THE BATTLE OF BULLION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14742, 22 October 1915, Page 8

THE BATTLE OF BULLION.

GREAT FIGHT FOR HILL £50,000. The scheme adopted by-the Carnival Executive of the Wanganui Patriotic Committee to take the place of a Queen Congest, an,'outline of which was published yestoraay, has evidently caught popular , favour., Members, of the committee were yesterday beset with inquiries for-further information as to details of the plan of campaign, and, expressions oi approval of me novelty, the spirit, and , the purpose of the . battle u ere Voiced by TepieSen'itives of ait mdqaes of the. comui(ltiity. The qubs. turtle most frequently propounded by inqiiirerrt wcre,“liowis tlie Hill to . I»e woiir” WUltiiq AiitiyiitiHiiig Hu) most Roney be the victor?' Theto questions are of general interest; iney both aumit of a plain answer, me Army raising the most money win nave the best chance of wissuiiig: inn it - does not follow as.’a maudr of course that it will do so. 'ine biggest battalions do not always win, as Britons have proved over had over again, and it ,is possible, that Hill £50,000 may. be captured oy ipe good generalship; of a edmmanuer whose fighting strength may not represent the largest amount of money. Therein lies the beauty of me scheme. ~ The Carnival is being held tor war purposes. But for the war there would be no necessity for the Carnival, and consequently the great Fight for Hill £50,000 is* in keeping with me spirit of the .times, ’inis is » contest, not an election", aim victor; will very proper’y go t to the best fighting army. In a igueen Electron it is possible,-indeed ' it has happened, for one candidate to obtain such a commanding lead as to virtually paralyse competition: This cannot happen in the Fight for Hill £SO, <4 0. Up till the time appointed tor the firing at the last shot it will be possible for any one of the armies engaged to come out on top, so that none need bo disheartened at any stage of the conflict. The rules drawn up by the Headquarters Staff are such as. to ensure a strenuous flgnt from first to last, while at the same lime assuring to every army full credit for every shilling it brings in to the War Office treasury. The first steps-towards the preliminary organisation of the armies were taken yesterday, and it is expected that everything will be in readiness for the commencement of recruiting on November Ist Thereafter until the 14th attention will be concentrated on the work of building up the rival armies, so that all may be strong enough to make a really vigorous attack on Hill £50,000 when the order to commence tiring is issued. This order will be issued- on the loth, on which date the flags of the different armies will lie shown on the Hill in positions indicating their respective strengths. . It will then be permissible for the armies to shoot at one another, and to keep on shooting until the closing, hour of.the battle, on December -4. Every day 100 men from er.,-h army will be placed in a position of- danger, and will become the prisoners of the army which occupies the leading position at the close-of the day’s fight* iug. This will mean, in the event or nine armies entering the Held* that each day the victorious army far the time being will score 800 men at the expense of' the other armies, While at the same time saving- its own 1 i>o. Thll wllFAffetd a solid inducement -to every army' ter try to get to the top every day. Fkili re to ’ get there” will mein , the loss of a hundred men. Success will mean a clear gain of 900—lO'O saved and 800 won. The. shooting! as ex* plained yesterday; la accomplished by the, allocation.of a certain amount of money for that'purpose, > Every shilling counts a man. A Coromandel- having £IOO- In hand may de- : cide to" place £SO to hjs own credit and devote £6O to shooting‘say £3O at the leading uray and £2O (at, the second. By so doing he adds lOOfl tb his own strength and takesboo gad 4 00 respectively off the armies oh which he has-'used his ammunition. If by so doiiig he succeeds in securing top position on the Hill, his generalship will be further rewarded by the haul of 900 prisoners . The primary object of every army will be to raise, ps much money as possible every day, by the Sale of art union tfeketd or hy.'aJny othfer legitimate means. , For instance* A.B, is a member -of iho, Bombard-, iers. Ho sells an art’ union ticjtot to C.D. or beguites a fchUhng out of him by some ether -meanfe. : -C t) roieives his little; bit of -coldur—tbi? rlblton of the reglment-i-and Is-hh-madlatcly invited (0 takfia fiand in thfe fight-and dq his beat -lor the Bombardiers; He id tVra‘>dU}hf all. his friendd-and acquaintances;* and to the fighting, atniy tof the- Bombafdlera is built up • and -becomes a force to be-, reefeehed -’With; - AIL tlie money—every penny—made by the rank and file goes elthqt to -itrehgthJhlhg the Bonihardlef army on the Hill or weaken: - ng one or more of the rival" krmiei, -and every penny so expended |Bj credited to the Bombardiers’. ' And so, with each of the

other &rmies. Secret Rules of War goveicn’lhe campaign. No army will be able to .feaY just wherq. It islands unfit - - the final issue is announced by the - War Office. One day may find An army at the; tot), next day may find it af the bottom. The positions: are ’almost bound to change from- day to day; but after-the .last Shot has been fired the secret records will be disclosed and will show that every army has had an absolutely fair run for its money and obtained full credit for every Shilling contributed by its efforts towards the coveted £50,000. What better opportunity for friendly rivalry in; a noble cause—the cause of.oUr slck and wounded soldiers and their dependents,—could be desired by a community throbbing with the Instincts of true spqrts?