FOR RETURNED MEN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 114, 7 February 1919, Page 6

FOR RETURNED MEN

. CALL FOR MORE .CARS

MEETING OF VOLUNTEER MOTOR CORPS

' ,Tha need! for more'-'motor-cars being placed at the disposal of the Wellington "" . Voluntary Motor Corps for the transport '.:'■' of returned soldiers to their homes upon '■'-.days on' which drafts arrive was stress-•-■■•ed at of the corps held yester-day-afternoon.' It was pointed out that .' ... an increase in the membership was desirable if thoTvork for which the corps was formed to do was to be successfully .:...'■. carried .out. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. ~: Lute)'presided over the meeting : .'Mr".'Luke "said'that'he was particularly pleased ..wjth..,the.,gqnerous spirit shown by a ; numbor of members of the corps, but'-a larger membership and a greater ■.'.' ■ enthusiasm were necessary if the work of the organisation was to be, successfully performed. Previous .to the establish- . mentof_ the corps he hod spent scores of .. 'pounds in hiring taxi-cabs. He suggest- . Ed that in order that the' transport of ■;'• 'the whole of the men might be adequately met people who owned motor-cars ; should provide taxi-cabs as substitutes on occasions when they could not lend their own cars for the purpose. More ■'-help'in the'direction >he had indicated £ was needed. In fact, he thought that something better would have to be done in regard to receptions to returned men. ' It they desired that the soldiers should ; fettle down.in civil lifp. in no disgruntled f pfcrit then they should encourage them ,to do so by according them warmer welcomes on their return to their native ■■'',', .land. , .'-. (Hear,- hear.) Captain W. Pryor,- who has charge of -. , the work of the-corps, in remarking that more enthusiasm was necessary, express- • ed hi 3 appreciation of what a 'number of the members and the Iridies had done. But they could not carry on their work unless they had the assistance of all the . .motorists in Wellington. Over four thon?and troops would be arriving, within four-, weeks, therefore they woud require every car they could obtain. On a re- : cent occasion' tho corns had not carried out its job. thoroughly, and the result was that a car had to be hired. He ap- . pealed to all the members of the corps to attend in full force every time a transii port arrived.. Captain Prictor, military Janding officer, had intimated that difficulties which had arisen in the past ', ■ . would not occur again, and arrangements ..nod. been made whereby members of the . ..corps would receive more accurate ,in- •- formation as to the arrival of drafts. ■."■... .'While- there had been, inconvenience in ■ .The'past, he thought that there would be '.: for complaint on this score in . ■ the future.-'He knew there had been ; trouble in regard to the next-of-kin.' A member: And. the luggage! (Laugh- . ter.) . '. j Too Many .Relations.

•Continuing, Mr. Pryor suggested that rneans 'should, be devised of restricting the number of soldiers' relatives who at- ' tend'the wharves;and? the railway stations. Cases frequent]}- occurred where motor-cars were overcrowded, and this '-'■was'likely.to result in damage to the curs ."There is one-thing I want to speak out about, and it is a matter upon •which I feel very strongly," remarked ...Mγ. Pryor "That is that hardly any of our wealthy people are represented iii :lne membership pf the corps. The .wealthy people of Wellington have not giveri (j us''rlie assistance"they should have ■ d "1 e ' H° though't that a committee ot-tfro should be set up to interview the , wealthy people, "and point out to them what was their obvious duty to the returned soldiers.-' Flags were waved to , the mejr when they went away, but some people hesitated to turn out to welcome them when they returned. * "No More Muddling," , , Captain G. Prictor undertook to pro- »«?. ?" fthalf of the Defence Department that there would be no more muddhng Noiv that the restrictions on-'the use of wireless messages had been removed it would be possible to get in touch Jitn masters of transports, and to obtain trom them raoro accurate information as to. the arrival of their ships. In addition the fact that ships' had to be quarantined upon arrival would prove of great value, as more time would be avail--able within which, to get in touch with the corps. ■ The- Defence Department was willing ...-.every Snce -to the corps, and appreciated to the full' -the. splendid work which had been performed, by the members on previous oc- . LdMQUS. ■ ' . '

+ir}v :^ e ?fe vPresent.siguifiea that to +HM ferity-they, would place' lhelr.cara.a.;.lhe disposal of the corps to meet returning drafts of soldiers 'i*h n?°< Ml m ■ TOi also calTi «l to the effect thalv the .secretary, Mr. H.-J Stott hWH IrC I l,l ' f (l - •> (i vertisement, should if n % "I 1 motorists not on the roll of . the A\ei lingten Voluntary. Motor Corp, to ":■#»!*■s*" mh at the disposal of tie :»sgg transport; of turned so* S on future oc cnsions-no more than thre« nex't-ofki n per soldier should .be carried on the /."mtpr-eafs O f members of the corp, ' T .,4.. 1ett ?,':. from Miss Ethel S suggesting- th'at the cars cf he members of the corps should be suitably 'e< COr< tf s ° n l , l OCe f ion^hon troops arr I e<l. Mips Black was'in attendance it ieW""* , a ? d r6mark?,l that at ™eptions yens "drab and colJii • • and other P'ris-they were -?l™*ing prls in the Post and™ fraph Department-desired to make tie home-cominß of the men a little brighter? ,HS°/ th , B COTm hearH, - v thnnked .Mid that if the decorations we-e 'ent to , tho Town Kail .he would see that thev Z%* n ™ hii to the members of tile j