DOMINION NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 16 March 1915, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

RECRUITING QUITE SATIS-

FACTORY.

GATJDIN'S SENTENCE REDUCED

RETURNED TROOPERS

A PATRIOTIC OFFER ACCEPTED

AUCKLAND, March 15

The organisation of reinforcements for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force is proceeding smoothly, and in ■discussing the matter this evening the Minister for Defence expressed his complete satisfaction with the process of the scheme. "Recruiting is quite satisfactory," said Mr Allen. "The new system of enrolling volunteers by means of registration cards is working' very well. It was thought that there might be some difficulty in obtaining horses for the mounted infantry, but there has not been any difficulty in securing sufficient horses to meet the requirements of the forces, and though those provided for the main force were quite satisfactory, the Remount Department is now obtaining animals of even a higher standard. The third contingent for the reinforcement of the New Zealand Forces was despatched some time ago. We have news about this force, which generally is quite satisfactory," said Mr Allen. "There was, of course, the unfortunate illness of Major Peacock, who contracted enteric fever and had to be left behind at the first port of call. We. have also been advised that a member of the Native contingent has died. Then some members of the force have been brought back by a i returning transport, and they will be ! brought before a court-martial to exj plain why they were left behind at a port of call." - The Minister for Defence states that the Government has mitigated the sentence passed upon F. E. N. Gaudin to one of six months' hard, labor from the date of his conviction at Aprv. Mr Allen 6aid the Governor had consulted the Imperial authorities, although, there was no necessity to do so.

DUNEDIN, March ]5. A troopship which arrived at Port Chalmers to-day brought 34 troopers back, all of whom, except tiro, went away Ulth the njain expeditionary toice. Included in* the number are twelve prisoners, ten of whom were arrested for missing a troopslro afc an Australian port on the ou'.w- rd journey. Ihe remainder of the men have been invalided home, mostly euffei ng trom such complaints as pneu-nonia or hernia. Ihe names of those vni,],,led ?S?«rre' c + as i fall,°r VS: °- (teouth Canterbury Mounted R'ties L K. Mortimore (10th Mounted Rifles)' vn T alni ri dKe (12th Mounted! Rifles , J. Phelan (12th Mounted Rifles , L. J. Hansen (6th Mounted S-S6B^' hJ- Hansen (6th Mounted Rifles), A. Nicholas (Signal Troop), C. W- I>ayne. (16th Waikato Regiment), T. H. Wakefield (12th Auckland Reeil ment), G. H. Harlow (12th Nelson Regiment), G. B. Collyns (13th Infantry Regiment), G. E. Jeffrey (13th Infantry Regiment), P. L. Miller (12th Infantry Regiment), G. Monaghan (12th Infantry Regiment), A. Prestney (13th Infantry Regiment) D Canning (4th Otago Regiment) W. D* Manley (4th Otago Regiment), N Jackson (17th Otago Regiment), A. J. f Davis (Veterinary Group). The invalided men were sent to the hospital.

WELLINGTON, March 15. The Government has accepted the offer of Mr C. H. Izard to place at the disposal of the Defence authorities his furnished house- and grounds at Upper ■Tutt as a convalescent home for sick and wounded.troopers coming from the front.