HOME-COMING TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 8

HOME-COMING TROOPS

NEARLY 10,000 TO ARRIVE THIS MONTH

APPEAL TO MOTORISTS

A meeting of the executive of the Wellington Volunteer Motor Corps was held in the Mayor's room yesterday, Those, present were the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Captain W. Pryor, Messrs. L. 1!. Partridge, and 11. Lloyd. The business j discussed was to make arrangements to meet the urgent need for motor trans- j port on behalf of the troops which were j returning during the latter half of tho present month in considerable numbers. It was stated that nine vessels were due to arrive in New Zealand with s.oldiers between April 15 and 30, and as some of the vessels were due during the Easter holidays the difficulty of providing motor transport from the ship's side or the train were considerably injcreased thereby. The transports did not all come to AVellington, but motor transport provision had to belmade for those passing through—Wellington had to do the right thing by the men, no matter at which port they arrived. Once more the executive officers of the corps had to regret that a number of car owners who had enrolled themselves as members of the corps had not responded to Kie call as they might have done. The work was falling on the few, and on account of the shortage of cars considerable difficulty had been experienced in giving the men the quick transport desired—one little consideration the men surely deserved. The Christchurch people had on many occasions provided as many as 300 cars in re--poiise to an 'appeal, and never on any occasion did they have to handle the number of men as they did in Wellington.

The Mayor, in referring to the difficulty, made an appeal to all car owners who' were prepared to enrol themselves as willing to turn out as the occasion required, to communicate with the secretary (Mr. H. ,T. Stott) without delay. A. number might think of taking their Easter holidays on tow, but he asked them to make some little sacrifice, and postpone their holiday trips in order to ''do their, bit" for the returned soldiers, who in many cases had been currying the burden of war on their behalf for four years past. The following is a list of the steamers lo arrive, the numbers of men (and women) on board, the dates of arrival, and the port, of destination (as far as is known) :— Willochra (Wellington), due April 15, jilOi) troops and 10 soldiers,' wives. Kaikoura (Wellington), due April IC, 1112 troops. Maheno (Auckland), due April 20, 'M invalid troops.

Corinthic (Lyttelton), due April 22, UGI troops.

liaranga (Wellington), due April % 1075 troops.

ionic, due April 2(i, 7-10. troops, 168 wives and (il children.

Tainui (Wellington), due April 28, Iflß troops, 4-7 nurses, 16 wives, and 9 children.

Remuera (Auckland), due. April 29, 524 troops. 12t wives, and 38 children. Bhamo (Auckland), 818 troops.

It will be seen that several of the vessels mentioned will arrive during the Easter period, notably the Maliono (at Auckland), on Easter Sunday; Corintiiicy at LyHelton, on Easter Tuesday; and the Knranga, at Wellington, on the Wednesday, so that whilst there- are no actual arrivals hero during the pmbKc holidays, there will be arrivals at other ports, and consequently there will be returned troops passing through Wellington.