Tourist and Traveller

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1498, 9 January 1919, Page 36

Tourist and Traveller

HERE AND THERE.

Captain E. H. Sharp, M C., of Masterton has returned invalided to New Zealand after two years’ service abroad.

Major Eric Corkill, M.C. (Oriental Bay), who is at present with the R A.M.C. in Germany, has been awarded a bar to the Military Cross.

The Prince of Wales’ projected tour of the Dominions is not likely to be undertaken for some months after peace.

Mr. Herbert Barr, representing the pepartment of Tourist and Health Resorts, is travelling with General Pau and the members of the French Mission on their tour through New Zealand.

The commission appointed to inquire into the recent influenza epidemic consists of Sir John Denniston, the Hon. E. Mitchelson and Mr. D. McLaren, M P.

Mr. Percy Lee, who has been visiting the United States and Canada on business, returned to Auckland by the Niagara.

Colonel D. N. W. Murray, of Auckland, has received the decoration of C. He joined the New Zealand Field Ambulance upon the outbreak of war, and after serving in Egypt and participating in the action on the Suez Canal, was present at the> landing at Anzac. He was awarded the D. early last year.

Sir Thomas Mackenzie, on behalf of the Graves Commission, announces that the temporary crosses over soldiers’ graves will be saved for relations and friends if they wish for the memento.

A message has been received by the Minister for Defence that the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion will be withdrawn from France as a complete unit and returned to New Zealand as such during January.

The Bishop of Nelson, who accompanied the 39th Reinforcement to England, to take up the position of chief chaplain to the N.Z.E.F., expects to remain in Europe for at least a year.

Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in France, visited Australia in 1892. On May 4 of that year he signed the visitors’ book at the South Head fort, Sydney. He was then captain in the 7th Hussars Regiment. The mother of Sir Douglas Haig was a Tasmanian, and he has relatives living in Tasmania.

Mr. J. S. Hay, technical engineer to the Vacuum Oil Pty., Ltd., has received notice that he is to transfer to Melbourne. Mr. Hay will leave New Zealand shortly.

A recent cable message from Van couver to Australian papers states: “Paris is filled to overflowing, and prices for hotel rooms have doubled, and even trebled. A simple hotel breakfast costs 65., and it is impossible to dine for less than 16s. Bd.”

To celebrate the signing of the armistice, the Mayor of Blackburn (Eng.), Mr. Lawrence Cotton, chairman of the Blackburn Rovers Football Club, gave his 2000 cotton operatives a three days’ holiday, with a gift of £1 each.

It was remarked by a speaker at a recent meeting of business men in Melbourne that Dr. Siegfried, of the French Mission, had been much amused when he was told that officials who, before the war, had been getting £3OO a year had been given charge of new boards or departments at from £lOOO to £l5OO a year. In France the position had ben reversedA man who before the war had earned £3OOO a year had ben put into uniform and given control of a department at £2OO.

The Crown Prince of Japan intends visiting the Allied countries directly peace is signed.

The death is announced of Mr. Edward Dowd at the Waiau Old People’s Home, at the age of 100 years and six months. Throughout his hundred years he enjoyed splendid health, and retained his physical and mental faculties in a remarkable degree.

A record English, American and Expeditionary Force mail, consisting of 3320 bags, was landed from the Niagara on her last trip to Auckland.

Probably the most favoured spot around Auckland is at the luxuriant Tropical Gardens and Wragge Institute, Birkenhead. The epidemic has not touched this little paradise. Everyone should see the lovely palms and bananas, the choice flowers and shady bowers, and long remember a “day in Eden.’’ See the museum; and the sun by the astronomical telescope. It will prove an education for young and old.

Mr. Duncan Mackinnon, East India merchant, of London, Loup, and Balinakill (Argyllshire), formerly chairman of the British India Steam Navigation Company (Ltd.), who died early in the year, left an estate of £11,781,000. His only two sons were killed in action in France last year.

Mr. Ross Clark, formerly of Onehunga, and at one time an officer in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company, is at present in charge of the river traffic on the upper reaches of the river Euphrates. Mr. Clark was at one time chief officer of the Katoa, and he also made a trip to and from England as second officer of a troopship.

Mr. A. J. Kellow has been appointed secretary of the Foxton Patriotic Society, in place of Mr. J. L. Harvey, who is leaving for England.

Captain Manning, who is retiring from th eservice of the Union Steam Ship Company, after 36 years’ continuous service, has crossed Cook Strait 6000 times between 1873 and 1918.

The death has occurred at Masterton of Mr. James Macara, who was well known in racing circles, and was one of the earliest coach proprietors in the Wellington province. He was 79 years of age.

Sir James Allen announces that about 10,000 troops, mostly sick and wounded, are expected in the next three months, which should clear the English hospitals of sick and wounded New Zealanders.

Lieutenant L. Blundell, of the R.G.A., who has been on furlough in Wellington, left for London by the Arawa.

A “cowspankers’ dinner” was held in New Plymouth at the Royal Hotel on Christmas Eve, the guests being the members of the organisation which came into being during the epidemic, when the farmers in the surrounding districts were unable to milk their cows unaided. Mr. P. V. E. Stainton presided.

The suburban reporter wrote: “The speaker was greeted with copious boo-hoos,” but the comp, made it read: “The speaker was greeted with copious boose.”

A proposal to run an old English stage coach service on th e Port HillsAkaroa Summit road is a scheme which a committee of enthusiasts have in hand.

Fishing at the mouth of the Rangitata on Monday week, Mr. V. P. Boot, of Ashburton, landed eleven fish within an hour, the largest turning the scale at 71b. This is the first catch of any consequence made by an Ashburton angler since the opening of the season.

Among the passengers for London from Wellington last week on the Arawa was Mr. T. R. Herd, late chief clerk of the head office of the Marine Department, who has been appointed inquiry agent for the New Zealand Customs Department in London. He will relieve Mr. H. R. Spence, who will return to New Zealand and be stationed at Dunedin as Collector of Customs.

It has transpired that the price paid to the Lloyd family for the London “Daily Chronicle” and “Lloyd’s Weekly” was over 1% millions sterling. The purchasing syndicate include Sir Henry Dalziel, M.P. (at the head), Mr Andrew Weir (the millionaire shipowner, who is a member of the British Army Council), and Sir Howard Spicer (of the well-known London paper-making firm). On the deal being completed, Mr. Robert Donald, the able editor of the “Chronicle.” resigned his position.

For some time there has been divided opinion among members of the Acclimatisation Society as to the best system of stocking streams with rainbow trout. The majority of fishermen favour yearling trout being used, as they contend that better results are obtained. In opposition to this, it may be pointed out (says the “Manawatu Daily Times”) that Mr. A. Seed, who stocked the streams at the headwaters of the Otaki river with rainbow trout fry just over two years ago, caught a “rainbow” a few days ago weighing The fish was 14 inches in length and 3% inches in thickness.

In the course of his remarks at the New Zealand Club and Overseas Club luncheon in Christchurch, Mr. M. L. Reading, one of the Press delegates to the European war area, told how the well-known Scottish humuorist. Harry Lauder, was staying on and off at a certain chateau in Northern France where the delgates were entertained. One morning Harry Lauder turned up with a car in which was his little piano, used by him in his entertainments to the men at the front. Mr. Reading asked him if he remembered his visit to Christchurch. “Of course I do,” was Harry’s reply; “didn’t you giv e me a free lunch there —l’ll never forget that!” On the occasion of Mr. Lauder’s visit to Christchurch he was the. guest of the New Zealand Club at luncheon.

A glance at the records of the original Anzacs who have survived over four years of war and are now returning to Australia, reveals the fact (says the Melbourne “.Age”) that the great majority of the men followed outdoor occupations in the days before they donned the khaki of the A.I.F. Looking casually over the lists, it is noticed that one man was a seaman, another a carpenter, a third a labourer, a fourth a stockman. Only occasionally does the occupation of clerk appear alongside the name of one of the returning men. “Professional soldier” is the description given’ by one of the men of his pre-war occupation, while the next man describes himself as a cordial manufacturer. Piano tuning is a trade which one of the Anzacs followed before he went to the war, while another, who now wears the Military Medal, was an acrobat before he enlisted. Publican, farmer, cook, and storeman —four occupations picked out at random from the record of trades by which the Anzacs earned their living up to the time the war broke out —indicate the diverse nature of the surroundings in which the men lived prior to going into camp. It would seem that the repatriation authorities should not experience much difficulty in placing the Anzacs in civil employment.

Inquiries made at the Wellington Tourist Bureau go to show that there has been a fairly heavy traffic during the holidays, reports the “Post.” This was hardly expected on account of the disturbance caused by the recent epidemic. The South Island, and, in relatively large measure, the West Coast, seems to have been more favoured this year than the most popular resorts of the North Island. Business has, however, been spread over a longer period this year by reason of the abolition of excursion fares, and there has not, therefore, been so heavy a crush on the railways within the few days from Christmas Eve to New Year. The railways offer no inducements by low fares, as formerly, to travel for pleasure. Travelling by rail and boat cannot be called cheap in New Zealand compared with many other places, and the accommodation at hotels and boarding houses is not

cheap either. Nevertheless, there has been and is likely to be a lot of travelling done this season, judging by the stream of inquirers calling at the Tourist Bureau and the extensive character of th e itineraries which have formed the subject of inquiries of the officer in charge. The tourists appear to be almost entirely residents of New Zealand, who are seeing their own country—many perhaps for the first time —outside of their home towns. The difficulties associated with communication between Australia and New Zealand are not conducive to any extensive influx of visitors from the Commonwealth this season.

All previous records in ship finishing, it is reported, have been beaten by a marvellous performance on the part of the men of Messrs. Workman, Clark and Co., Ltd., Belfast, who have completed a standard ship of 8000 tons in three and threerquarter days. The vessel left the stocks on a Thursday afternoon (main engine and boilers were all on board the same evening), and so rapidly was she brought forward that she ran her morning trials on the Friday afternoon. Steam was up 44 hours after the boilers were in place on the Saturday, which was a short day, and on the Sunday the ship left for her preliminary run, the trials proving satisfactory in every respect. Th e previous record was held by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, who finished a vessel recently in five days.

Colonel Parkes, who has held the appointment of D.M.S. since June, 1916, is returning to New Zealand immediately and has been succeeded by Colonel C. M. Begg, C. 8., C.M.G.

The death is announced of the famous Alpine guide, Mattias Zurbriggen, who spent some years in New Zealand as guide to Major E. A. Fitzgerald, in the Southern Alps. Zurbriggen was born in 1856 at SaasFee, and after trying his hand at several trades, began his professional career as a climber in 1889. He had experiences in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, and the Southern Alps, and was one of the most famous of Alpine guides.

General regret was expressed all through the Dominion at the death of Colonel George Warren Shaw Patterson, officer commanding the Auckland military district, which occurred suddenly at the Northern Club on January 2. He was 56 years of age, and had been connected with military affairs in Auckland for 30 years, and was formerly in command of the Auckland Garrison Artillery, and later Coast Defence Commander. On the outbreak of war he took charge of the mobilisation of the coast defences and continued in command until Colonel Hume was appointed to command the Wellington district three years ago, when he succeeded him in the command at Auckland. He was recognised as an able and efficient officer, and was exceedingly popular. He was head of the firm of G. W. S. Patterson and Co., kauri

gum merchants, Auckland, and New York, and was recognised as an authority on the East, particularly China, Japan and Siberia, to which countries he paid many business visits. During the war he acted on several occasions as Governor of Samoa, relieving Colonel Logan when the latter was obliged to visit New Zealand. Deceased was buried at Purewa cemetery on Saturday with full military honours, all territorial

and cadet units of the Auckland Garrison being largely represented. Lieut.-Colonel. H. Boscawen, A.D.C., represented His Excellency the Gov-ernor-General, the Earl of Liverpool, at the funeral. Colonel H. R. Potter, commandant of Trentham camp, who is to temporarily succeed Colonel Patterson as 0.C.D., represented the Minister for Defence, and Major Andrew, N.Z.S.C., represented General Sir Alfred Robin, G.O.C.