TRANSPORT ARRIVED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 12, 28 July 1919, Page 4

TRANSPORT ARRIVED

EOAPEHU BERTHED YESTERDAY,

Tho frnnsport Ituapehu, after a pleasant but uneventful voyage from tie United Kingdom, via Panama, berthed at the King's Wharf about 2.55 p.m. yesterday, The i vessel brought to New Zealand 401 soldiers, 175 soldiers' wives, and G8 children. Tho Wellington City men were the only ones who left-the Ituapehu permanently yeaterday. Thcro were 87 of them, and- a number were aceompauied by wives and children. Men bound fo'i l other norts than Wellington City wero granted shore leave, and returned to spend the night on the ship, as thcro was no accommodation for, them in Wellington. .The following arrangements have been made for dispatching the soldiers to their destinations to-day:—Men for Palmerston North, AVanganui, and New Plymouth leave the. city from Thorndou-at 8.4 a.m.; AVairarapa men leave Lambton Station at 8.5 a.m.; men bound for stations north of Taumarunui sail by the l'nteena (for Auckluiul) at I) a.m.! Piclon, Blenheim, and Nelson men sail by tho Mapourika at noon; and- ths men for the soutliern parts of New Zealand sail by the Maori to-night. Tho usual arrangements wero made for welcoming the men; As the vessel cama alongside she was greeted by jubilant strains now from tho Wellington Pipo Band and now from the Patriotic Society's Band. The Mayor. (Mr. .T. P. Luke) was on the gangway as tho soldiers with their women-folk and their children came ashore. Tho parade of tho Volunteer Motor Corps, under Captain Pryor, was (sufficiently strong to cope easily with the demand for conveyances. Before the transport berthed." the usual little comforts had been distributed by the Mayoress's Committee and representatives of the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Army. Tfie disembarkation was carried out smoothly and efficiently under the direction of Captain Prictor.