OUR SECOND CONTINGENT.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 3, 4 January 1900, Page 5

OUR SECOND CONTINGENT.

THE TROOPS TO LEAVE ON SATURDAY WEEK. It was reported in camp this morning that the new Contingent is to leave Wellington for South Africa in the Waiwera on Saturday, 13th instant. Yesterday afternoon was spent in camp by officers and men in stable duties, foot drill, and arranging sections permanently. As at Karoai, each tent contains two sections, four men comprising a sec r tion. In the, lines opposite the tents are the horses belonging to the men occupying the respectivo tents, so that each trooper gets his mount in the quickest possible time. A further alteration in the management of the camp has been made, in that the men now mess in their tents instead of in ,the general mess tent. Each member of a sectiem takes in turn the duty of orderly, getting the food for his comrades day by day. Troopers are also to see to the cooking of their food, as when on active service. The large marquee which . hitherto has been used for meals is being fitted! with seats, and as the piano is there it will become the oamp "social hall" for the evening singsongs. The troopers are all cheerful, and Maior Cradock reports that the most orderly conduct prevails. No member of the Contingent nas yet been run into the guard tent, 'and the leave granted has not been abused. The only people to whom the threat of guard tent confinement has been extended are the "camera men," who are individually and collectively held to be "a pesky nuisance.' Lieut. Sommerville is to-day's orderly officer. It has been decided by the Commander of the Contingent to grant leave to the officers and men every evening after "stables"— i.e., afteir 5 o'clock. This was taken the fullest advantage of by both officers and men last night, and they all felt the better this morning for the re« laxation from duty. A troop of a strength of 100 all told left camp this morning at 10 o'clock for Miramar, with all the officers in attendance, and general movements and exercises were gone through on the sands of the isthmus, as well as skirmishing on the hills. The horses have steadied wonderfully well, and something like dressing can now be obtained on parade. Col. Penton and Surgeon-Captain Sherman were also present. This afternoon is to be spent in camp at foot drill, fitting of saddles and saddlery, and general work. A large fatigue party was busy all the morning setting up fresh picket lines to accommodate the horses which are still coming in daily. Separate lines have been set up for the officers' mounts. It is the intention of Maior Cradock to give the non-commissioned dfficers their first lecture on outposts this afternoon. A private message received in camp this morning stated that Trumpeter Chegwin had decided to join the Contingent, and would leave Christchurch to-day. He has the reputation of being the crack trumpeter of the colony, and the " scarlet aunners" (C.V.C.) are greatly pleased at the coming of their comrade. Chegwin went to London with the Jubilee Contingent, an d! nas a i so been - Q the Victorian military service. The targets that are to be erected along the sea front of Miramar Isthmus for company firing practice for the troopers are ready for use, but it is not likely that they will be used until next week. Permission has also been given for the use of the butts at Miramar, and range practice will probably also be indulged in next week. A selection is now being made of men for the Hotchkiss battery. The intention, it is understood, is to choose the required 40 from the men who go into camp at Newtown, go that the encampment will contain as many as 240 men before the Contingent leaves for the front. The men who are choaen for the quick-firing guns will remain in camp until a transport has been chartered for their conveyance. The Maxim guns at Mount Cook Barracks will be sent up to the Park for the instruction of the battery, but it is not yet known Avhen the work will begin. Men are arriving to-day from north and south. Captain Holgate brought down a party of nine Aucklanders this morning, and they went into barracks Sending testing and preparation of kits, aptain Holgate is not joining the Contingent.

Captain Reid, of the Waikato Mounted Rifles, is coming down to take the comnumd of No. 1 Company. When th( captain arrives, which will be in the course of a few days, his company will be completely officered, the three subalterns being Lieuts. Banks, Sommerville, andjHutson. This morning No. 1 Company's strength was 83 men and 3 officers, and No. 2 Company's 60 men and 2 officers, Men from the two islands are being allotted to their respective companies, Northerners to No. 1 and Southerners tc N6. 2. The camp authorities desire to acknowledge the gift of bottled syrups foi summer drinks from Mr. J. Castle, chemist. Reports from the Hospital this morning concerning the two men injured yeaterday report that Trooper Signal passed a good night, but that Trooper Chapman's condition was somewhat serious. The Premier speaking at a banquet given to him at Kanieri on the 29th ult. referring to South African affairs, said : — "The enthusiasm displayed by thosi who were desirous of fighting the bat ties of the Empire was marvellous. Th< difficulty experienced was not in getting men to go but in saying who should noi go. The- Transvaal Government hac abused the generosity of the British They had appealed to us in their dir< distress and when they no longer wantec us they used British money to buy muni tions of war from avowedly friendly na tions, and to pay foreign,, officers to teacl them to drive out the flag. It was therefore, their duty to uphold the flaj in the Transvaal. The matter did no end there, because if they could not up hold the flag in the Tr.ansvaa\ they woulc find themselves unable «to uphold it ii other parts of the Empire. For thii reason it was with a light heart he ar ranged, with the sanction of Parliament for the sending of a second Contingent At Wanganui he had been informed j meeting decided in favour of sending : still further Contingent. With thesi views he fully concurred, and he woulc take care that Westland should be wel represented. He felt a glow of satis faction when, he received a telegran from Captain Macfarlane offering the ser vices of the whole of the First Westlanc Rifles. He felt assured that no body o men would be mere fitted to perform th< arduous work required of our troops ii the Transvaal than the hardy Wes Coasters. A Dunedin paper says that the regu lar corps in Otago are being drawn upoi rather heavily in the matter of equip ment, such as pouches, belts, etc., in or der to supply the second Contingent Most of these articles are made in Eug land. Within a week some 4000 persons hay signified in a practical way through th columns of the Chfistchurch Press tha ■ they are only too wilKng to bear thei , share of the, necessary taxation for a lai ger Contingent. A very large section 0 tho community have not waited to b taxed. They have voluntarily come for ward with handsome sums to aid in th equipment of a laxger Contingent, unti now there is already over £2000 'in hand This, the Press feels sure, -far from re presents the total which will ultimatel; be raised. If other provincial district come forward as handsomeCy there wouli be comparatively little need for the gene ual taxpayer to put his hand in his poc ket, whereupon we feel sure he would b the first to complain of being defraudei of what we must all consider an honou and a privilege at this crisis. [PKE93 ASSOCIATION.] LONDON, 3rd January. »The battery of quick-hring guns pre sented by Armstrong and Co. to the Ne^ Zealand Government will be shipped fo , tho Cape in three Weeks. Ad Contingent , DUNEDIN, 3rd January. Lieutenant-Colonel Webb having re ceived advice by telegram that it woul be well to send to Wellington a few mor men in addition to the nineteen who wer accorded an enthusiastic send-off to-day the following men will De sent on tc morrow:— Gunners J. J. Collier, W. E Smith, Wm. Hodge, Port Chalmers Na vals; Troopers Wm. Wilson, Patersoi and M'Alpine. . . SUGGESTED CONTINGENT OF RAII WAYMENA In view of the congested state of rail way traffic in Cape Colony and Natal a present (says the Christchurch Press) th question of sending a contingent of abou 25 practical railwaymen from this col ony was discussed at a meeting of th 1 Ashburton railway staff which was hel on Saturday, for the purpose of consider ing the proposals to form a Railway Pa triotic War Fund. A -motion suggest ing to the Minister for Railways th sending of such a -contingent was unani mously agreed to. t The following mem bers of the Ashburton staff volunteers their services, subject to the approva of the Department: — Clerks, Mauric 1 O'Brien, William Bowling, and Jame Reid. ,The Minister for Railways (th Hon. J. G. Ward), to whom the resolu tion was telegraphed, replied that h was gratified at the praiseworthy cours taken by the Ashburton staff. 'He pro mised to take the necessary steps to as certain the views of the Cape Govern ment on the matter, and to transmit t them the reply received.