THE COST OF THE WAR.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 3129, 8 December 1899, Page 3

THE COST OF THE WAR.

AN ARMY SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATE. The War Office has issued a supplementary estimate of the additional number of men, and of the further amount of money, required m the year endfng March 31st, 1900, m consequence of the military situation m South Africa, The number of men of all ranks required for army service, m addition to the number already voted, is 35,000. This number represents the probable maximum excess beyond the establishment fixed for the year 1899-1900, m consequence of the proclamation calling up a portion of the Army Reserve and the transfer, temporarily, of a number of troops from the Indian to the British establishment. TEN MILLIONS OF MONEY. The amount of money needed is £10,000,000, and the army votes under which it will be accounted for are : — 1. Pay, etc., of the army ... £1.000,000 Z. Medical establishments, pay, etc. 50,000 3. Militia pay, etc 250,000 6. Land and sea transport, transport, purchase of remounts and transport animals .. 4,900,000 7. Provisions, forage, field allowances, and other services .1,900,000 8. Clothing services ... 650,000 9. Equipment, engineer, and miscellaneous Btorea 1,150,000 10. Engineer services ... 100,000 Total „ £10,000,000 ORIGINAL AND AMENDED ESTIMATES. The total original estimate was £23,817,333, from which mast be deducted £3,200,133 appropriations m aid, leaving £20,617,200 as the net total. With the supplementary estimate now presented, the net total of the army estimates is brought up to £30,617,200. With the new estimate is a memorandum showing the principal heads of expenditure for which it provides. By far the largest proportion of the £10,000,000 will be Bpenton the despatch of a cavalry division, an army corps, and lines of communication, including the calling up of a portion of the Army ReBerve and the replacement of stores and clothing; including also the embodiment of a portion of the militia, and the raising of seven cavalry regiments and 19 batteries of horse and field artillery to the higher establishments home, the raising of an irregular force m South Africa, and the despatch of contingents from Australia and Canada. The total expenditure under these heads will be £8,006,000. The despatch of reinforcements from Home, the Mediterranean, and India (three cavalry regiments, two brigade divisions, field artillery, eight battalions of infantry, with proportion of Army Service Corps, etc.), the raieiag of a volunteer force ID Natal, and the provision of special clothing and hospital supplies for the force m South Africa, will cost £1,441,000. The balance— £ss3,ooo— will go m increasing the efficiency and mobility of the force m South Africa on July Ist last, with the addition of two battalions of infantry for the protection of Natal, and the raising of local bodies of mounted infantry for the protection of Rhodesia,