CONTINGENT JOTTINGS.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 717, 29 March 1900, Page 2

CONTINGENT JOTTINGS.

Betnraing? pab-ioHo^holidftj-matere cbn-'AU? tinue. tq,.fill; the expfffls'.train'Swtfortlr-'wjaZ^-south from Dunedin.-^yesterday's ifiaiii^ii coming unto Gore was filled ■to'^sqaWzing© 1 ":" point with/several hundreds :of. distinctly :'£& jaded lpokiDg>boliday-seekers, a. large riumoerS"^ of these passengers, being bound (or Qoeehs-? ' ; : town.x ,-'. ... : . --■ . -.'■". '■ ' ".'i'i^'i Several osouiatory records are olaimed to ■'■">" have, been made during the departure of the ;: ";: contingents on Saturday, members of which .<'--.-: Bhowered kisses' oh every female within reach ' ■'•'- --with an amount of ' impartiality charming to' - behold. In some few instances ladies were '»:• seen to violently resist the attempts to make •''"-; them recipients of the chaste salute; but in ;r most cases kisses' were taken i and given with '">"* true patriotic fervor. One enterprising damsel secureel a post of vantage and applied - herself with great zeal to the task of kissing every trooper passing. It is said she kissed ■ " no fewer- than 400 ! Prior to their departure from Dunedin ~ several members of. the contingents who bo- " longed to Manchester Unity of Oddfellows •• were entertained at a social given by th« order in Dunedin. During the evening P.G. Bro. Jas. McLauchlan, on behalf of the Alma Lodge, Wyndhain, presented Trooper McKay with a handsome gold locket, suitably in-' scribed, and P.G. BnvD.M. Mill <r, on behalf , of the Dunedin di-trict, presented Buglnr Wilkinson (of Gore) with a very handsom bugle, bearing an inscription. The- final selection of men at Wellington for the fifth contingent has given rise to great dissatisfaction, . and reasonably so. There were found to bo more men who had passed nil tests than were required to go,' and :i ballot was taken to see who should stand out. Among those rejooted are a number of men who weie in camp from the- first; also., several of those who wore unable to get into the fourth contingent owing to making late application. The fifty men who came from Nelson and the Premier's beloved Westland were all accepted "by order of the Government " ! It is expected that the Gymerio will not leave Jjyttelton until to-morrow and it is understood that she will call at Wellington before sailing for S julh Africa. The Canterbury section of the fifth contingent loft camp on Tuesday and embarked on the steamer Mauri, which left for Wellington in theevouiug. The men were entertained at luncheon at the Opera House by the War Fund Committee. The streets wtre crowded, shops and places of busiuess were closed during part of the afternoon,' and (lags and bunting were displayed everywhere. Among ihe visitors were the Premier and Sir B. Stout. There were rumots ia Lyttelton on Tuesday that trouble had occurred on board the ■ Gymerie, principally iv connection wi;h the supply of fresh water. Inquiiies showed that the water in onu of the ballast tanks had become salt. It is supposed that the .tank had not been cleaned properly. All the water hud to bo pumped out of it, and it will be cleaned thoroughly and refilled. Other ballast tanks will be treated in the same manner if necessary. No fewer than 57 men have been sent out of camp at Wellington as rejects. Of these, 29 failed in the riding tost, 23 were medically unfit, and, of the othoi: three, one was rejected because of his negro blood, although he w*3 a smart trooper. The Chrisichurch and' Auckland men of Ihe fifth contingent will probably go in the Maori, and the Wellington, Nelson, and West Coast men in tup Waimate. E. J. Co* has been taken on with the Auckland Company, and takes charge of all buglers for the present. E. V. Andersou has been appointed noting regimental quarter-master. Other non-commissioned ollicers have been appointed temporarily, but they will not be confirmed in the positions till experience shows whether they are properly qualified, the reason being that nearly all of them had no volunteer experience. The ' Post ' publishes a letter signed by 90 men of the Wellington-Wairarapa section of the fourth contingent, protesting against tbe "shameful way" in which they have been treated. The points which they emphasise are that they were told that they should go' with the third contingent, and that promise wits not kept ; then that they should go by the Mouowai, no matter what ship the southern men went by, but instead they had to quietly look oh and see others depart. They assert that the Gymerie is in a filthy state ' and that they have not had a decent wash on board. Both they and the horses had suit water to drink. Even now they do not know when they will start. They contend that as the contingent was equipped by public subscription and the accommodation is barely sufficient for the men and horses already on board, it is " scandalous " that 100 of a Government ' contingent should be thrust on them. The Aucklanders, as it is, have had to sleep with tbe horses in the hold. x Lieut. B. Hose has left the Wellington' camp, as the Minister of Defence objected to the inclusion of two brothers among the commissioned officers. Lieut. J. Eose soes with No. 2 company. Several hundred Natives are encamped on . the Basin Ueserve, Wellington, where they are giving exhibitions of various phases of Native life in aid of the Patriotic Fund. The proceedings began with a procession through the town. The exhibition was carried on by electric light at night.