SAMOA BOUND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 335, 21 April 1928, Page 5

SAMOA BOUND

POLICE RECRUITS DEPART FAREWELL TO N.Z. To the appropriate accompaniment of “The Great Little Army" played on a portable gramophone, skirling pipes and cheering, the recently-recruited Samoan Military Police left Auckland for Apia in the Government steamer Tutanekai this morning. 4 T nine o’clock loading operations on the Tutanekai were concluded. Only the after hold is being used for cargo, as the forward hold has been converted for the use of the men. Owing to the restricted storage space, it has been found necessary to ship a part of the stores and military equipment by the Tofua. The Tutanekai has been fitted with every possible convenience and, considering the small amount of space available, the conversion has been excellently carried out. Mess tables have been erected between the decks. Their entertainment has not been forgotten. On board the ship is Mr. Kenneth Melvin, of the Y.M.C.A., who has with him equipment to the value of £4OO. Several gramophones were in evidence before the departure this morning, and, with the presence of a piper in addition, music will not be wanting. Books and magazines have been provided, the authorities having assembled quite a library. Quite a large crowd assembled on the Queen’s Wharf shortly after 9.0 a.m., but the rain soon drove many away. The time of departure was arranged for 9 a.m., but several delays resulted in leave-takings £>eing prolonged by an hour. First the ship waited for two policemen who had been granted extended leave. Then they waited for the medical officer; then one of the platoon commanders; yet with everyone on board, moorings were not cast off. “What are we waiting for now?" yelled the men, and as if in answer to the cry a baker’s delivery van shot up the wharf, skidding perilously on the wet asphalt and a final consignment of bread was taken aboard. Finally at 10 o’clock moorings were cast off, and, to the shouting of last farewells and with the throwing of streamers, the Tutanekai drew away from the wharf. Captain Bollons, master of the Tutanekai, expects to reach Apia at the end of next week, and the police will begin duty in their barracks the evening they arrive.