THE DEPARTURE OF THE TENTH CONTINGENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 28

THE DEPARTURE OF THE TENTH CONTINGENT.

\ PROPOSAL TO MOBILISE AT DUNEDIN. THE PREMIER COMMUNICATED WITH. A deputation of influential citizc-m and members of Parliament waited on the Mayor at the Town Hall on Friday morning to urge the claims of Dunedin as a port of departure for the Tenth Contingent. Three raking the initiative in the matter were Messrs .1. A. Millar, IvJ.H.R., J. F. Arnold, M H.R., R. Chisholm, J. Robin, C. P. M. Butterworth, C. C. Croft, J Jackaon. J. Braithvvaite, W. Davvson, C. R. Chapman, J B. M'Callum, Captain Bare'ay, and the Hon. W. M. Bolt, M.L.C. Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.R., introduced the deputation, and in doing so j-aid it was the outcome of a preliminary conversation between Mi William Daweon and himself which took place yesterday morning. He had been approached by a large number of citizens to endeavour to make Dunedm the final port of departure for the Tenth Contingent. On such occasions Dunedin had always risen to the necessities of the moment, and he felt sure that if they had the opportunity they would acquit themselves even better than they had previously done. The more hearty the send-off of the contingents could be made the better, and he felt sure that in that respect there was no placo in the colony that could eclipse Dunedin. There were those who thought that Invercargill should be selected as the port of departure, but as it had been decided that the departure must I>p from one of the four chief centres he thought Dunedin's claims were greater than any other part of the colony. Mr" R. Chisholm heartily agreed with what Mr Millar had .said. So far as the .South Js-land section of the contingent was concerned, it must bo bent from cither Dunedin or Christchurch, and theiv was no question in that ca=e that iJunedin, from its central position, as well as from >tl>rr con-iderations, should have the nreferencFrom conversations lie had had with bueine=s people, he wa« sure t!ierc was a gentr.il wi=h that Dunedin should be se'cLted, ami lie felt siire if the honour fell here the tend off uould be the he-artie-l and best of any that had yet taken place. Mr Davvion lentrarkcd that he was not a in.in of many woicl-, an 1 all li^ had to '•tutp v. a~ that tho neeo'-ary fund" for the .ml oft" (J the Tenth had already been largely guaranteed, aid there was no doubt that 'f Dunedm were entrusted with tho lesponeibility the pend-off would be a good oi.e. Mr J. Robin thought that they should s-how to ths world that their mitrioti-m Vjb burning a- b.ightly to-day a* when they tent away thai First Contingent. They should let hostile Europe i-ee that they were a? determined as ever to t-land by their Empire. Ho hoped tho Ttnth Contingent would be the last contingent that it \*< uld be note via ry to tend. Speaking foi himself, he fell much like the Hon. Mr Gourley: he would go hnneelf if they would have him, and p=sist to bring the leng and protracted *ar to a close. The Mayor said he had received a letter from Cr J. A. Park, who took a keen interest in all such matters. He stated that he sympathised with the movement heartily^

' and he also mentioned that Dunedm manufacturers had -lot received fair treatment iv resard to the supplying of requirements for previous contingents. He (the Mayor) di.t not personally know that there was ground for Mr Park's complaint, but if so it ousht to be inquired into. So far as the request of the deputation was concerned, lie tuu'd ha\e great pleasure in communicating to the Premitr their representations. The only official evidence he had that the public wished the Tenth Contingent to be despatched from Olago was that which hatl been placed before him by the deputation, but the deputation was of so representative a character that there could be no doubt it represented the public opinion. He would therefore despatch the following telegram t ) the Prrmier immediately : — "The Hon. R. J. Seddon, Auckland. — A large and influential deputation waited on me to-day and urged me to represent to you the claims of Dunedin to be the c cene of the departure of tho Tenth Contingent. I believe this is the general wish of the townspeople, and 1 will be glad to learn that you vrill favour ably consider the request. — G. L. Dexxiston", May Dr." On the suggestion of Mr J. Robin, the Hon. W. M. Bolt. M.L.C., and Messrs J. A. Millar and J. F. Arnold, M.H.R.'s, together with Mr R. Chisholm, were appointed a committee to work with the .Mayor in tho matter, and a "vote of thiiiiks to the Mayor brought the proceedings- to a close. '■"After the deputation finished yesterday morning, the Hon. Mr Bolt and Messrs Millar and Arnold forwarded a telegram to the Premier urging that Dunedin should bo selected 'as the port of departure. The Hon. Mr Pinkerton a!so sent a telegram. March 19. A large number of applications have ben received at the Defence Office both by post and by personal application for service m the tenth contingent, but s-o far no orders have been issued to proceed with the enro'ment. The only instructions received are , t < the effect that volunteers and others deI suing- commission^ in the tenth should aond in their names as early as nobble. Instructions have been issued for the purchase of 1000 horses for the tenth contingent. The minimum standard has, on the advice* of the Commandant, been raised from 1 4 . 2 to 14.3, with the same maximum as previously — viz., 15.3. The impression in Wellington as to plaoe of mobilisation is for the northern section Trentham, and for the southern section Christchurch or the Bluff, but nothing is definitely announced. The Mayor of Timani (Mr C. N. Macintosh) received the following telegram from the Hon. W. Hall-Jones on Monday:— "ln reply to telegram re sending battalion tenth contingent from Timaru : For the reason stated in my telegram re ninth contingent the tenth will be mobilised at two of the four centres, where all the necessary conveniences already exist. Quick despatch is I now important." Mr Barton has wired Mr Seddon that he , noticed that New Zealand was sending another contiugent. The Commonwealth, he continued, were ever ready to send further assistance. March 24. The following is the reply from the Premier to the Mayor's request on behalf of the representative deputation which waited on him on Friday as to Otagp's claims for the send-off of the next contingent: — "Re departure Tenth Contingent. The question will be decided after consultation with the Commandant.— R. J. Seddon." A similar reply was received by the Hons. D. Pinkerton and H. Gourley, M.L.C.'s, and Messrs E. G. Allen and James Allen, M.H.R.s. Over 400 applications have been received ' in Dunedin for enrolment in the Tenth Conj tingeut, but as yet no information has loathed the local Defence Office. j Up to Saturday 53 applications were received at Titnaru for places in the Tenth Contingent. The Defence Department invite boot manufacturers to biibnnt samples of boots without mentioning the price in order that a standard sample may bo selected. March 25. Up to the present 450 applications have been received by the local Defence Office for enrolment in the Tenth, although no instructions have been received for the formation of the contingent. Applications for commissions are coming in in considerable numbers. One hundred applications* hove been received in Oamaru for the Tenth Contingent.