NEWS, NOTES AND CUTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Issue 311, 31 December 1900, Page 5

NEWS, NOTES AND CUTTINGS.

(VIA ENGLAND.)

(From Our Special Correspondent).

LONDON, November 10,

STARVING SOLDIEIiS.

Thus Mr Charles Williams in the f'Moming Leader" yesterday: "We have several times exposed the fashion in which our men are kept in rags and without pay in South Africa, and renewed complaints made to parents and brothers now reach us. One poor fellow of the Wilts Volunteers still at 'the front writes home to Swindon: — 'We have had no bread served out Since May.' Another, from a neighbouring shire, writes that he has almost forgotten the taste of bread, except now and again when they are able to beg a bit from some staff officers' servants, and even that isn't up to much. A Canadian who has passed through London confirms all this, and adds that though he was invalided for both wounds and dysentery, he was landed in England with less than a sovereign in his pocket, and he is goW on to Canada, with several months' pay due to him, through remittances from home. Another Canadian, who hid lost some fingers, and been wounded all over his body, 'arrived m London in his khaki rags, .with 16/ in" his pocket, and months in arrear with his pay.' He was taken down to -Yorkshire by some friends, there clad and thence sent home with the declaration in his mouth that in future the Canadians 'would let the Mother Country fight her own battles.' We had precisely the same words from, the pen of an Australian. To a certiin extent it is unavoidable that some should feast and some should starve, and unless the commissariat arrangements should be suddenly improved, a pood many will be starving vis-a-vis the Ts^rs while the C.I.V. are in the Artillery; Ground on Saturday evenling." ' _ ' h