THE MAORI CONTINGENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 215, 27 May 1915, Page 2

THE MAORI CONTINGENT.

8 TO GO TO THE HIEING. LINE. ] EEINFOECEMENTS TO BE DE'.t SPACKED. .:! , AUCKLAND May 25. \ ■ The Hon. D. Pomare, Minister re- ! jrec-senting the native race, arrived in ;■ Auckland this morning, mainly for the pappose of making arrangt-ments for the training of the next contingent of Maori soldiers for the Profit. The.first contingent, Dr. Pom&ye states, created a splendid impression in "Egypt, and .official correspondence proves -that General Bj.-dwoooL and other military authoities were particularly pleased with the stamp &£ man of which tlie contingent was. made up. JThe result is'that it has now been decided that the "Maoris shall go to the front, and as sown training-is completed they 4.0 the •Dardanelle-e. Whether the f men •who went to Malta will return to Egypt for further training, Dr. Pon*a/ee dooii mtt know, bu£ it is intended ,tk«t they, vsha.ll go into the fi.'ing line in about'; two months' time. .Meanwhile, a system «of continual recruiting will pro-': ceed, #0 that the present expeditionary i force may be kept up to its full; • strength, and as a first TCinforcem«jttj I of 330 men will be selected to go into: camp at Auckland fur actfve training.. TSie physieid standard required will unci ergo some alteration, lifst eoatio* gent consisted, of men of an average height of sft 9hi v and an average weight of over 12st. In men for the new quota the min%tum L'eight will be reduced from sft Sin -to oft (tin. The first reinforcements will be i?3O strong, and will go into immediate training at Auckland. A force of natives at Earoiong;* is ! also under steady training, and it is H%ely that the Cook Islands will supply a fine stamp of recruits. They will not be brought to Auckland to join the first re^if<;■!•.•'em cuts, however, as the winter weaker hern would, it is .>,onsidered, bo unsftifnble; Thfry s?*.}} fnin & fctfir flWpt», [-12-