The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1902.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11661, 21 January 1902, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1902.

The ranks of the Eighth Contingent have beew filled only within the last few days, and the final arrangements made (if, indeed, they are even now quite complete)',, when the Imperial Government have intimated that they will be glad if New Zealand will furnish yet another Contingent, also numbering a thousand men. Following the course adopted upon previous occasions, the Premier has consulted members of Parliament, and, finding the- majority to be favourable, has cabled to the Secretary of State for the Colonies that a Ninth Contingent will be sent. We have not yet received word from Australia that a like request has been made to the Government of the Commonwealth, but it is rather improbable that an exception has been made in the case of New Zealand. The recent request to the Commonwealth was for a thousand men, the same number as was at that time asked for from this, colony with its very much smaller population. Nobody seems to know why such a comparatively small contribution was asked from Australia,though it has been suggested that it was in consequence of the apparent lukewarmness of the Commonwealth Premier. . Since then, however, it has been made abundantly clear that Australian public opinion is in favour of assisting the Mother Country, liberally in the matter of men and horses, and it may be that the Commonwealth has been asked, or will be asked, to send several thousands in addition to the Contingent asked-for a few weeks ago. Perhaps this latest application to New Zealand was prompted by what- the Premier said in the course of » speech delivered by him last week. He announced in so many words that if more, men were asked for, they would be sent. We cannot say that we approve of consulting members of Parliament out of session as to how the Government shall act. The constitutional course is to' wait till Parliament meets and then ascertain the opinions of members after discussion of the Ministerial proposals. Perhaps, however, there is some excuse for a departure from the constitutional course when deciding about the despatch of more troops to South Africa. Promptness of actiom in that case is an element of importance, and we suppose that, in view of the peculiar circumstances, the public will condone what the Premier has .done and what he proposes to do. The Wellington telegram which we publish this morning states that, as the answers from members of Parliament are favourable, recruiting will be commenced at once, the men being picked from the three thousand applicants for whom there was no room in the Eighth Contingent. But there will not be three thousand in that body of men to pick from, because for one reason or another a great many were rejected. Our opinion is that the wiser plan would be to commence " de novo," and advertise for applicants, without paying any regard to what was done before. It would be wise also if the stipulations as to heighth and chest measurement were relaxed, for many excellent men have been rejected in the past for really very frivolous reasons. Perhaps that relaxation cannot be effected without the consent of the Imperial authorities. It is better to have lighter and shorter men if they can ride and shoot straight, than heavier and taller men who can neither ride horses nor look after them properly, and who have • had no practice with a rifle. From the accounts which we have read in the papers concerning what has taken the camps, we fear that a men who are going in are very far from mark either as to riding or shofpiiSg. A few °"T" fcr even a few weekSf are not sufficient to make men horseiiien". or marksmen, let them work ever so hard; and if- what we "read be true it seems probable that the average-'.quality of the Eighth Contingent will not; ii -regard to shooting and riding, and a knowledge of how to look after horses, be as high as the average of the Contingents which have .already been sent. If we are mistaken on, that point we have been led astray by ;the statements of some of our contemporaries. We wrote something the other day about the quality.-of the horses supplied to the Eighth Contingent, Since theii, the matter has been further referred to by some of our contemporaries, and it has been stated that not a few of the animals are of very inferior quality. If that be true, the fact is much.to be regretted, and it is strongly suggestive of a fear that there will be still more difficulty in providing sound useful horses for the Ninth Contingent. It is a difficulty which we-feel sure may be at all events partly overcome by raising the price.. It is satisfactory to know that the Imperial Government are making stronger effprts than ever to terminate the war in South Africa. The renewed applications for colonial assistance should be taken as evidence on that point. We are very far from„grudgiug the aid, but. it would be unpleasant to think that the Imperial Government are. applying to the colonies merely- as a matter of convenience. We prefer to believe that though the immediate strain on Home resources is not very great indeed, still that it is substan- ' tial, and warrants the appeal which has now. been made, and promptly acceded to. New Zealand, should not be made an ordinary recruiting ground, for if a system of that sort were once established it would speedily be found antagonistic to the colony's well-being and x>rogress. The entire population numbers- only about 800,000. In estimating the military strength there has first to be deducted a full half—the number of the females—and then the considerable proportion, of males who are either too young or I too old to carry arms. The residue, especially for service abroad, is very small, and excessive demands upon it would soon be injuriously felt in the various industries upon which the existence of the colony depends. __________