EN ROUTE TO THE FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1917, Page 4

EN ROUTE TO THE FRONT.

HOW THEY DO THINGS AT (USE TOWN. Writing to a member oI the ply* mouth Committee, Qaptain Hartnell says:— I know you still take a very live in« terest iu our New Plymouth Patriotio Socioty, and, knowing this, I am surt* you would be not a little interested to, know what is being done in this direction at our last port of call. Here tho many different Patriotic Committees have banded together, Mid are known to every visiting soldier as "The visiting T- Vpa Entertainment Committee, '* of which a Mr. A. W, Townsend i» chairman. As all troops from our side! of the world, excepting those who go to* Egypt, maike Capetown a regular port) of, call, a very large numbor of men are cohtinually in the city. For the entertainment of these soldierß concerts are provided, sports arranged, officers pre sent down to the troopships whenever and ab often as required to act ns guiles. If the troops wish to go on route marches 'parade grounds >re provided, concerts given, as well as refreshments every afternoon, all of whieh ar% free to the men. '

Try to imagine some 900 H. troops, mostly colonials, let loose in a city liK« this, and then calmly think of the conse< quonce. No place in the world is mor> willing, more cijgcr than Capetown Is to honor anl welcome, the men who are hastening over the great highways of the ocean in order to ensure that th<) great sacrifices already made shall not be made in vain. Jlow, it is only Mgfconp sljle to expedt that men pent up in troopships for many weeks will seeto fome brief respite from the tedium and, monotony of a long sea voyage. Some noisy exuberarefe, some lack of selfrconuol, and sor. ; indulgence in the thing that moveth must be expected, but, unfortunately mirth and jollity bifve passed not only into "over-indulgence in liquor i i.ut in all too many cases into excess, ending in not a few instances In more or less serious offences.'ln fact, to such a state did things become, that one of two alternatives became necessary. The ships must be kept out in tlje bay and the men prevented from landing pt all, or the sale of drink must be controlled, in New Zealand I fear we would have taken the road of least resistance, and the men would not have landed. ißut here the authorities are in deadly earnest about this war, and the soldiers come first. Acting under authority, duly; delegated' by the Governor-Oeneral in Council, of the Public Welfare*' and Moratorium Act, the Magistrates o3 the Cape, 011 Saturday, July 29, 1918, closed ail houses, no matter what their description, for the sale of liqours at) 2 p.m. on that day and every day before general leave is granted (which is every afternoon that troopships ara in port) the sale of liquor is prohibited. Wo were here for five days, during which • time I did not see a drunken man, afid - we had 0000 colonial troops in port, too. A committee of ladies has been set up to entertain the men at a. pljice called the Feather Market, a large 'building where some 800 men can sit down at ono sitting each day of the week, including Sundays, being taken by a separate band of enthusiastic lady workers. I dropped in one afternoon just to 'Bee how the boys were being entertained. It was indeed a busy, picture. Fully 800 men were being fed, while the steady stream of soldiers that were going and coming seemed to be never ending. Inohatting with one of the wbrkers, I venturod the question.: "How do you marfago all this?" "Oh," she exclaimed, "we just love to be doing something for the boys. ' You see quite a number of us are Australians. I come from Victoria myßelf, and, if I am not mistaken, you come from New Zealand, do you' not, slrt" Of course, I was proud to admit the correctness of her guess. "Well," ,»ho exclaimed, "one of our vory b6st workers cornea from Now Zealand. Let me introduce you to Mrs. -—." Now, meet a New Zealander away from New Zealand is always a pleasure, hut imagine my delight to find in my new acquaintance (Mrs. Eotherham) was nono other than a sister of a well-known New Plymouth townsman, Mr. Norman Johnson. "Yes," said Mrs. Rotherhatn, "wo find plenty to do, but we are never short of workers." "But something moro than work is required to provide all thiß " I ventured. . "Yes, that is so, but we never run out of money. As soon as our funds get low we go to tho public. Thoy never disappoint us,"

I was inquisitive and elicited tho following information:—Number of men entertained during wjk February 3 tj February 11 (one catering alone, £567 6s Bdj supplies, used: 77,(HS® cakes, 8003 pie*, 41381b* slab cake, 24Slbs tea, 8701bs sugar, 244 tins condensed milk, 128 gallons frcih milk, 83001bs grapes, 1100 penm, ?0 loaves bread, 71bs butter, Slbs ham. Mineral waters were also used, but the account had not i been received, so th»y could nfifc give me quantities.

In conclusion let me state that .our meii are in the best of good gpltitn. They are indeed a fine lot. Kindly give njy best wishes to tho iSew 'Plymouth Patriotic Committee and kindred inititutiona,.