§ DR. FARQUHARSON () Aberdeenshire, W.I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, whether his attention has been directed to the inconvenience caused by the arrangement under which only one of the two service companies of the Gordon Highlanders, accepted for service in South Africa, were able to leave Aberdeen on 16th February; whether both companies were ready with kits and accoutrements packed for shipment, under orders from the War Office, on Thursday the 15th to start for Southampton; and why at the last moment the authorities only provided transport for one company; and whether instructions will at once be issued to insure the departure of the second company at the earliest possible moment.
§ MR. WYNDHAMAlthough it is now evident that there were two service companies of Volunteers of the Gordons for service in South Africa, it was not so understood, and provision was
* See The parliamentary Debates [Fourth Series], Vol. lxxviii., page 905.565 not made for the transport of the second company. It has now been ordered to embark on the 24th inst. in the place of a company which is not ready, but for which transport had been taken up.