EQUIPMENT OF THE CONTINGENT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11154, 21 December 1901, Page 8

EQUIPMENT OF THE CONTINGENT.

CONVEYANCE OP THE MEN.

TWO STEAMERS CHARTERED. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) - WELLINGTON, December 20. Asked by a reporter to-night as to haw the equipment for the Eighth Contingent was -getting on, the Premier said nothing much thad been done as yet. It was rather a surprise to find in the newspapers advertisements that the boob contract iad been | secured by a Wellington firm, considering' that no Ministerial authority had been given for- that or for any other contract as yet. j •ThVcontaacts-are-to be dealt with by the ' Cabinet to-morrow, and the desire of the Government is to spread the orders over j the colony as,much as possible, so that the despatch may .be facilitated, and the bene- | fit of the work spread. ovsir as big a surface as possible., . -* -. , It has been stated) that there will be restrictions as to the. oolour in horses to be chosen for the- use of the Eighth Con- i tingent. As a. matter of fact there is to be no restriction whatever. 1 The sister steamers, Cornwall and Surrey, have been selected for the,.conveyance of the Eighth Continent to South Africa. The vessels ore being chartered from Messrs j "JBurt and Co. One will.leave Wellington, aad the other Xyttelton. ' The steamer, which leaves" Wellington, will Ti& about the 20th January. It will call at' Auckland to pick up the:horses and the northern section of the -Contingent.