WAR ITEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 55, 20 March 1900, Page 4

WAR ITEMS.

A STORY OP THE BOER BARBED WIRE. A side-light which incidentally re- I veals the preparedness and extent of the Boer oligarchy for the present struggle, even to the most minute details, is the story of that barbed wire which is now being so freely used by the enemy against our forces in the field. Regular readers of this paper, says the British and SotUh, African . £xport Gazette, will remember that early last year the Transvaal Government called for tenders for 950 miles of seven-strand barbed and plain wire, with which to enclose the entire system of the Netherlands Railway, the period in which tenders were to be handed in being unusually limited. This sudden and hurried desire to fence the railway struck us at the time as being significant, because, in common with others equally well informed, we knew the finances of the State were not so flourishing as to permit of the immediate expenditure of so large a sum as £50,000 upon an undertaking not vitally necessitated by the circumstances; and, further, because thej Boers as a body dislike wire fences as | being irksome and restrictive of the j movements of their flocks and herds. Simultaneously with the publication of the particulars of the tender, the American Steel and Wire Company had - an order placed with them by a Pretoria firm for the instant shipment of 1,500 tons of barbed wire, and this huge quantity was likewise despatched in May, or about the same time as the other wire.

BABEN-POWELL'S OLD SCHOOL. Colonel Baden-Powell's association with Charterhouse, where he was popularly known under the sobriquet: of " Old Biithing Towel," is one the 1 most cherished traditions of old and, young Carthusians, who to show their appreciation of his gallant stand, have opened a Mafeking .Relief Fund. In response to au appeal by Canon Haig-, Browu, Master of the Charterhouse,' Dr. ltendali, headmaster, and other i masters, useful articles of clothing, foodstulls, tobacco, cigars, wines, spirts, and money are beiug sent for despatch in the second week of February to South Africa ready for the culouel and his gallant band when the siege of. Mafeking ha.s been raised. ' j "NEWS" FROM TEE BOEBB. | | On Jan. 26 the Landdrost of New Boehof, Barkly West, read publicly a telegram which he announced that he had just received, and which ran as follows" Lord Roberts is a prisoner, and General Buller has been killed. thousand British hftvo been killed) and 7,000 are prisoners. The British also lost forty-eight guns last Saturday," The result of the enemy's commandeering so far is the collection of about £I,OOO in fiuea and levies. neuter's /Special tervice.