EVENTS IN N.Z.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 7

EVENTS IN N.Z.

LANDING THEJROOPS. BUSY SCENES AT THE WHARVES ANOTHER SPELL OF HARD ,:;.TRAINING. , ~ ■.'. The Indefinite, postponement- of .the : departure :.of tho ExpeditionaryV Force I has come as a. , great disappointment to . the men;, who had;waited patiently for weeks for the final departure.. General satisfaction, was 'felt. when : embarkation was carried but;;lasf week,''butnow. tiho further delay is not being received ,_ kindly -'at all. And:, the. worst -point,. ' from the mon's point of view,, is that ' they do not' know, how long they will be hung up.■■■'.-.The.'indefinite'..delay nt r this .... end of the \ journey: was [not looked for' when the men' enjisted, ,and it is , ! now apparent that they, are not 'yet to enter upon a period of .picturesque'adventure.' Hard work and- severe training:". have been their lot,' and- this -is 'to be continued.. When , the'troops, reach their ' "destination-.they-.will indeed; be /trainedis'they have never beenbefore,. , :,',-. ; : .. ..":.'•..<<'< .Back at the Wharves. ■■'';'[■ ' ,- ? ; .•'■'•> Yesterday morning the big grey trans-' ports were back at the wharves, if the men were sorry to be 1 again tied up', it was evident,that the horses appreciated .the return, to,; more freedom. It was a. , beautiful, morning ;; when a .start 'was. : inade to bringthe horses 'ashore'.,.' The /mounts were.-iin high spirits,'.'and the ' crowds gathered at the wharves had/, an excellent opportunity of: witnessing the ; fine horseflesh' that is. to represent. Neiy ■■/. Zealand.at- tlo; front;-. In.one way.'.the, postponement has been good—tho horses' - nave been saved an early experience. of: rough .'weather.-.'Had the'" transports fone out when first-intended, they "would'' ave" run) right into heavy weather; arid horses .taken straight off ..hard'';feed ; .would .have., to; a"' great extent,: Upwards of- 2100 horses : were; taken off, the transports yesterday^.'and .the . ex- • peditious manner.- in which the •'disembarkation was' carried out speaks /! well, for the troops.. : , ' : .!*■' "'.': .;', The forces which came ashore yester-, ■". day numbered 6000 officers and other' ranks,, the: main ranks being composed' as follows:—Mounted Rifle 'Brigade," comprised of .Wellington, ' Canterbury,; ' and Otago Mounted Regiments, of 45Q men each; the: New. Zealand-Field : Artil-: lery Brigade and \Ammunition Column, ".' 700. men; the Canterbury,' 1 ' «nd Otago Infantry ! ■ Battalions, ■ ,1000 . . men each; ; Field Engineers, Army - Sexvice Corps, Ambulance Corps,. etc. The; , mounted- men immediately'set out, for the camps allotted to them, as published; but the infantry regiments were only taken for exercise marches, and returned; to :the ships'in the. afternoon. The - infantry regimorits\'and ; other dismount; ed troops will'sleep .on the sWps .while: they are at ■, "U/!-.- y ' ■;::;The - infantrymen V are rather; pleased ■ than •otherwise.vthat" they -have to.'revmain on' the ships at.'night. The-long "camp at. Palmerston has made them' : 'anxious for, a! change,-..-and the close quarters of.the ehipswill not be so pad ■whenthe mounted forces have been taken ■ from'the vessels.-.-.:• The -men-are /well pleased' with the food-supplied on, the: boats, and they consider nt much better .than that "which, they, received in. : camp.'; \ ,'y/'••::■ soheme:of Training. ;-.-.- '■ .-v- ---/ An inspection-of the eight transports ■ |n".-the..po'rf"':'wae made i during■ yester-. day morning !by Major-General' Sir Alexander Godley, accompanied by the commanders of tlhe different .transports. The Headquarters Staff 'has'not. taken ■ !up■.quartere.,at tie Defence Depot,, but "::'remains'Joh.;;.th'eJ;Maun«anui. ..'rhe. Ex-. '■■ : ''peditioiiary.' Force isVnow.' : entirely Vdifr-. ; tached New -Defence :Forces. .'• -' ~:■■'■-; , .-.-'• ■'•' :-'":.-' L - " ; .■".-. '.-' ■; A-compreliensive. scheme' of .training ■-for all branches has been drawn up for the'week,- witlrythe prospect ,'of field for tne major portion of the : Force,next iii^s,- , eituer towards Lyall' ..Bay oron-tli, "Eai-dri'. Hills', when' an -.opportunity- will" 'be taken" to .hold 'a / practical exa^iinivtron , of the aeriiqr bffi- ■ jeers in -.tactiear fitness : for command. 'During.the present 1 weeka battalion^of infantry will go 6ut:to Trentham daily for musketry instruction, -while the re-; maining two battalions will be exercie- .'■ ed oh .'the vacant spaces, about the city., : [ The'Otago; Mounted; Regiment at,."Mir, ': ramar will have aniple room for','man-. .'■ oeuvres, in tie, ; vicinity," ■ and towards 1 ■Seatonn ;and 'Fort' Ballance, '.and the iCanterburr mounted 'reKiment,>.enca"mp-' ; ed at Lyalrßay.'.andthetroops atSea- , ■ toun. will b6.,,working;.in the .'same neichbou^od.: THe: Field Artillery,.' • wliich is. encamped at. Lower, Hutt,- will work -in; the surrounding country,; .as will fee■ troops : at Tfentliam. '-. ~ -Entertaining! tli's'Troops.' .■.The, problem.' of:, -the. troops ,at night,- especially, ■ the laroje, ■'.bocly'of infantry, is\ one of the chief ,l>robloms while the men are detained,in : ;Wellinaton. : ; The; Harbour 'Board has placed TJiShed at the disposal: of. tlib military authorities, and also a slied on ..King's'.Wb'arf' for entertainment purposes. The Mayor of -Wellington (Mr. J.P.. Luke).has promised to find 3000 Beats for the entertainment ehedi- Three : : hundred of: these will. come. from the Towii.Fnll.. Messrs. Odlin and Co.- arid Iff. G. Flockton; will supply .others, and the Mnyor is appflalihe: to the owners of public halls, and to Sunday schools, '; etc;','■•'■ for the balance.' Genern 1 Gorlley ■'■ states' that tho 'proprietors of picture - theatres would hn conferring;: a boon on , the men,by loaning films to.be screen- . e;l at the ..'.entertainment hall on the '.Vrhnrf. As a "certain numbsr of troops will get lßftye,.pncb: niaht. the grantim* of.a number'of free passes to the tVitres. would also ) be apprecinted. . .'■,.'- The. hblirlay;yesterday, enabled large numbers .to,. coturreeate at the. wharf where the majority'-of. the transports ./berfcherlj'-and, throughout the day tire operations of tltP troops were watched with interest. Thp opprosches to the Vessels were gnarifcr! bv sentries, eo tnnt .'Tiodeiflv.was caused in the disembarkin" of the men. ' ~ '.''■■■.;.-.■ : Several eentle'mpp hnve already inter-'-rtiernselvcs. : in tbe a.rran"ins of PTit-erteinments. ' and it is linriprsWi that sot 1 " -nf-.th.fi b»st Men] talent will .he nvnil'bls : fnr thn purrmse. Mem:h<>rs of +ho public,who desire to nttetul tn« ent-prtninm?nt,s nre.to bo■ asVH i pay, aid tbe ir>"ripy so rn'wd will hn fl"vot/y) to tta'PntfiotiV Fund. "IV Rbpd. it ; should be exnlnined, ■is the '■ lonfj brick sbed inrmpflintely ttf tbe north of. the Customhousp. nnd was in use recently as an art gallery. ■': Relnforcemants' Camp. . It was intended to liave opp.ncd; the eatip for the first reinforceirenta at Trpntham on OctoW -6, but tKo posttwnement of-the eniline.of the Exppditinnfirv Fnrcp nocpssarily means that tiijs camp will not bo opened for some v'time- yet. Order? which hnvo been issiipfl for tli!! formation of tTip camp . Btatp tbnt tbe mpn, to be el'ttiblp. to serve with tbp Force, must underco six weeks' training.

; THE MAORI CONTINGENT.

250 FOR EGYPT-250 FOR SAMOA. Ifiy Teleirrnnb Pro«B Afi&oplation.l Auckland, September;2B. A contingent of 500 Maoris is being srganised for service in the war. Of this, number, 250 arc to proceed to RiV.'pt aptl 250 will be sent to Samoa for Rarrison duty. _ j . , ■ Interviewed-prior to his departure, the Honi Dr. Pomare, member of the Executive, representing tlio Native race,

informed a. "Herald" representative that more applications for enrolment in the force are being received than can possibly be dealt with. The organisation of the Maori .Volunteers has been left to Dr, Pomareond other Native members of the House. Each member of this committee is organising his own district. It is intended to constitute a force as follows:—East Coast Natives. 180; West Coast, 180; North Coaet 100; South Coast,- 40. Every tribe and all parts of the Dominion will be represented. The entire Maori contingent will go into camp at Auckland on about October 7 nest, probably on a site at Avondale. Amonget the volunteers are several who held commissions in the South African war, and in all probability the officers or the contingent will be selected, from these. Tire Natives will be equipped as infantry, and steps are to be takon to make them' as effioient as possible. Those Maoris who are members of the Territorials and who joined the first Expeditionary Force will not be interfered with... "The Maoris of the Dominion have expressed as with one voibe unswerving loyalty to the British Throne," said Dr. Pomare, "They have, expressed this loyalty with no uncertain sound. They recognise that the , British causo is their cause, the British King is their King', and that the God of the British is the liod of the Maoris too. In this they are absolutely one. This Bpirit.has been expressed to me," concluded .Dr.! Poniare, "in hundreds of 'letter. ,, ''- ■: . ..:•'■•