THE NINTH CONTINGENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4607, 11 March 1902, Page 7

THE NINTH CONTINGENT.

PBESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, March 10. The Premier.sent a telegram to tho Auckland members of Parliament as follows:—I hope the same thing will not occur in sending off the Ninth Contingent as occurred to tho Auckland section of tho Eighth. ’ There ought to be lunch f’ven to them, os was done with the ighth from Wellington. Pianos also are wanted, one for tho men and one for the officers. The Surrey had two pianos on board. This may seem a big order, but I am sure if you take it in hand in time and work together, you will have no difficulty in obtaining the necessary funds. The pianos will cost ,£3O a-piece, and the lunch £l2O, making a total of £2lO. The men of tho Ninth Contingent are sticking well at their duties in camp at TO Papapa, and are looking much_ more soldier-like now they are all uniformed. After dinner to-day the men received a second instalment of Government pay, each man receiving a fortnight’s allowance. This takes the contingent up to the day of their embarkation nest week. On Wednesday the officers and men will he paid again, receiving on advance of thirty days’ pay at Imperial rates for the voyage from the colony to South Africa. 9 The whole amount of Wednesday’s pay will he something like £SOOO, hut it is anticipated that not more than £3OOO of this will bo actually paid, as many will be leaving allotments of their pay in the hands of the Government for relations. DUNEDIN, March 10. The South Island section of the Ninth Contingent paraded, mounted, through the principal streets of the city. The men look a good, even, serviceable lot, hut many of the horses ore little better than ponies, and look indifferent. A Ladies’ Committee to-day handed over £6O 11s, collected by them to provide instruments for the hand of the contingent.