During the evening the Hon. Jas. Allen, who was present, addressed the men. First, he thanked those who had so tirelessly and unselfishly devoted themselves to the comfort and entertaining of the troops. - (Applause).
He was sure they would carry away many pleasant memories of kindnesses willingly given.
He would inspect and address the men to-day and give them the message of Lord Kitchener to the troops, and a special message from their own colonel-in-chief, Lord Roberts. - (Cheers).
Some had doubted that they would leave New Zealand. He could tell them they were leaving, and they were going to the front. - (Prolonged cheering.)
He knew that they would do their duty; when they met a foe they would strike hard, but they would know, too, how to be merciful to the vanquished. By their bearing, both to their friends and foes, they would uphold the name of New Zealand.
They were taking with them the heartfelt wishes and the thoughts of the whole country. He wished them God-speed, not in the name of any party, but in the name of the Parliament of the people of New Zealand.
Let them remember, as he was sure they would, that the rifle was their weapon, and to be effective it must be well cared for.
To the officers and non-commissioned officers he would say: As the effectiveness of the rifle must be guarded by its uses, so must they guard the well-being of the men that used those rifles.
This he knew would be done, even at a sacrifice to the officers themselves. The history of British non-commissioned officers made glorious years that were passed.
He wanted in the year to come to read such history of all ranks of New Zealanders, He wished them a safe return.
Some might be lost, but they would go in the strength of the thought that New Zealand's name was in their keeping, and determined that the old flag should be on top every time.
The Minister's speech was finished in a storm of cheering, in which the whole company joined. The evening terminated by the singing of the National Anthem and cheers for the ladies.
•Three or four months ago (says a Press Association message from Wellington) quite a number of Wellington girls were robbed of their hair by some miscreant, whose plan of operations was as successful as it was simple.
Walking through crowded streets, the thief would espy a girl with her hair worn in a long plait down her back.
A quick cut with some sharp instrument, and as quick a disappearance among the surrounding people, and another victim was left to discover, when she got home, or met with her friends, that her locks were gone.
Publicity given in the press to several outrages of this description seemed to induce a cessation of operations, but the opportunity presented by the dense crowd at the Basin Reserve for the Patriotic Fund Carnival on Wednesday afternoon was too tempting to be missed.
At least one girl who went to the carnival with a long plait of pretty hair, falling to past her waist, went away with no more than reached to her shoulders.
She felt no tug at her hair, or anything to indicate that it was being cut, but on arrival home she was horrified when the outrage was discovered by members of her family. - ODT, 12.9.1914.
