GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11151, 18 December 1901, Page 8

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.

RECRUITING BOARDS TO BE APPOINTED AT EACH CENTRE. REGULATIONS REGARDING PAY. (SPECIAL TO "THE PEESS.") WELLINGTON, December 17. Major Owen Las issued general instructions to officers commanding districts: Prom these I take the following items of interest: —Recruita are to be drawn from the following centres in the proportion given.: North Island Battalion (500)— Auckland district: Whdngarei 10, Dargaville 10, Auckland 140, Thames 20, Cambridge 10, Huntly 10; total 200 rank and file (viz., non-commissioned officers and men). Wellington district: Hawera 10, Wanganui 20, Uapder 20, GisboraelO, Pabnerston North 20, New Plymouth 10, Masterton 10, Wellington 172 j total 272 rank and file, with 28 battalion officers. Sooth Island Battalion (500) —Nelson, district; Blenheim, Motueka, Westport, Greymouth, 10 each, Nelson 20; total 70, rank and file. Canterbury district: Culverden, Bangiora, Sheffield, Fairlie, and ' Waimate, 6 each, Ashborton and Timara 12 each, Christcharoh 148; total 202, rank and file. Otago district: Naseby, Palmerston, Baicsultha and Kingston 6 -each., Oamaru and Gore 12 each, InvercargiJl 30, Duneoin 122; total 200, rank and file, with 28 battalion officers. When each 'battalion is mobilised it will hare the following officers:—Battalion: Staff commander, eecond in command, adjutant, paymaster, quartermaster, regimental sergeant-major, regimental quartermastersergeant, assistant quaxtermasfcer-sergsent, orderly-room .sergeant and corporal. Medical staff: Two surgeott. captains, two dispensers (corporals}, -veterinary surgeon captain and his dispenser. Each of the four companies forming; a battalion will have a captain, four lieutenants, a sergeant-major, quartermaster-sergeant, four sergeants, two farrier-sergeants, a saddler-sergeant, six corporals and a bugler. Officers commanding districts are instructed to appoint Recruiting Boards at each centre at once, the Boards to consist of two volunteer officers, (preferably officers of mounted corps), and one medical officer. The services of the Government Medical Health Officers are to be utilised where possible. Officers of the volunteer medical staff may also be pressed into the service, and receive pay as per regulations for three days. In cases where th» medical officer is a Government Health Officer, 5s per man passed is to be paid, and 7s 6d per man when the examination is by a'volunteer medical staff fjfficer. No travelling expenses are to be paid to medical men, but free railway passes will be granted. The Boards are to assemble not later than 24th December for the purpose of selection and medical examination..

Officers ccmmanding districts are to make arrangements far selected men. to Teach Wellington or Ckristehurcb between the 3rd and oth Januar*-. Selected men are to provide their own blankets, which -iriH be returned to their private addresses, together with their private clothing, when/the battalions ■are mobilised at Wellington or Ohristehoreh. Temporary camps are to be set up at other places. Recauits are to be fair riders, unmarried,, and between tie ags of 19 and 35 years. Preference is to be given to nsembera of former Sooth African Contingents, and height (which is fixed at between sft 6in and sft IOIn far others) will not disqualify «ich. But. those who have been invalided tor entarie fever or malaria -within ths past) twelve mantn.% or who at present ar? en sack feare, will not be accepted. Up to the time of embarkation the pay will be at the rate laid down for cavalry in the Royal pay wanra-nt Prom and after embarkation the pay will bs as follows.- — Lkut.-colocels 25s per day, majors 235 ? captains and adjutants* 21s, subalterns 15s. There will be field allowance for officers ia

addition to army rates. Quartermasters, paymasters and veterinary surgeons are to receive the pay of the regimental rank to which they are appointed. Staff-sergeants will receive 8s 6d per day, farrier and saddler-sergeants 8s 65, company sergeantmajor* and quartermaster-sergeants 8s each, sergeants and orderly-room clerks 7s, corporals 6s, and troopers and buglers 5s each.

In view of the formation of an Eighth Contingent, says the "Post," these is some curiosity as to whether our newly-appoint-ed Commandant, Major-General Babington, will be in the colony in time to take part in the despatch of the troops. We learn on enquiry that nothing definite is known as to the Commandant's movements. It is said that he will not leave England until early in next year.