MAORI CONTINGENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16025, 17 September 1915, Page 8

MAORI CONTINGENT.

MEN GO SOUTH TO-DAY, . AUCKLAND'S FAREWELL. SIS ; ■■; '.-••■•rS ■ GREY STATUE MEETING.. The second Maori contingent will leave Auckland to-day for Wellington, and the public will have an opportunity of say. ing farewell to the troops at the Grey Statue at 2.15 p.m. f& The Maoris will leave their camp at Narrow Neck at one o'clock, and will em- S bark at the Victoria Wharf, Devonport" * 3 at 1.25 p.m., for Auckland. Upon arl -v rival at The Ferries thev will be met by the band of the 3rd, Auckland, Mounted Rifles, and the Garrison Artillery Band and will march up Queen Street to the Grey Statue. The two bands will amal- > gamate for the occasion, and will be. — under the baton of Lieutenant Cater bandmaster of the Garrison Artillery Band. A guard of honour will be drawn from the St. Stephen's School Cadets.

War Dance by Native Women. Several addresses will be delivered at the statue, the speakers being the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. J. H. Gunson, the officer commanding the district, Colonel J. £_ Hume, Messrs. J. S. Dickson, M.P., C H. Poole, M.P., and A. E. Glover, M.p! A party of women from the Arawa tribe] ' headed by Bella Papakura, will greet the troops upon their arrival at tie stains with the ancient Maori song and dance of welcome. Later, they will perform the traditional war dance, a feature of which is the invocation of the warriors with the words, "Ka mate ka mate," the interpretation of which is "Together we live." The Maoris will then reply with Ka ora kaora " which means "Together wb die." The women win be garbed in the old-time costumes and will wear flax pui puis and kiwi shoulder mats, while they will carry tawhiri twigs in their hands. The dances will be led by two men with taiahas.

The people of Auckland wiß give the natives an enthusiastic reception, and the Mayor stated yesterday that he hoped a liberal display of bunting would be made from public buildings and business premises. In order that the proceedings may be carried out smoothly the military authorities trust that the public will refrain from breaking through the enclosure within" which the troops will be assemble!

Special Train for Wellington.

The men will leave for Wellington by special train at four o'clock- The gates of the railway station will be locked at . 3 p.m., and the general public will not i be admitted to the platform until the men ? have stowed away their baggage. .ij The contingent has been training at . . Narrow Neck for over two months, and '-; during that time its members have gained. - by their conduct and demeanour, the re- " spect of the community. Although it is."?? recognised that the farewell to the cot-,"" tingent will be representative of the **\SI» of Auckland, many people in Bevonport have expressed a wish that there should be a more intimate leave-taking. Oppor- ii tunity for the residents of the borough to extend their good wishes to the Maoris' will be given when the force assembles on the Victoria Wharf at 1 p.m. before cross- '") % ing to the city. A brief address .will be delivered to the men by the Mayor of tie borough, Mr. A. M. Pickford. It is not anticipated that the third (. Maori contingent will be -b=ronght into camp before the middle of October. gj?; EVERY MAN WANTED,

APPEAL IN AUSTRALIA.

THE POSSIBLE CAPACITY, "^

16,000 MEN A MONTH.

The following statement bearing on re* craiting, and giving details of Australia'*.;: commitment in the way of reinforcements, eg and the extent of the Commonweaiii': capacity to train and equip men, was made last week by Mr. G. F. Pearce, Aus- j tralian Minister for Defence — -.-. "Si

" The Commonwealth has sent into the field a number of military units, which 11 has undertaken by means of reinforcements to keep up to their full strength. To meet" this obligation some 6000 recruits per month are required, bat, in addition to this, it is recognised that Che necessities of the great crisis constitute a strong tali for the utmost effort of which the Commonwealth is capable in m<*n and money, in order to ensure success to the allied' cause. , J "It is, therefore, imperative that every man physically fit who can be trained and equipped by the Commonwealth' should be encouraged to recruit, and it is believed that it is possible to do this in respect of at least 16,000 men per month. The aim of the Federal War Committee is to s.end a direct appeal throughout the various States cf Australia, so as to ensure a steady flow of recruits to at least this number." It is obvious that, unless come system is adopted throughout the Commonwealth, all the States might organise a recruiting cam; paign in the same :cnth, producing a . surplus in that month, whilst Ir the following month, if no action to stimuiaii recruiting were tak**n, the numbers needed for reinforcements might not be recruited. "It is with the double object of obtaining the maximum contribution in men of which Australia is capable, and at .the same time ensuring that the supply of tntf-i shall be continuous, and not spasmodic;, that the Federal War Committee is endeavouring to first of all establish recruiting committees in each State, through too co-operation of the Ci 3*« Government*; and, secondly, to so arrange Uia zzrr****** : campaign in the various States as to secure a continuous flow of recruits. "It will, of course, happen that, folio*"-. ing this plan, each State will at some period be called upon to contribute fat beyond its ordinary quota, in proportion to population, of the total number required. The Minister and the War Committee feel it essential, if these ends are to be attained, that the system of organisation in connection with recruiting which has recently been adopted should be earnestly taken up in each State on the lines set out in a recent communication to each State Premier. It is hoped that the State authorities, now that the position is fully set out, will proceed to expeditiously organise the State councils for the purposes enumerated in the recent recommendations of the Federal War Committee.*'

PRISONERS OF THE TURKS,

SIX NEW ZEALANDERS.

NEXT OF KIN NOTIFIED. ~ 1 [BY TELEGBAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION*. J Wellington, Thursday." j ■' A cablegram has reached .the Defence* - _ Minister, the Hon. James Allen, giving* " , the names of five New Zealand soldiers- , who are prisoners in the hands of the -• ■ Turks. The news has come from vA ■ - Turkish Red Crescent, at Constantino.;..* - through the British Red Cross. *» names of the five menwho wire pf** viously reported as missing— »'f m? communicated to the next of kin. Th® Minister stated late to-night '.hat six Ne* Zoalanders were now know to be p* 1 * soners of war. The name of the first m»;»|sp||| reported prisoner had come through in* American bureau at Constantinople-.-