TREATMENT OF THE WAIKATO MILITIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2609, 28 November 1865, Page 5

TREATMENT OF THE WAIKATO MILITIA.

j Xo tUe Editor of the Daily Southern Cross. Sir, — Allow ine the space in your valuable paper ior a few lines iii connection with the above. Belonging to that ill-fated little-cared-for 2nd Regiment, I think that I have a right to put my complaints as well as those of my companions in arms before the publio. I, myself, joined the above regiment on the 5th of September, 1863, with the full impression that after we had been struck off actual service we were to be employed in the making of wads, bridge*, &c, or any other work that the Government would give us. Why has this not been carried out ' There are men at present in this oanap who have been struck off pay between eight and nine months, and have not had so much as a day's work from Government. If they aro going to treat us in this way, wliy d<> they not sanction the proposals of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Regiments ?--viz., " eitherto give work, or else give us our Crown grants, and let us go every man wherever he wishes, and have no claim upon them." We are like the children of Israel in bondage. There was a sum of money talked about by our friend Mr. Russell, to be expended in the Waikato, but 1 have not heard any more about it : anyhow it has not reached Kihikihi — we, being so far away, are not thought of. There is another item to be looked into, that it, muster and fuel money. A* regards the first, whether the Government are too "hard up," or whether they have given it and ifcha<i been drawn from the bank, I cannot say ; all I can •ay is, that there area gi eat many who have not teen it since August — fuel money in some cases, and muster and fuel money in others. It is almost a rare thing to see coin now. It appears the Government aro determined on getting all they can out of us, and I think we ought to do the same. Some one ought to look into our complaints. There are men who are improving their farm sections. Some from a distauce of 20 miles have to carry their arms and accoutrements to their respective camps to muster every month, and do not even get a solitary half-a-crown for their trouble. I think something ought to be done better than is at present. Hoping that I have not taken too much space of >our valuable paper,— lam, &c, H. J. Smith, , , 2nd Waikato Regiment. Kihikihi,' November 20, 1865.