regard to returned soldiers who come back fairly fit,”

said Mr. L. Birks in the course of an address on “Electricity in New Zealand” at Christchurch. The speaker went on to explain that, whilst he duly appreciated the great services rendered by the returned men to the Empire, he did not think that those who came back fit to follow their ordinary vocations were in great need of help, for they could look after themselves very well. However, those who came back unfit for

their old work needed and deserved a great deal of help. In this direction the development of hydro-elec-trical power would be of great assistance; For instance, the maimed men could be taught to make toys. All the machinery necessary would be a small lathe or two driven by electricity. These could be installed in the home, and, if electricity were supplied both in the town and the

country, the returned men could make toys, no matter where they lived. Of course, the merchants would have to see to it that there was a market for the toys. This should not be a difficult task, for he did not think that people would wish to buy toys of German make. • * ♦ *

In connection with the movement which has been started with a view

to the establishment of shipbuilding yards in New Zealand, Mr. B. J. Cooke, at the last meeting of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, warmly advocated the claims of Picton, and it was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Associated Chambers at next month’s conference in the form of a remit.