EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2238, 26 August 1914, Page 6

EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

OFFICIAL' LIST OF STAFF APPOINTMENTS

AWAPUNI TRAINING CAMP.

TROOPS AWAITING ORDERS FROM LORD KITCHENER.

The Hon. Jas. Allen (Minister Sffjefonce) last .evening announced the undermentioned appointments to the staff of the Expeditionary Force:— Major-General Sir Alexander Godley will-command the Force, and his A.D.C. will bo Lieut. )A. T. G. Rhodes (Grenadier Guards). Other appointments are as follow:— General Staff Officer, Colonel W.'f Br'aithwaite (Chief of the New Zealand General Staff). Assistant Adjutant-General, Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor (N.Z. Staff Corps), Adjutant-General to the'N.Z. Forces. Commanding the Mounted Rifles, Colonel A. H. Russell (Officer, Com'manding the Wellington Monnted Rifles Brigade). . ; Brigade Major, Captain C. G. Powles (N.Z, Staff Corps), Officer in charge of No. 5 Area Group. Commanding Field Artillery, Lieut.Colonol G. N. Johnston, R.A., N.Z., Director of Ordnance. Commanding the Divisional Signalling Company, Captain H. M. Edwards, /1.E., Assistant Director of Ordnanco and Instructor, in Engineering Duties. Infantry Brigade Commander, Colonel F. E. Johnston' (North Staffordshire Relgiment), . Officer Commanding thp Wellington Military District. " Nine other Imperial Officers, the Minister stated, are going with the Expeditionary Force, and all the ofiier commands and appointments to brigade and regimental staffs will be filled by New Zealand officers. The allocation of appointments is as follows : — ..:»■.' .;'.' Field' Artillery Battery. lii command: Colonel G. N. Johnston, R:A., at present Inspector of Artillery, Coast Defences,' Giins, and Ammunition, Now Zealand Military Forces. Captain: Captain I. T. Stnndish, R.N.Z.A., adjutant to the Wellington Field Artillery Brigade. Lieutenants: Lieutenant C.' M'Gilp (Auckland), .Lieutenant Q. E. Daniell, R.N.Z.A. (Auckland), Lieutenant R. Richards (Dunedin). Attached officer,: Lieutenant R. C. Wickens (Can-' terbury). ; • ; Brigade Ammunition Column. . • Captain: Captain F. Symon, R.N.Z.A., at present 6taff-officer to the commander of the Wellington Coast Defence Troops. Lieutenant: Lieutenant G. N. Newman (Auckland). Divisional Ammunition Column. Captain; Captain F. G. Hume, R.N.Z.A., at present adjutant to the Otago Field Artillery Brigade. Lieutenants: Lieutenant C. V.' Leeming (Christchurch) 1 and Lieutenant J. C. Dunnet (Invercargill). ' ; Horse Artillery; Small Arms, '~ \Ammunition Column. ' Lieutenant: Lieutenant V. Rogers, at present lieutenant, in E Battery, Christr church. ■!, '. ' '.'' " ''.'•: ••'•" '■ Field Troop Engineers. ' Captain: Captain L. M. Shera, at present captain m No. 3 Field Company, (Auckland), New Zealand Engineers. Lieutenants: Lieutenant F. Waite YOtago) and Liootenant A. N. Oakey .'(Christchurch). ;.■:. Signal Troop. Lieutenant:. Lieutenant E. J. Hulbert (Wellington). ■Signal, Company. ■' Captain: Captain H. M. Edwards, Royal Engineers, at present Inspector of Engineers, Headquarters, > Wellington. Lieutenants: Lieutenant C. D. Cooke (Auckland), Lieutenant J. Lamb (Dun-, edin),.and Lieutenant A. E. Alexander (Wellington). Army .Service Corps.. Captain: Captain N. C. Hamilton, Army Service Corps', at present Assistant Director of Supplies arid Transport, Wellington.

mant allows them, hut married teachers will have the amounts of their salaries made good by. the education authorities. British Army Commissions. Owing no. doubt to the short notice given, only eight candidates sat for examination at Victoria College on Monday for the fifteen direct commissions offered in the British Army. The candidates were: —A. L. Campbell, Wanganili Collegiate School; I. M. Mac Donald, Wanganui Collegiate School; T. Godfrey, Waipukurau; Second Lieutenant A. C. Clayton, Auckland, E. F. J. Reeves', Wellington; Robert J. Robertson, Christchuroh; Lieutenant W. J. Clachan, Wellington'; and H. M. Lepper. The result ii the examination is not yet known, hut a pass does not necessarily mean appointment to a commission. Wellington District Command. . It is reported that Colonel R. W. Tate,.Officer Commanding the Wellington Infantry Brigade, is to be/appointed to the command of the Wellington Military District, in succession to Colonel F. E. Johnston, of the Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire) Regiment, who was recently .appointed to the position, butis now likely to accompany the Expeditionary Force, in an important command. Proposed Route March. A suggestion has been made in military circles that the men at the Palmerston North Concentration Camp should march from there to Wellington prior- to embarking on tho troopships. The march would take a good two days and would be a severe test on the men, .but it has found general favour amongst those in camp. Should the Defence Department decide on it, the troops would ■ arouse great interest in the country on their long tramp. Their arrival in Wellington would be made the occasion of a creat welcome. When the proposal that the members of the Expeditionary Force, now encamped at Palmerston, should'march to Wellington instead of coming;down by train was mentioned to the Minister' of Defence last evening, he said that the matter had not yet come be-' fore him officially. It would no doubt be the subject of a report by General Godley. . "From Petone to Potsdam." Final arrangements in connection with the Petone Railway Workshops employees' patriotic' procession through the City ■ were made during tho dinnerhour _ yesterday. At 10 o'clock this morning all work'will cease, and a special train at 10.30 will convey the men in their.working apparel and about 40 gun carriages from Potone to Kai- ■ warra. where, after the necessary fitting up, the parade commences. A. brass band, several .performers of which are members of -Jupp's Band, will load. An enormous banner, executed by Messrs. Williams arid Medhurst, placards inscribed "From Petone to Potsdam," and numerous flags are to be carried; arid a novel feature of the proceedings will.be the rear band, consisting of 24 mouth-organ players. It is expected 'that fully 500 men .will take part in the procession. Provision for Dependents. Questioned last evening regarding provision for the support of fannlies-of married men going to the front the Minister of Defcnco said that as regarded Imperial Reservists, New Zealand was making provision for the support of their dependents. As to the members of • the New Zealand Force, married men were leaving half-pay orders for their wives and families and provision "was being made for keeping insurance policies going and so forth. The Defence Act made provision for men who were injured and for bereaved wives and families. Letters To and From the Front; Many inquiries have been made regarding- arrangements for the exchange of correspondence between members of the Expeditionary Force and their relatives and friends. So far as .the, advance guard is concerned letters addressed to its members should bo forwarded to the headquarters of the Defence Department in Wellington for further direction. The same arrangement will be followed in the case of letters addressed to members of the main contingent. The Minister of Defenco_ stated last; evening that ho restriction 1 would be imposed upon the writing of letters by members of the force during the voyage to Europe or upon their transmission when : opportunity offered. Nor did ho anticipate that members of the force would-be subject to any regulation upon their correspondence from the Continent. The direction to members of the British Expeditionary Force that only post-cards might be 'written was intended, he considered, merely to facilitate transmission of mails from the front.

AT AWAPUNI CAMP.

TROOPER DIES OF PNEUMONIA. . (By Telegraph-Press Association.) Palmerston N., August 25. According to the parade state to-day, the following men are now in camp:— Officers. Men. Infantry ...: : 21 1165 Mounted Rifles ..... 24 640 Artillery •..........,...: 4 203 Ammunition column .5 230 Field Troop Engineers ... 3 80 Division Signal Co. 4 116 Mounted Signal Troop ... 1 26 Field Ambulance t 2 45 Army Service Corps ' 1 , ■'• 86 Reservists — 71

.-.■■' Total ....- 75, '2662 The camp at lAwapuni is the largest' in New Zealand, and it is understood it will be continued for somo time. .General Godley expressed l himself yesterday as highly delighted, with the arrangements and suitability of the site for military training. The Manawatu Racing Club has heen warmly thanked for placing the grounds at the disposal of the military authorities. Freßh troops are expected to arrive shortly for training purposes. Fifty men left camp yesterday for Dunedin to make up a detachment there. . Gunner West, J Battery, who was removed from camD a few days ago, suffering from pneumonia, died in the Hospital at an early hour this morning. (Special Correspondent.) Palmerston N,, August 25. Among tho few mishaps which have occurred among the 900 horses at the camp is an accident in which Trooper Simpson, of Waipukurau, was kicked on the head by a frightened horse yesterday. He is now at the Hospital and progressing satisfactorily. A member of tho Ambulance Corps named Thompson is also in tho Hospital with an injured knee. Tho Mayor is raising a fund to equip a brass hand for the expedition. It was intended to place an order for the instruments last night.

A suggestion has been published that the concentration camp for the Expeditionary Force at Palmerston North will be made permanent. The Defence Minister stated last evening that nobody had any right to make such a suggestion. A standing camp had not been decided upon. The complaint made by the Auckland Boot Operatives Union regarding the quality of somo of the boots supplied to the members of the Expeditionary Force at Epsom has been communicated tn tho Hon. Jas. Allen (Ministor of Defence) and he has sent it on to the Department for Teport. "This," he remarked last evening, "is the first grumble I .'have heard. All tho boots so far havo been of excellent quality, more than worth tho money wo are paying for them. I don't understand this growl in Auckland and I am inquiring into it. The reports I have had about boots

NEWS AND NOTES

SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR THE FRONT. At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education Board leave of absence was granted the following teachers who bad enlisted in tho Expeditionary Force:—Messrs. J. A. Cowles, head teacher, Carterton; H, P. C. Davio, solo teacher, Mauriceville; W. J. Clachan, sole teacher, Takapu; P. G. Tattle, solo teacher, Longbush; D. K. Pallnnt, solo teacher, Marima; F. W. Mothes, assistant, Petone: A. East, assistant, Clyde Quay; \V. T. 'M'Caw, assistant, Upper Hutt; J. B. Foss, assistant, Levin; J. E. Mills, assistant, Levin; V\'. T. Longhurst, pupil teacher Mount Cook Boys; C Russell, pupil teacher, Carterton; H. Gray, pupil teacher, Levin; and L. A. Rogers, probationer, Te Aro. Unmarried teachers will rocoivo as pay merely .what the Defence Depart'

too Oiuiwiiuj- £UUU OU IUI. V : THE DEPARTURE.

NOTICE TCXBE GIVEN IF POSSIBLE. The Primo Minister stated yesterday that ho was not yot able to name the dato upon which the main Expeditionary Force would depart from New Zealand, but that tho transports would not sail before the end of the month. If it wore possiblo, Mr. Massey added, tho Government intended to give the public two days' notice of tho departure Tho responsibility of tho authorities in Now Zealand does not go beyond' tho preparation of tho Force lor departure. Obviously tho order for tho dispatch of tho transports will come from tho Imperial authorities, and tha't order will not bo given until tho powerful escort which must be provided for the ships is available. Mr. J. D. Cruickshauk, of tho New Zealand Sheepfarmers' Agency, has written to the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) as follows:—"I shall be glad to do all I can in finding work for the unemployed. At the present moment wo could find work for about a dozen buahfollow in .'\Y«iEftnui and KipMo,' l