New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 79, 2 August 1915, Page 2

New Zealand

THE HOSPITAL SHIP. Per Press Association. 1 Wellington, August 1. lu *ounection with the Hospital Ship Fund, a letter from His Excellency the Governor states that the Tietual amount subscribed to the iund amounted to £47,548 4 < s , which far exceeded his Excellency’s expectations. The actual amount expended in equipment will be approximately £IO,OOO. lu many instances articles which it was never thought likely would be forwarded were donated, with the result that the equipment was carried out at considerably loss cost than was anticipated. His Excellency further states that he thought it desirable to call in certain gentlemen to assist him with their advice as to the administration of Hie surplus. These gentlemen are the H'oii. Colonel J. Allen. Mr A. Myers, Brigadier-General A. Robin, and their Worships the Mayors of Wellington. Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

THE MAORI CONTINGENT.

Wellington, August 1. An English paper, the Rotherham Advertiser, of .Tube 3, contains a letter from Private E. W. Ridgway, of the London Regiment at Malta (an ex-schoolmaster), which some reference is made to the Maoris. fhe hoys at the school.” he writes, ‘will he very much interested to know that T have seen some real live Maoris. On Wednesday we operated in conjunction with three other battalions, one of which was this Maori Battalion. We marched to a place in Malta, six or seven miles away, and when we ai lived there the Maoris were already there, and were having tea. On our approach they stopped their tiuml, stood at attention until we were m bun places ready for tea. I hey looked a tine lot of fellows, and T felt glad they were on our side, not against us. and I must confess to an added sense of security after having seen them. On the average, I think we are slightly taller than they but they have more brawn and sinew than we. As we marched past one of our fellows said; ‘They will think w e are a puny lot.’ and I agreed. They are remarkably well made and very athletic. I hey skip over the rocks very lighth . M e saw onp man do a long jump with his full pack on. Their skins are very dark, and their hair is black and curly, but they liave all the culture of the Englishman. They speak English quite as well as we do. for most of them have a college education and are quite wealthy. A New Zealandei, not a Maori, with whom I spoke told me that when he reached Egypt lie had £4O in Ins possession, and £lO army pay due to him. He said thfto many of them had £IOO. and some even £l5O wiKi them. Another said that his greatest ambition was to he led into battle by an English officer. What an answer to the German lie that onr colonies are but loosely hold, and that the Empire would go to .pieces like a pack of cards! 1 !•©> will do anything for an Englishman, and the men of the D Company said that during the week they spent at camp their (the Maoris’) greatest delight was to take them to the canteen and lavish their money on them.

“Lord Methuen reviewed them again on Thursday morning, and he wanted to know which of them wished to go garrison duty and who wished to go to the front. He commanded all who wanted to do garrison duty to ‘slope arms,’ and not one in the whole company sloped arms. That’s loyalty indeed!” TARANAKI ENLISTMENTS. The following have enlisted:— A. T. Webber, Hawera. A. J. Pollock,, Kaponga. J. D. Palmer, Normanby. F. J. Lichtwark, Kapuni. G. Jones, Hawera. STRATFORD ENLISTMENTS. For the two months June and July.' the following men have been examined at Stratford, and passed as medically fit:— > L. U.' Mace. F. N. Fnssell. E. A. Walsh. H. Williams, G. Lepper. W. A. Traske, H. E. Marsh, H. J. Thompson, O. Kilpin, H. 0. Hughes, J. G. Grainger and A. 0. Parkes.