THE EIGHTH CONTINGENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 21 December 1901, Page 3

THE EIGHTH CONTINGENT.

[per PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.]

Wellington, This Day. Asked by a reporter to-night as to how the equipment for the Eighth Contingent was getting on, the Premier said nothing much had been done as’ yet. It was rather a surprise to find in the newspapers advertisements that the boat contract had been secured by a Wellington firm considering that no ministerial authority had been given for that or for any other contract as yet. The contracts are to be dealt with by Cabinet to-morrow and the desire of the Government is to spread orders over the Colony as much as possible so that despatch may be faciliated and the benefit of the'work spread over as big a surface as possible. It has been stated that there will be restrictions as to colour in horses to be chosen for the use of the Eighth Contingent. As a matter of fact there is to bo no restriction whatever. The sister steamers Cornwall and Surrey have been selected for the conveyance of the Eighth Contingent to South Africa. The vessels are being chartered from Messrs Burt and Co. One will leave Wellington and the other Lyttelton. The steamer which leaves Wellington will probably start about the 20th of January, and will call at Auckland to pick up horses and the northern section of the Contingent.