§ MR. W. H. JAMESasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is true that the transport service in Natal is paying for the hire of waggons at the rate of £80 each per month, besides engaging to pay drivers' wages and to make good any injury done either to the waggons or the bullocks; whether equally exorbitant prices are being paid for the requisites needed by the troops engaged in military operations in Zulu-land; and, whether, having regard to the great expenditure of English money involved in these transactions, it is not desirable that the Commander in Chief should be instructed to "requisition" the articles he needs, and to pay for them at a fair valuation?
§ COLONEL STANLEYSir, I have reason to believe that the hire of waggons has, in certain cases, reached the amount stated in the first Question of the hon. Member; but it includes the wages of the drivers, who only draw commissariat. I should add that the waggons convey from two to three tons, and are drawn by from 14 to 16 oxen. With regard to the second Question, it is not the case that equally exorbitant prices are being paid for the requisites needed by the troops engaged in military operations in Zululand. The Departments made such shipments as they thought necessary to give us command of the market, and the prices of the main articles of supply are now very moderate in Natal, so much so that in some cases we are reducing the shipments. With regard to the third Question, the War Department in February last drew the attention of the Colonial Government to the exorbitant charges on account of transport, and requested that measures should be adopted, by requisition, or otherwise, of obtaining the 839 necessary transport on paying reasonable rates. Instructions have been sent, and recently repeated, to Sir Henry Bulwer, that such steps should be taken as might be deemed necessary in order to secure proper provision for transport. It has not been found necessary to resort to requisition for other supplies.
§ MR. W. H. JAMESasked, if it would he convenient to produce the Papers in connection with the whole Transport Service in Natal?
§ COLONEL STANLEYsaid, the House was already in possession of the substance of the Papers. He did not know that it would be convenient to produce all the Departmental Correspondence; but he would look through it to see if there was anything of public interest.