The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 23, 1901.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 297, 23 December 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DECEMBER 23, 1901.

SOLDIERS FOR SOUTH AFRICA. The rush of applicants for a place with Now Zealand's Eighth CYmtingeut shows that the thousand meu will

ibo easily raised. Of course, the ? number of applicants by no moans | gives a test of tiro proportion that will , be qualified for service, but a lot of 1 the stringent requirements that obtained in tho selection of previous contingents will not be so necessaiy. j What aro wanted aro men of robust | health, who are good riders, expert marksmen, and have had experience of cross-country life. What a drain this will bo on tho population of tho colony ! Fortunately nearly all those who leave l'or the war are able and desirous of returning to their native land; whether on their return they are as likely to bo as good settlers as before their minds were disturbed by the spirit of adventure and by the rousing of their lighting qualities, remains au open question, to bo decided perhaps according to each individual. Although no open request for more men was made to New Zealand by the

Imperial authorities, it is evident that j hints had been given of the need of them, and therefore objection cannot well bo offered to the enlisting 1 of a further contingent. Hut we can certainly feol that tliero is more wisdom in .Mr Barton’s cautiousness than in the precipitate liasto with which our own Premier is having a thousand young men rushed out of the country. The number is altogether out of proportion to the white adult male population of the colony. The action, of course, is warmly applauded in the English press, and we find that in Australia it is being made use of as a whip to lash the leaders of State. People who have no thought themselves of going to take part in the lighting are ever ready to clamour thot othoi's should be sent. The pity is that arrangements could not bo made to despatch a contingent of the irrepressible ones who aro always bringing themselves into notice by _ urging that others should go. As Now Zealand is now fully committed

to the proposal to send an Eighth Contingent, the colony should and will do her best, but we should very much liko to see included in tiio Contingent some of the politicians who have boon so eager that tho men should be sent without being- asked for. The country could spare them perhaps better thau the relatives of some of tho young men will be able to spare their boys, some of whom havo contributed largely to the upkeep of the homes. The other day a scheme for settlement was suggested by Cecil Rhodes, who advocated military colonies, but no mention was made of any urgent desire on the part of Mr Rhodes to take a hand in the fighting. Ho began by trying to belittle the reputation of the brave British officer who defended Kimberley and helped to save the life of Rhodes ; that he followed up by assertions that the war should bo ended in a few weeks, and now from his comfortable and luxurious quartors he is offeringadvice as to how some of his property may be conserved for him. It is well that these little matters should have the attention of our colonists, for it is a serious thing that there should be such a large drain on tho resources of New Zealand, which is still struggling under a heavy war debt, and which is much in need of development on peaceful lines by tho class of young men who will be sent off and have their minds so unsettled that it will be difficult for them to again take up tho slow and tedious work of the patient settler upon whom the prosperity of the colony depends. Those who may not demur to tho sending of the Eighth Contingent will yet be much distressed at any thought of making a recruiting ground of the colon}'. Our cablegrams this moruiDg show that a direct request lias now been made by the Imperial authorities to the Commonwealth, and the much-abused Mr Barton is now taking prompt action.

MORTON MAINS FATALITY. The verdict in connection with the Morton Mains fatality is evidently tiie most satisfactory that could have been given under the circumstances. Some of the evideice indicated that there had been negligence directly contributory to the fatality. Two witnesses swore positively that there was no head light to the train, and a peculiar incident was that when the jury themselves went to make experiments the light went .ut at about the same spot as where it had been stated the train was unlighted on the night when it crashed into the railway tricycle. That point was satisfactorily explained, it being shown that a lamp propped up with pieces of wood while a train was going at a speed of thirty miles an hour '.'as not likely to ;eep alight with such a force of wind getting beneath the lamp. The truth seems to he that the lamp was alight, but that it was so obscured with smoke that it was not clearly visible. The death of one man and the serious injury of another are very lunch to be regretted, but we think that the evidence disprove- hut there was anything in the nature of gross carelessness on the part of those in charge of the train. The men on the rrody knew that a special train was coining in connection with the Ministerial ; visit ; it was on that account that they had gone out to make an inspection of the line ; they saw what they believed to be a head light, and that in 'itself would be thought a sufficient warning when they knew that a train was due. There is no doubt that tne miming of special trains outside of ike ordinary hours is liable to cause accident to those who are not aware tnat i such a train is on the line, but wi'.a j men connected with the Department and with full information as to the movements ui the trains, the r-sk should be very small indeed, mere will naturally te great sympathy lot

tt.ose who -u.'ere.i I v the sad a-.ci- I A. at at Menol: Mains! but there is a ; COi Itliii iIU •■■■l b.i LSUiCt.OH til j known;; that life not saentiled ; through carelessness. j