THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11542, 4 January 1901, Page 5

THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

AUCKLAND THE PORT OP DEPARTURE. FORMATION OF THE CAMP. NO MORE APPLICATIONS TO BE RECEIVED. As the other large provincial towns of New Zealand have all had a share in the honour of sending off the contingents for South Africa, Auoklnnders have .felt for some days that, if justice was done, the port of final departure of the members of the Sixth Contingent should be Auckland. All doubts on the matter have now. been : set at rest. ; His Worship the Mayor (Mr. ;D. Goldio), in answer to a request which he forwarded a few days ago,; received yesterday the following cablegram from Sydney from the '■; Right. Hon. the Premier, Mr. R. :J. Soddon: — " Cabled Acting-Premier, desire Auckland should hare the honour, of sending off contingent."

Late in this evening His "Worship f.ho , Mayor received the : following confirmatory telegram from; the Acting-Premier, the Hon. J. G. Ward:—"Hope to be able to make ; arrangements Ito enable troopship to ; leave Auckland as final port, and to ship there the whole of Auckland contingent. The arrangement, however, is somewhat difficult to carry cut, and until I have finally fixed details, cannot say positively, but have every reason to hope that I will be able to make Auckland ; final port of departure, and ■will do my best to effect this." Yesterday : afternoon, I Lieutenant-Colonel Banks, officer'commanding the district, received a telegram from the military authorities in Wellington, informing him that it had been decided that the contingent should consist of 500 men. ', The drafts required from the various districts had been OjUottod as follows:—From Wellington and sub-dis-tricts, 170; Auckland, 105; Otago and subdistricts, 105; Canterbury and sub-districts, 105; and Nelson, 15. The authorities had also decided that the Southern volunteers should join the Wellington volunteers at Wellington, and embark at that, port about the 20th or 21st inst,, afterwards calling at Auckland for the purpose of embarking the Northern contingent. As a result of the above telegram. Lieu-tenant-Colonel Banks has instructed Captain Beid, district adjutant, and Sergeant-Major Carpenter to proceed with the erection of the usual camp this morning. It had not been definitely decided last night whether the camp would be formed in the Domini or at Potter's Paddock, but it. seemed to oe generally anticipated that the Domain would be the site selected. In order tkat there may not be any delay in getting J .he men thoroughly drilled, Lieutenant-Colonel Banks has commenced his final selection of men, . and yesterday afternoon chose 54 men to proceed into camp as soon as it is formed. The names of these men are:—O. C. Cox, W. J. Connor, J. ONeil, J. E. Stuart, A. C. Harris, Alfred Ah drcd, P. H. Stockley, C. J. Little, F. E. Gladding, T. J. Coates, A. E. Lennard, E. M. Hemphill, A. Coubrough, A. Z. Howe, W. J. Winter, A. C. Warwick, J. A. Hoarling. A. B. Morton, J. A. Mitchell, P.. Letts, K. Wooller, G. P. Osborne, W. Gallagher, W. J. Luther A. E. "Garner, E. J. Ryan, D. Beaton, H. G. Hunt, F. A. Wlnttaker, A. McKenzie, G. Norris, R. McLeod, W. Butler, E. W. Watt, J. Richards, R. Heard, S. Dailey, W. J. Rooney, W. F. Paynes, J. Y. Storcr, F. G. Walker, J. Maloney, W. Thcrp, J. Minns, O. Morris, H. F. Marshall, P. Fahey, J. McGarry, J. Cromwell. F. Hemphill, C. Sidford, J. Sweeney, R. M. Henderi son, and W. Ellis. A .large number of volunteers from the country district* have yet to arrive in town, and from these and the other candidates who have successfully passed the tests in horsemanship, shooting, and physique the remaining 51 volunteers will bo selected. A large number of men were examined by Captains Raid and Cheater in horsemanship yesterday forenoon, and by Captain Reid in shooting in the; afternoon, most of whom proved successful. . The medical test was continued last evening by Drs. Walker, King, and Murray, as a result of which the following 24 men were found sound in limb and body: Ralph Henry Jackson. George M. Duncan, R. A. Moyle, Walter N. Attwood, E. V. Hall, Otto Soherff, N. W. S. McKenzie, N. E. J. Williams, W. Mountain, M. F. Barlow. H. A. C. Pearson, John Franklin, Ernest Mason, James Gleeson, H. H. Bayly, J; S. Lopdell, Theo.. Collins, John Bramble, Hugh Coll, R. A. Andrews, Robert Kelly, P. H. Thompson, N. Mazzoleni, Henry Brunton, E. Lovegrovo, C. Hodge. This brings the number of men who have successfully passed all tests to 127. Colonel Banks has issued instructions that no further applications will be received. All candidates who have passed the tests are requested to muster at the Drill Shed at three o'clock this afternoon. '

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. The number enrolled in all parts of the colony is 1308 out of over 2000 applications. [by telegraph. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, • Thursday. The Mayor 'of Wellington has convened a meeting of citizens for Monday next to.consider the question of a send-off for the Contingent. ..;' ' [BY TELEGRAPH.^—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Christohurch, Thursday. The total number who have applied for enlistment in the Sixth Contingent is 207. Napier, Thursday. ' Altogether 70 applications have been received here for enrolment in the Sixth Contingent. Thirty-three passed the preliminary tests. The list is now closed.