OUR CONTINGENTS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9825, 26 July 1900, Page 3

OUR CONTINGENTS.

Opposition to their Joining the Police.

Strong Speech by the Premier.

To be Requested to Return with their Contingents.

(FROM OUS P4RLIAMBNURY MEFORTAR.)

[by telegeaph.]

Last night

In makiug his statement to the House to-day regarding members ot the New Zealand contingents joining the police force in South Africa, the Premier said he communicated with the Governments of the other colonies on the subject, and had received a reply from the Premier of Tasmania, who said " We have only been asked whether we have any objection to the General of Communications giving discharges to members of our contingents in South Africa. To this we have replied that there is uo objection provided this Government incurs no liability for providing return passages hereafter or any other form of liability arising therefrom. " The Government ot New Zealand (the Premier continued) had been asked a similar question as to the colony agreeing to the men being discharged in South Africa, but no reasons were given for makiug the enquiry, and their was nothing to show what was behind it. However, his reply was distinctly agaiDst the discharges being granted in South Africa, that they were there for the war, and until the war was over the Government would not be agreeable to the men getting their discharges. That was his reply, and that was the reply of New Zealand; that was the mind pf New Zealand. The men were sent there as soldiers and not as policemen. He made enquiries, and he found from those who had returned that there was some discontent, and that the men had been shifted from one command to another and thus lost their individuality as New Zealand contingents. When volunteers were called for the police force only a very few men offered themselves, but subsequent events made them dissatisfied, and that led in a great measure to so many applications being put in. The police were practically armed constabulary, and the pay was better than the men formerly received. They got 10s a day, but had to keep their own horses. One pleasing feature of the affair was that the men were only taken on for three months, and at the end of that time they would have the option of rejoing their regiments or contingents. He had sent a very strong memorandum to the High Commissioner at the Cape on the subject. He contended that the Government ought tohavebeeninformed of what was going on. The officers in command of tho contingents ought to have ascertained the views of the Government on the subject, because it was in the power of the officers commanding to have refused to allow these men Co leave the contingents. At all events, as far as possible the Government would rectify the situation, but he was satisfied that if it litid been thought by the people of the colony that the men were being sent away to form part of the military police of South Africa there would not have been so much enthusiasm displayed. Our men ought to be brought, back with the contingents with which they left, after their services as soldiers were no longer required. It would be a matter for consideration a. to what course would be adopted. The men under their agreement were bound to serve until the end of the war, and their pay was being supplemented by the colony, but to continue to do so now the men had joined the policewasagainsttheintentionsof the colony. In respect to the Auckland section of the Fifth Contingent joining the artillery, Captain Mair h._d explained that there was a battery of guns with no men to serve thorn. The New Zealanders volunteer,d for that service, and their oiler was accept eil, and thpy were low known, as the New Zealand Artillery. Mr Seddon a«'deit tnat a large number of the m-mbers oi the contingents left orders for their pay to be handed over to their relatives, but as they had now left the contingents that arrang-ment could no longer be carried out.

Replying to Mr Willis, the Premier said the New Zealandera were looked upon with covetous eyes by the authorities for the police force, as they were accustomed to rough country, and made splendid policemen.