FOURTH CONTINGENT NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 67

FOURTH CONTINGENT NOTES.

The work of erecting the stands at the Oval is proceeding with rapidity. Already the ' fiv.mework oi two of the stands is nearing completion, and a number of men are busily engaged at the fences and approaches. It is reported- that the stands will cost over £300. The following letter has been received from the secretary ot the Queenslown Committee : ■' "I have to thank you for your wire to-day (March 13) accepting the offer of the Queenstovrn Brass Band to take part in the send- , off on the 24 th insl. We have arranged the matter of free passes on the railway, through the Ron. tho Minister of Railways, and we are expecting to recei\e the passes in a few days. The band will leave here on Friday, 23rd inst., and vie shall be glad to receive your instructions in the matter at an early date. The committee desire to express their pleasure at receiving intimation that two oi their men have been accepted for the lourth contingent, and the third man for the tilth, and have every confidence that they will woithily reprenenl the district and New Zealand. Wishing the contingent every success's and God-speed, and congratulating you upon the business-like manner in which all the airdiigemeutss^luue been cairied out, — I ha\e etc., E. C. W. Pohteh. The various members of the legal profession have notified the coiamittee of their willingness to prepore any wills free of charge for the Otago and Southland contingent. Instructions can be given either personally or by letter to any .solicitor they pleaae. This is highly creditable, but what we drew attention to yesterday a.-; having been done in Sydney with the Bushmen's Contingent was quite different. There a folieilor went to the camp daily between certain hours, when the men vieie at liberty to attend on him, to draw yip their wills. The Mayor of Greymouth wires that the local contingent will be in Dunedin on Monday night. The officers and employees of the City Gasworks forwarded £21 0s 6d. and those "of the Caversham Gasworks £17 14s 6d, making a total of £58 11s 6d, for the purchase of a horse. Mr John White wrote enclosing a cheque for £23 0s 6d, for the purchase of a horse, to be called " Sludge." The money was forwai ded by Mr "Vv hite, on behalf of Air Lee, of the Round Hill Sluicing Company, and the horse is to go as a remount for the Southland " boy?.'^_ Mr "White also forwarded a cheque for £11 18s from the Otago Rowing Club, and mentioned in one of his letters that he had yet to send £105 from Anderson'? Bay. Tho Nfvtional Bank of New Zealand forwarded £40, subscribed by the local bank off.ce-js for the purchase of a horse. The Organising Committee request that all band', town and country, desiring to take part in the demonstration at Dunedin and Port Chalmers will send an intimation to the committee. The committee will be glad of the services of a band on the occasion of the luncheon to be given to the Otago and Southland contingent on the 22nd insl., at, say, from 12 to 3 p.m., when the Governor will be present. All communications should reach the committee by Monday next, and should be addressed to the hon. secretary. J The Manager ot the Dunedin City and Sub- ' urban Tramway Company and the Mornins:lon Tramway has written intimating that Messrs Hazlett and Taggart have been requested to select a horsa for both companies. The Invercarqill Gairison Band intend to i be present at the send-off to tho contingent. ! The Gore committee has forwarded £25, 1 making the balance of the amount required to equip the fifteen men from there. Mr A. Kilpairick has sent £3 4s, in addition to £28 4 s previously subscribed by the residents of Purakanui and Waiiati. ' The Organising Committee intend to entertain the officers and men of the fourth contingent at dinner in the Agricultural Hall at noon on Thursday. Mr A. JVlatheson, Mayor of Greymouth, has telegraphed intimating his intention of being present at the send-off to the contingent. ■ . The "Waitahuna residents have forwarded £20 per Mr W. Auld for the contingent fund, j Mr C. Graney has forwarded £5 ss, sub- ; scribed to the contingent fund by the following cabmen: — R. Phimester sp, R. Fhimesler, I }v.v., ss, A. Stokes ss, W. G. Christie 10s, ; Well wishers ss. Bush ss, W. Gilmore 10s, j E. Stokes 10s, William Carson ss, Henry Gore ss, H. Christie ss, — M'Gregor ss, A. Ross ss, — Willis ss, ss, J. Connofi 10s, R. Salmon d ss. The Garrison Hall is now being used to set out the articles of the kit and make up each man's equipment. Material assistance was given on Tuesday by members of the Tailoresses' Union, who spent the evening; in braiding numbers on the putties and sweaters. THE CONTINGENT SERVICE. TO THfi EDITOR. Slit, — Your columns this morning contain n reference to the religious service which the Council of Churches has been endeavouring to arrange in connection with the departure I of the fourth contingent. You are good I enough to express surprise that there should be any opposition to this most reasonable proposal, and, doubtless, so will most persons in this .community who take life with due seriousness. It Feems to us desirable to briefly state the circumstances, and to offer a word or two of comment on the attitude of those responsible for our failure to give effect to the decision of the council. The Council of the Churches, in compliance with their own sense of what was becoming, and with a request of the Dunedin Presbytery, resolved to hold a great united religious service in the Agricultural or Garrison Hall on some evening prior to the departure of the volunteers. The object of the service was, primarily, the benefit of the men who are going to risk their lives on the field of battle. Secondarily, it was to afford the public an opportunity of recognising Almighty God in this great business and to commend our soldiers to His safe-keeping. The objects contemplated by the council were directly in line with those of services held in the Home land on the departure of troops for the front; and assuredly in harmony with' the temper of such a man as the redoubtable soldier who now commands the Queen's forces in South Africa. No sooner, however, did we attempt to make arrangements than we found ourselves blocked at almost every point. We spent the whole of Monday interviewing individual members of the Organising Committee, the committee itself, and the military authorities. After many delays, we at last secured the concurrence of tho committee, which, through its chairman (Mr Kempthorne), addressed the following letter to Colonel Webb : Headquarteis, Garrison Hall, Dunedin, 13th March, 1900. , Lieutenant-col. Webb, Garrison Hall, j Sir, — Yesterday morning the Rev. Mr Gibb, of First Church, and the Rev. Mr Saunders, of the Congregational Church, waited on the j Organising Committee re the holding of a religious service for the volunteers and others pu JUs evening of S&upfoik tiifi 22*4 W3S&» "

The committee would like to see the request made carried out, and believe it. would be generally appioved of by all sections of the community.

i had not an opportunity of seeing you yesterday in respect to the matter, but express the hope that you will be able to arrange, if not Thursday, some previous day or night to give effect to the application. — Yours, etc ,

Thomas W. Kempthohne, Chairman.

Next day (Tuesday) we again wailed on the military authorities to press our claim*. We wc-je ponrle&u s ly received, but were informed thai what we asked was impossible, even though ow request lnid been unanimously endorsed by the Organising Committee. Pres-f-ing fo;. 1 a reasou, we were informed fit fuvt that ths night proposed (Thursday) w&s Governor'b night at the theatrp, and that the men would be going there. On our remarking that we understood that only 150 had been invited to the theatre for lhal evening, the reply wa", "The truth is, the Hon. George M'Lean hos a^ked the men to attend the l'Ace^ at Wingatui on that day; but if thejj?o it will be only on condition that they make recoimai-.=ances, eic, on the way." The only promise we were able to obtain was that no obstacle would be put in tlie way of fucli men a«. de-ired to attend the service on Thur-duy evening, and that mtimplion of the service would be made in the camp. Bui make a church parade of it or march the men to the place of meeting the authorities would not. 'Our alternative proposal, that the service bhoulcl take place on Sunday afternoon, wad disposed of in a similar fashion. "Make that a church parade," we said, "and we phall be content. We shall spare no effort to make the gathering worthy of the occasion." But it was no use. Not even when it was suggested thsi the ca'np service on Sunday morning should bo abandoned in favour of the afternoon.

Commei'l is needless. Engagements aie made for the men by the committee, and accepted by the military authorities, when these have no favour of religion. The contingent may go to the races and the theatre and the mayor's banquet : but no place cm be found for their uniting v/ith their fellow-citizens in calling upon God end beseeching His sate keeping.

James Gibb,

President of Council, W. CuRZOX-SIGGKES, Vice-president of Council. W. Svundees.

.Secretary of Council. P.S. — The above will serve as a sufficient explanation to the many persons who have been wondering why effect has not been given lo the proposal to hold a spccinl religious service.

WELLINGTON. March 14

The following is the list of officers for the fourth contingent :— No. 1 Company. Olago and Southland: Captain Fulton, Lieutenant-, Nicolson. M'Donald, and Keddell. No. 2 Company. Otago and Southland : Captain Harvey, Lieutenants Tubman and Bauchop ; the third has not yet been appointed. No. 3, Wellington: LvppLnin Pringle, Lieutenants Elder, Collins, and Ross. No. 4: Captain Walker, Lieutenants Tucker, Johnston/ and Arthur.

Davey goes as an

Lieutenant-commander extra officer.

The appointment of commander for the whole contingent is noL yet divulged. Captains Abbott (of Auckland) and Tanner (of Napier) have received captaincies in the fifth contingent.

NAPIER, March 14. Great preparations are being made to give the fourth contingent an enthusiastic sendoff. Lieutenant Ross was presented with a case of silver-mounted pipes, many other members also receiving presentations. Tonight a monster banquet is being given by citizens to the men in the Drillshed. A large number of ladies being present.

WELLINGTON PATPvIOTIC FUND.

WELLINGTON, March 14. The Patriotic Fund Committee met this afternoon. It was reported that the net total amount raised was £6236 9s 3d, of which the committee some time ago allocated £3000 as follows: — £1000 to "soldiers ancl tailors of the Queen" fund; £1000 to refugees' fund; snd £1000 to the New Zealand contingents. Of the balance of £3236 now in hand, the committee resolved this afternoon to remit another sum of £1000 to " soldiers ancl sailors of the Queen" fund, and add £2000 to the New Zealand contingent fund, leaving a balance of £236 9s 3d.

The Port Good-bye Committee have jus=fc received 21s from Mr TV. B. Paton, earmarked for erecting on embarkation day a sign in a conspicuous place bearing the legend, "When the War is over We'll Dictate." It is hardly necessary to say that is the motto of all loyal subject*. The Port Good-bye Committee acknowledge with thanks a subscription of 10s sent to them by Mr W. Robertson, MihiWctka ro"»d.

The mayor's ladies' meeting at the Port on Wednesday was a great success. It was finally determined to render all possible assistance to the Good-bye Committee in entertaining the contingent on embarkation day, and an energetic Ladies' Committee was set up for the purpose.

On "Wednesday evening, at the invitation of Mr J. Jenkins,, a party of gentlemen paid a visit to his house to see "Electra," the wonderful • electric woman, which is to be one of the feature? of Mr R. O. Jones's lecture on electricity, which is to be held next Wednesday evening in the Agricultural Hall, in aid of the fourth contingent fund. Mr R. S. Smythe was one of the party, and he remarked that it was a most wonderful ancl unique piece of workmanship, and that with such an illustration of the power of electricity it would ensure a crowded house.

The decoration of the Agricultural Hall annexes for the contingent luncheon has been left to Mr J. A. Kirby, who will undoubtedly have the ornamentation appropriate to the occasion. -