THE ENGINEER VOLUNTEERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 87, 12 April 1894, Page 5

THE ENGINEER VOLUNTEERS.

MOTION CARRIED TO DISBAND.■..

Last night * ifto-ti (meetibg Of the Auckland Engineer Volunteer Gompauy was held ab the Drill-shed. Major Anderson prgi.idijdr Hi. exglfitied that at the annual meeting a resolution was passed to disband the Company, apd the presenb meeting was called to consider tho propriety of confirming the resolution or otherwise. Personally, he felb sorry that the Company should feel ib tbeir duty to disband, bub be could not see bbW they could do otherwise in the face of the treatmenb they had received. They all knew the difficulties they had met, and, in facb, had ib nob been for the indefatigable exertions of Quartermaster-Sergeant Dawson they never could have capitated aB they had done. So far as he was concerned he would do his best for the Company. They had held on for years, hoping that tbey mighb find suitable officers, but they had ta go on with only one commissioned officer. Waiting for the ..election of suitable officers was the sole reason why he had remained so long in the Company. In the present state of the volunteer movement there was the greatesb difficulty in getting suitable officers, and tbab no doubb was one of the reason, for proposing the disbaudment of the Company. His opinion was thab all volunteer corps in the Auckland district should disband or resign until some proper system was established. Thab, he lound, was the feeling of other volunteer officers who had spoken to him. It was proposed by Saoper Webb, seconded by Sapper O'Connor " That the resolution paseed at tlie annual meeting be confirmed, that the company dieband, and thab tbe .Government property in the possession of the company be senb in." Some discussion ensued. Sapper Watson spoke of the treatmenb volunteers had received from bhe Government. He said that be had been a volunteer for 23 years, but on application being made for his long-service medal, he was informed that his service was nob sufficienb. Major Anderson spoke of bhe trouble hahad experienced in obtaining the three medals recently obtained. Henad himself applied for a medal, having been a member of the Company since its inauguration, but he had been informed thab having been absenb from one parade in twenty years (and that was when he was ill) he was not entitled to a medal. He let thab paBS, and did nob apply again for himself, bub he succeeded ab last in getting three medals for the oldest members. The motion to disband the Engineer Company was evenbually pub and carried with only one dissentient.