LETTERS FOR THE CONTINGENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 31

LETTERS FOR THE CONTINGENTS.

WELLINGTON, May 21. The Defence department has issued a notice that letters' for members of the contingents should be addressed with the number and name, number of the company, New Zealand contingent — General Hutton's brigade or Hhodesia, as the case may be. The first six companies, which form contingents 2 and 3, are^ in General Hutton's brigade ; companies 7 to, 15 are in the Rhodesia Reserve. The men intended to be attached to Major Robin's command were taken oh to Beira with Colonel Newall. Particulars of numbers, vault, etc., can be obtained from the post office rolls.

WELLINGTON, May 18. To facilitate the forwarding of letters, etc., to members of the contingents rolls will be kept at every post office in the colony. Including 150 horses now being collected, about 700 in all will go in the Tropea and Ormazan. '. The xlgent-general is inquiring if a fund is being raised in the colony for those dependent on men incapacitated in the war. FARCE T JS~FOR THE CONTINGENTS. Some time ago the New Zealand Express Company's agents at the Cf.pe wrote that they bad got delivery of the cases from the Waive ra and hand id tl em over to the War Office, but owing to the pressure on the railways the ca&es could not be sent on for some time. The New. Zealand Express Company have jus*received a letter from Mr Herbert C. Pilcher, the manager for South British Insurance Ccrcpany at Capetown, which is of intere&t. He =ays : " Waiwera — These parcels were duly delivered to the War Office agent for the distribution of parcels, and I have official information that they were forwarded to Bloemfontein on March 22. I hear since that they are stuck up- at Norval's Pont owing to the bridge being blown up by the Boors,, but they will get there all the same." That this has prcved to be the case was shown "by the cable from Major Robin, through the Agent-gene-ral, published a few days ago, in which, he stated that he had received some cases from New Zealand. No doubt the later tja'ses sent by the Gym eric and other boats will arrive in quicker time. Mr Pilcher was very er>eruetic in looking 1 after the intere^ of the New Zealanders, and visited the hospital whenever he can.

A Palinerston North wire says : — "At a meeting of the Borough Council it was deckled to take steps to celebrate the relief of Maf eking. If the news is received that the sies'e has been raised a demonstration will be held on similar lines to the one arranged here to celebrate the relief of Ladysmith." From a letter received by Bishop Nevill from a second cousin (Mr Reginald Jourdain) engaged in mission work in Calcutta, we are ■permitted to make the following extract : — "There are six Jourdains in the war now. I'm clad to hear from my brother Ernest in the Suffolk Regiment that your New Zealanders aro ' the smartest, best ( disciplined, and most efficient troops out there." That is high praise. Bishop Nevill has no less than seven second eoueins in regiments participating in the war in South Africa. An Auckland -telegrams says: — "Cable advice has been received from the London board of directors of the Waihi Company notifying that at the annual meeting of shareholders, he\l recently, it was unanimously resolved to vote £1000 for the benefit of the widows, orphans, and dependents of the members of the New Zealand contingents in South Africa. Thi? is in addition to the £100 voted to the patriotic fund some months ago, which was augmented by £150 subscribed by the employee." TliQ'Timaru Herald reports that Mrs Hayhur*t,r of Temuka, has received the following cable, from b-er husband. Captain Hayhurst : — '"Capetown. May 15. — Invalided, sick. Returning by Paparoa on Saturday." At a Druid's meeting at Wellington an interesting letter was received from. Bro. "W. M'Kinney, of the second New Zealand contingent, stating, inter alia A that he had bjgeu

appointed staff farrier sergeant to Lord Kitchener, and that Lord Kitchener's personal bodyguard wa& composed entirely of New Zealanders. The Auckland Rough Riders Contingent Committee have received v "little bill" from the Defence office for £883 for military equipment, arms, and uniforms of the contingent. The fund stands al 314-00, and if the account has to be paid, it will leave little more than £500 in hand. , Mis? Palmer has received a telegram from Cpptain Alexander, which reads as follows: — "" The Governor has received a cable from the Cape iuforming him that Edwin H. Palmer is a prisoner at Pretoria. 33. c is g-lad to inform you that the American Consul there has cabled that all prisoners are well. Money Las been placed r.t the American consulate to i^rovide luxuries, etc. — Captain Alexander."