Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 1920. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 1920. THE WEEK.

As an Arctic explorer, the late RearAdmiral Pearv (whose death was announced this week) had been i-id. !a1 liable,‘.spurred on continually by ambition to reach the North Pole. He .< us born in 1856 at Cresson Springs, 1 < rnsylyania, U.S.A., and entered tr.e i ;~ \ y in 1881. He worked as toginev's assistant on the Nicaragua L'nnTi Th r. enthusiasm as an Arctic explorer led to the formation of the Peary < lub m New York, and to help from other r.uaiters In 1886 he “reconnoitred the guurd” in Greenland; in 1891-92 he spent 13 months in North Greenland, crossed it by sledge, a 12,C00-mile journey, and proved it to be an island; other explorers have failed, however, to discover tiie “Peary Channel.” Between 1893-95 a similar sledge journey was performed in North Greenland during a 25 months’ stay there, and he discovered the meteorites at Cape York. Summer voyages | uero undertaken in 1896 and 1897. The | next journey occupied four years, 1898i 1902, and was again spent in exploring the north end of Greenland and its islands. The Roosevelt, a speciallybuilt vessel and equipped with wireless telegraphy, was used in the expedition of 1905. Bp this time reached the hitherto furthest north, 200 miles from the Pole, the hig, “leads” and ice drO't causing trouble. Jn 1908 Peary started in the Roosevelt on the journey which was to bring hill) his final success. He loft Etali on August 18th, wintered in Grant'Land, and set forward over the ice from Cape Columbia on March Ist, 1909. A party of six started with him, and moved in sections, one in front of another. They were gradually sent back as supplies diminished. At the end of the month Captain'Bartlett was the only white man left with Peary, and he turned hack in 87 degrees 48. minutes N., the liighcsf latitude then ever reached. Peary, with his negro servant, and four Eskimos, pushed on, and on April 6th, 1909, reached the North Pole. They remained some thirty hours, took observations, and on sounding, a few miles from the Pole, found no bottom at 1500 fathoms. The return was made in the face of no tittle difficulty, but the party with the exception of one drowned, came safely to the Roosevelt, which left her winter quarters on July 18th, and reached Indian Harbour on September sth. It will be remembered that just before the news came of Peary’s success, another American explorer, Hr F. A. Cook, claimed that lie had reached the Pole on April 21st ; 1908. Cook's claim was credited in various parts at first, hut was afterwards discounted

Ax indication of tlie care that is Joeing , cx-rc/sed by the officials of the Cana-, dian Department of Immigration and Colonisation to enforce the regulations of the recently amended Immigration Act, designed to prevent any but the best possible class of settlers from entering Canada, is shown in the figures for rejections and deportations for the first half of the current fiscal year. During this period rejections totalled 12,500, or, roughly, one in every five of the number of persons admitted. Of the rejections 12,205 were made at boundary points in Canada and only 495 at ocean ports. The majority of those refused admission came under the cftn.so listed as “indirect passage,” and were of European nationality. According to 1 j the Immigration Act a person, not a I j citizen of Canada, desiring to enter j j must do so direct, by continuous passage from the country ip which lie is a ' citizen. The actual number of re joe- ' tions under this heading was 8232. For lack of funds—that is, not having even the small amount of cash prescribed by tile Act—394s were turned back. Alien enemies, numbering 178, found the door of admission closed to them, and 311 persons likely to become public charges wore refused. The balance of 134 were illiterate, defective physically and mentally, unskilled labourers, known had characters, etc. Of the 33,579 British immigrants entering the Dominion, approximately 25,(>74 were the wives and children of Canadian soldiers who married overseas, ond 3173 were of the farming class, the remainder including domestic servants and other classes con-

"-SB- . fndefed desirable, Of the 31,880 from the United States 14,299 were farmers and their families. The other 17,581 were also settlers of the best class. A

large percentage of the 3457 from other countries were farmers with their wives and children.

The Commonwealth Government of Australia has put into definite form the proposals that have been made both in Australia and Ne Zealand for the employment of returned soldiers in forestry. New Zealand has made a beginning in the settlement near Rotorua, but for plantations in the open only. The more important work of forest development, road-making,- and inter-planting in the State forests no doubt awaits the arrival of Captain Ellis, who is expected in New Zealand during the first- days of March. The Comonwealth Government of Australia offers advances of any sum not exceeding £20,090 in any one year to any of the States employing returned soldiers in forestry. The £20,000 a year may run on for 20 years according to the present regulations. The advance is by way of loan at a rate of 5 per cent repayment not to begin until the end of ten years. It has been stated by Sir David Hutchins, the well-known forester, that any well-considered scheme of forest development on these lines would be richly reproductive, though the first returns would be delayed for a period varying with the class of work undertaken Forestry is particularly entitlrd to consideration in connection with the repatriation of soldiers for the reason that it offers employment, not only to able bodied men, but to those more or less seriously incapacitated who may find it light work in the open the best and readiest moans of recovering renewd healtli and strength.

Apropos of the Westland War Memorials, which project was launched this week, the easiest part should be the raising of the funds. At the public meeting there was the opinion expressed that the local bodies should help liberally. For a, memorial for the purpose such as that proposed, it would be much better to ask for voluntary subscriptions. Many folk would give gladly, in fact desire to contribute to such a purpose, and in later times would look back with- pleasure and feel that they had done something personally to help place the memorial in position. The folk have the money—of that there has been ample proof of late. During the month the town has probably spent over £I,OOO in personal enjoyment at public entertainments, .and there is not much in a. tangible form to show for the outlay. A few brief hours’ pleasure, and the enjoyment passes. Add another fifty per cent, to our pleasure expenditure, aud the memorial will materialise—in fact less, for if the Government subsidy is forthcoming, so much less need be raised. But it is tp be hoped the way will be left open for the public to subscribe to this most worthy object. It is the peoples’ duty to provide the memorial, and it will be a machine-like wav if the rates have to be used' for the purpose. It is not what is given, but the spirit in which it is given that will make a memorial worth while, and regarding the general prosperity of the district as it disports itself from day to day, there should be no difficulty in the contributions necessary being forthcoming. It would be very fine indeed if tbe whole of the money required were derived in this way.' It would show that the people meant the memorial to be what it was intended to be, the peoples’ gift. Tie present is not an occasion for carnivals, country dances and art unions. It is a time as Kipling would say to' Give, Give, Give, and we hope when asked the folk will give liberally and freely.

Am, who remember the events of the Mesopotamia campaign will welcome the news that General Sir Frederick Towntsend has withdrawn his iresignation from the Army, and that it was tendered under a misapprehension. It was General Townsliend’s ill-fortune to have to surrender to the Turks at Kut-el-Amnra, after he and his division had gallantly defended that place in a siege extending over five months. Prior to this event, however, General Townsliend had established a record of brilliant achievements accomplished with a small and ill-supplied force in face of extraordinary difficulties and against heavy odds. As a subordinate, commanding an advanced force, he was in no way responsible for the poor organisation of the Mesopotamian campaign as a whole in the earlier part of the war. Indeed, the fact was elicited in an official inquiry that before entering upon the last ill fat-cd venture which ended in the investment of his force at Kut-cl-Amarn he made the strongest protest that his position and a due respect for discipline would permit.