HEW ZEALANDERS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 70452, 1 October 1900, Page 2

HEW ZEALANDERS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

(PER PBKBS ASSOCIATION.)

Wellington, October 1.

During his speech on Saturday night, the Premier said Lord Boberts had practically admitted in a communication to the Governor that upon employment of New Zealand contingent men as police, the pacification of South Africa to an extent depended. Speaking of the resource of the men whom this oolony had sent to the front, Mr Seddon said when volunteers were called for to tap telegraph lines dozens of men at onpe stepped forward and proffered their 1 services. At the commencement of the war the Government had communicated with the High Commissioner, offering a certain number of men to assist in working South African railways, but they had received rather a cold reply, stating that the communication had been reoeived, and a definite reply would be made later on. Subsequently, another communication was reoeived in rather apologetio tones, Baying they oould do with twenty, at wages ranging very much lower than those ruling in New Zealand. Of course that communication was pigeonholed, but the other day when he intimated that New Zealandera must be sent back as theY had gone, the Governor reoeived a pathetic appeal from the High Commissioner, in Mfhich he said he hoped young men who had been taken from contingents for railway service would be allowed to remain. This, said Mr Seddon, spoke volumes for oar young New Zealanders.