Tourist And Traveller

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1513, 24 April 1919, Page 38

Tourist And Traveller

HERE AND THERE.

Mr. T. Donaldson, of Ravensbourne, Otago, and his daughter are leaving for an extended holiday in Scotland.

Mr. J. Kershaw, who is shortly leaving for Auckland on promotion, was entertained by members of the Hataitai Bowling Club and presented with a bowler’s bag.

Mr. Jas. Rennie, for over 40 years in charge of the shipping department of Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., has retired.

Mr. Will Lawson, of Wellington, who has been engaged in writing up the West Coast for the Tourist Department for the purpose of publicity in foreign countries, is now dealing similarly with the Otira tunnel.

There were many enthusiastic scenes at Gisborne when the Maori soldiers were welcomed home. During the course of his address the Bishop of Waiapu suggested that the Te Aute College should be rebuilt as a war memorial.

Mr. Albert Kaye, who intends leaving shortly on a visit to England, was farewelled by members of the Council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. D. C. Bates, Government Meteorologist, is visiting the Thames and Rotorua d’stricts.

Lieut. J. R. Byrne. N.Z.F.A., who has been engaged in England in assisting in the compiling of a history of our artillery’s work in the war, is now en route to New Zealand Mr. John Hooton, general manager of the New Zealand Farmers’ Cooperative Association, returned to Wellington by the Riverina.

Mr. .H. P. Kissling has been appointed general manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, vice Mr. Jas. Buttle, who is resigning after 45 years’ service with the company.

Mr. Bernard C. Ryder, who has been a member of the literary staff of the “Auckland Star,” leaves for Vavau by the Talune towards the end of the month to take up a commercial position in the Tongan Group.

A substantial drop in the first and second-class passenger fares to and from the United Kingdom is announced by the New Zealand Shipping Company, and other lines are expected follow suit.

The New Zealand Rhodes Scholars for 1913 and 1914, Messrs. F. F. Miles and W. M. Jones, have been demobilised to proceed with their course at Oxford.

Among those who returned by the transport Willochra was Captain M. Horton (of the Army Service Corps), formerly traffic manager for the Union Steam Ship Company at Wellington.

Lance-Corporal Murray W. O’Connor, of Auckland, has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal. He received the former decoration for the rescue of a wounded officer, under heavy rifle fire. Lance-Corporal O’Connor left with an early draft at 20 years of age. '

Mr. J. C. Boddington, formerly manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Kaiapoi, Lyttelton, and Masterton, died at Masterton on April 16, aged 77 years. He was a well-known oarsman in his day, anti was one of the founders of the Star Boating Club in Wellington.

Captain F. A. Taylor. Mount Eden, formerly of the teaching staff of the Auckland Grammar School, has been awarded a scholarship at Oxford University. Captain Taylor, who on one occasion was the Auckland nominee for the Rhodes scholarship, left New Zealand as a lieutenant with the Seventh Reinforcements, and was twice wounded while serving in France.

Sir Ernest Rutherford, who is a native of Christchurch, has been given the Cavendish Professorship in Physics at Cambridge University, the highest scientific appointment in the English-speaking world.

Dr. A. M. Grant, who has been attached to the stipendiary staff of the Auckland Hospital for the last eight years, is resigning his position on the hospital staff, as he intends to engage in private practice. His resignation was accepted with regret by the Hospital Board.

The Wellington City Council formally ratified the appointment of Mr. M. Cable as acting-general manager of tramways, Mr. C. Lauchlan as act-ing-general manger of the lighting department, and Mr. J. Morice as acting-city engineer during the absence abroad of Mr. W. H. Morton.

The American people admire, and, indeed, love the Great Britain of the

Liberal party, (says the San Francisco “Examiner” in emphasising the fact that any Tory party scheme which attempts to give the House of Lords real legislature power in England is a reactionary scheme intended to set political democracy in Great Britain back a hundred years.) The British government is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Under the Tories it has been guilty of the worst international assassinations, barbarities and faithlessness known to history. Under the Liberal government it has won the respect, the admiration and affection of the whole world. If the British people fall under the rule of a Tory government as a result of the last general election, it -will be a matter which the American people wil grieve over almost as much as the people of Great Britain will surely grieve when they wake up to see what has happened and what the consequences of it must be. Under a Tory government there must always exist suspicion between America and Great Britain, because Americans know from their history that a Tory government never has yet, with the least spontaneity, been friendly to America. Two out of five of our foreign wars have been with Great Britain under a Tory government, and we came within a hair’s breadth of waging two more wars with Great Britain under a Tory government. Had a Tory government controlled Great Britain, it is doubtful whether the American people would have tolerated the entrance of America into the great war.

The roll of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association now contains nearly 7000 names. Over 3000 new members have been secured.

“We wonder what everything will be like when we get home,” writes a member of the Expeditionary Force in France. “We almost forget what home things are like, and speculate as to whether we will be disappointed at the change—or lack of change—in the minds and habits of our friends. We wonder if they will be disappointed in the changes in us. We have been living among strange people and in strange conditions for a long while We are coarser in some ways, more matter-of-fact, and rough and ready in habits and speech. We take things as a matter of course, and are not a bit interested in the spectac'es and speeches that a few years ago would have made the average chap blush and run. We have been through hell. It will be hard to settle down to the ordinary life.”

Mr. Arthur Vernon, secretary of the United Labourers’ Protective Society, Sydney, referring to the ■ recent Bolshevik outbreak in Brisbane, in which the soldiers gave these Russian agitators a rough time, says of the Bolsheviks: —“It practically means that a handful of people who could be taken away in a cab stand up and want to take charge of Australia. To my mind they will be allowed to go on in their mad career until they do something which will allow the authorities to put them away where they will do. no harm in Australia. If they are not transported, let them be placed in what is generally known as the ‘rat-house,’ provided they are kept separate from the decent class of lunatics. We have listened to the Bolsheviks in the Sydney Domain. Now we hear of them in Queensland, which State is evidently the Bolsheviks’ paradise. Bolshevism, red-rag-ging, etc., is the first stage of insanity. Many of them have already gone to the ‘rat-house.’ They cannot look after themselves, much less look after others. What they want is someone to lead them —preferably to the ‘rathouse’ —but if not there, then outside Australia.”

Leaving the lower deck (writes the London correspondent of the “Sydney Sun,” who had taken a trip down to Devonport to witness the departure of a large draft of Australian troops on their homeward voyage), I was bombarded with letters to post for friends in England, Ireland, and Scotland—especially Scotland, where manv a

warm heart is lonely to-day for departing Australian friends. “This is just to let the wife know that I am actually getting away,” said a youngold man from Sydney, with a brass “A” on each shoulder. “So you have been marrying an English girl, then? What will they say at home?” “Well, I’m not alarmed about that when they see her. She is one of the right sort. I’m leaving her here because she won’t be able to travel for a few months yet. The old people will be glad to have another member of the family. I’m the only one left. Three brothers who came away with me will never return. But I wish you would see the wife. She is one of the best, and after I’ve been in Aussie a couple of months and get things 'fixed I’m coming back again to fetch her —don’t want her to travel all that way with only the baby for company.” A simple story of love and tragedyone of the many to be heard amongst any body of Australian soldiers.

Mr. Browne, M.LC., who recently returned from San Francisco, says that in Australia there is nothing to compare with the San Francis or The Palace, while one could name a dozen —if not a score —of San Francisco hotels that are quite equal to Australia’s best. In the better class hotels in San Francisco every bedroom has its own priavte bath with an abundant supply of hot and cold water, and is connected to the telephone. Only a very poor grade place indeed would offer a room without a bath, and then would apologise for it. Another interesting .institution that is very popular in San Francisco, and that ought to work equally well in Sydney, is the Cafeteria, a restaurant where the waiter is almost entirely abolished. The customers enter and pass along .or around a huge counter, upon which is arranged in great abundance, but in regular order, everything necessary for a meal, either steaming hot or ice cold, as the case may require. He is first supplied with a tray, cutlery, and table napkin. Then he selects as he goes soup, fish, poultry, meats, pies, fruit—almost anything he can possibly want to eat or drink, each thing selected being deposited on his tray, which he carries along until his selection is complete, when a smart woman clerk runs an eye over his booty and assesses the price on a card, after which he is free to sit down at a table and have his meal. The food in the Cafeteria is in the main abundant, good, and reasonably cheap.

A matter of interest to returned soldiers was raised in the City Police Court at Dunedin, when a man was prosecuted for fishing in the Pomahaka river without a license. Mr. Payne explained that defendant, who had taken out a license last season, had been discharged from camp in November, and thought that he came under the provision allowing soldiers to fish without a license. Mr. Hay, who prosecuted for the Acclimatisation Society, said the society asked for a conviction, as it wished it to be clearly understood that every soldier must obtain a license whether he had to pay for it or not. The present practice was that no discharged soldier was given a free license. The magistrate (Mr. Widdowson) said it was a pity that a minimum penalty was provided, as he thought it would have been sufficient if defendant had paid costs. Defendant would be fined the minimum penalty (405.) without costs.