NEW ZEALAND

Waikato Argus, 24 August 1914, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND

No. 4 GROUP.

The following additional contributions to the No. 4 Group Fund have been received by Mr E. J. Davey, hon. secretary: l'e Rore Committee, £l6 14s.

Glen Murray Committee, £lO3 2s, as 'ollows:—Bothwell Estate and employees £lO ss, Miss A. F. Speedy £5 P. Speedy £5. P. Ofaffy £5, L. L. King £5, Basil Walter £5, F. \V. Rutherford £5, V. J. Rutherford £5, Arthur Annandale A - 5, Baston Bros. £5, Caughley Bros. £5, Gordon Bros. £5, McConktjf and Millard £4. W. A. 11. Murray £2 2s, H. Stillburn £2 2s, A Friend £2 2s, 11. Oldlield £l, S. Marshall £l, Rupert Lowry £1 Is, Gerald Lowry £1 Is, Huhana£l, H. T. Bates £l, J. Bell and Co. £l, W. Cooper £l, W. Osborne £l, L. Hitchens £l, L. Hooker £l, A. Ross £l, W. Lembess £l, A. Alexander £l, A. F. Annandale £l, V. H. Annandale £l, S. Treves £l, S. Fordham SI, R. S. Smith 10s 6d, A. G. Taylor 10s, Tumata 10s, A. 'league 10s, A. Russell 10s, A. Growden 10s, J. Clow 10s, W. Hives IDs, S. J. Miller 10s, R. Mcl.eod 10s, J. Hensilwood 10s, G. Finch 10s, C. Tomlinson 10s, F. Mury 7s 6d, J. G°irand ss, 11. Gerrand ss, T. Gerrand ss, J. Wilson ss, R. Eramett ss, E. Boyce ss, B. Baron ss, P. Hemings ss, J. Cozens ss, L. L. McKenzie 2s Gd, Anonymous 3s Od; total, £lO3 2s. A patriotic Maori, named Pairama Kaena, gave two horses to be sold and the proceeds to go to the Glen Murray fund. These horses realised £22, but were sold and re-sold, altogether benefiting the patriotic fund by £B3. Glen Murray's portion will be forwarded as soon as it comes from the auctioneers. Other donations are:—A. Goodall half-ton potatoes, L. LaTrobe three sacks potatoes, Sandes and Walter two tons hay. To the Editor. Sir,—Today is the 50th anniversary of the arrival in Hamilton of the 4th Company of the 4th (Waikato) Regiment, under _Captain Steele, Lieut. Johnston, and Ensign Crawford, that company being the advance guard of the 4th. The regiment had been arranged to settle in Hamilton, and were to receive one acre in the town and fifty acres upwards, according to rank, in the surrounding district. As the eon> tempated jubilee that was to have taken place tomorrow has been post-, poned on account of the present trouble in Europe—and which, 1 think, was unavoidable under the circumstances—l need not say that it has caused a great deal of disappointment to many of (he old people and their descendants, who had looked forwaid to the contemplated reunion with great pleasure, as some of them say that it cannot be expected that they will all be alive for the next meeting this day twelve month; however. 1 hope and trust that they may be. The veterans' committee had found and issued invitations to the function to 22 old veterans, 22 widows, and 186 sons and daughters of the old people. 1 have a suggestion to make, and that is that as soon as the present trouble is over a subscription be started to raise sufficient funds to erect a monument in Steele Park to that grand old veteran, Captain Steele, who, I am quite safe in Baying, did more for the early settlement of Hamilton and neighbourhood than any other man- in fact, he used to be called the "Father of Hamilton." As I arrived here in 1868, I can apeak and write on the subject from personal knowledge; therefore 1 think it would be only doing the right and proper thing to have either a statue in bronze or, failing that, a monument, to unveil on the next meeting, August 24th, 1015; and I hope and trust that some of the late Captain Steele's old friends will assist my in j the matter. £1 may say that all the j old 4th 1 have spoken to are in favour of the project, and I think that 1 could collect £SO myself towards the expense as soon an the present trouble is over. I have before me a copy of Private Foster's diary written the night of his arrival in Hamilton, August 21th, 1864. The final line reads; "Hamilton is a wilderness of fern trees." Now, compare that with the present Hamilton, and then think what it will be in another fifty years. 1 prophesy that it will be a city larger than its namesake on Lake Ontario.—l am, etc., ISAAC COATES. Hamilton, 24th August, 1014. THE AUCKLAND CAMP. A Waikato Argus representative visited the camp at Alexander Park yesterday, and spent several hours among the men under canvas there. Of course, there is still u good deal to be. done in the way of pteparali:n for embarkation, but things are well in train, and in a couple of days everything will be in readiness for the troops to go on board the transports as soon as orders for their despatch are received. The ground is not altogether suitable for a camp, and a good deal of trouble is being experienced in dealing with the sewage, which has to be pumped into carts and taken away. A church parade was held in the morning, when an inspiring service was held, a large number of the public being present. Mr A. E. Manning, chairman, and Mr M. Darke, a member of the No. 4 Group Central Committee, and Mrs Carr Smith and Mrs A. H. Hyde, of the Lady Liverpool Committee, were present on the ground throughout the day. They were the guests of the officers of the 4th and 16th Regiments at dinner.

The ladies had sent forward 110 sets of equipment on Saturday for men who had left in the earlier detachments. Unfortunately, the things had not reached the camp, and could not be distributed, bo they have stayed over today to see the clothing distributed. It was very pleasing to see the reception the ladies had in the lines, expressions of gratitude being made on every hand for the excellent arrangements which had been made for the men of the No. 4 Group.

An officer of the Defence Stall, eptaking to Mr Manning, said that Waikato had dune Bplendidly, and he wished that other districts had tackled the equipment of their men in the same whole-hearted and generous manner. After lunch the lGth Regiment paraded under Major Rastrick, when Mr Manning, on behalf of the people of Waikato, handed over the handsome deerhound presented by Mrs Rogers. In addressing the officers and men of the regiment, Mr Manning said he was proud of having th<* honour to hand this valuable dog over to the regiment. It had originally been named faddy, but the officers of the regiment had decided to name it Rewi Maniapoto, after that great Maori chief, who so nobly defended Orakau and whose reply, "Ka whawhai tonu, ake, back to the English General iiad so appropriately been adopted as flic motto of the regiment. He expressed the hope that when the raiment returned Major Kastrick .yJpd be able to say he had never" PSti a liner lot of men, and theix' behaviour during the mobilisation asuured him that it would be so. In conclusion, on behalf of the people of No. 4 Group, Mr Manning wished the regiment Good Luck and God-speed. Miss Wynn Manning then, on behalf of Mrs Rogers, presented the mascot to Major Kastrick, who, in replying, asked Mr Manning to co.O; vey from the men and officers of the regiment their sincere t'.'-anks to Mrs Rogers for her handsome present. The new name was one which stood out as one of the brightest in the history of the Dominion, j and should hi,< hoys ever be called on i to go into the firing line he could

promise that they would remember the motto of the regiment and live and fight up to it. WAIKATO MOUNTEDS. GREAT' SCARCITY OF HOUSES, Despite all efforts of those in charge of the mobilising camp in Hamilton over the week end, they tound themselves face to face this morning with a difficulty which seemed for the time insurmountable in regard to the supply of suitable remounts. Captain Coleman was unable to find mounts for all the twelve men he meant to despatch today, and communicated with the authorities in order to find out whether or not he was expected to send on the men who remained without mounts. The general opinion seems to be that the Defence Department will be forced to extend their specifications and accept sound animals irre spe:tive of age. Others hold that if the Government like to take stronger measures they could find sufficient suitable mounts in the Dominion. We understand that a demand has been made for 60 more mounted nun from Waikato for the 11th (North Auckland) Mounted Regiment, and that the mobilising of that number has been undertaken by the Farmers' Union. Mr Ewan MacGregor, chairman of the Hamilton branch, is at. preesnt in Auckland in connection with the matter. It appears that, on behalf of the Farmers' Union, Mr Allen, of Morrinsville, has undertaken to raise the 50 men referred to, with mounts. Nine men were got together today, and despatched to Auckland from Hamilton this afternoon, some of them minus mounts. They will be attached to the 11th M.R. the 4th's contingent being complete. Their naires aie:—T. G. Bear, Tirau; G. H. Pearson, Hamilton; V. 11. Nesbit, Kawhia; G. A. Whitcombe, Maratoa; .1. R. Cliffin, Cambridge; T. E. Catchprle, Matahura; F. H ¥ Sands, Ngaruawahia; O. W. Thomas, Gordonton; John Hynes, Claudelands.