THE EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9703, 15 April 1897, Page 2

THE EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

TO TBE EDITOR OF THB PRESS*. Sirs,—Th* blundering in connection with the Easter camp cannot have escaped the most uuobsurvant. If, however, public attention has been drawn to out* mismanaged Defence Department, the Volunteers will receive some compensation for the loss this year of the only practical opportunity they h_ve of gaining some insight into the higher branches of their work. When it was first determined, in tho name of the Commandant, there should be ho Eiister camp* the Volunteers, as ih duty bdund, accepted the decision, though tho majority of those who have experience of the benefit derived from encampments felt it was a grievous blunder, the reason assigned, "the weather at Easter being unsettled," uot being a sound one, and, indeed, contrary to the experience-of many years ; still the volunteers felt the fault was not the Commandant's, bnt his untruthful advisers', for, of course, his present experience of our weather at Easter time is nil. The next we heav of the Easter camp is from Mr Seddon, who, after referring to the Commandant's reason for postponing the camp, added that the Government were bound to defer to his (the Commandant s) opinion. This Was too good, as a Volunteer read this he could not help '• winking the other eye,'" still, it sounded well, and might have been true. At ar.y rale, so far as the. Canterbury Volunteers were concerned, they had from the first loyally accepted the Commandant's decision, but to' their surprise there was to be aiiother act in this comedy of errors. Certain M.H.R.'s took upon themselves the burden of approaching the Government on the camp question, and this, I hear, without communication with Volunteer officers. Then at the last moment, when anyone with the slightest knowledge of the position in the district could have informed the Defence Minister it was useless at that late period to hope for a muster, an order is received authorising a camp 1 And it is rumoured in the city that on the same day our busybody M.H.R.'s sent a telegram to a henchman announcing with delight tliey had succeeded in obtaining that which was not then desired. The blundering throughout is laughable, bnt there is a sad side to the farce, for the only conclusion that can be drawn froth tlie disregard of Colonel Pentoivs first decision is that his position will not be better than his predecessor's. And whatever order he may give in the future will bo liable to be overruled by self-constituted patrons of Volunteers, who for the time being beat* the mystic letters "M.H.R." after their names. —Yours, &c, Centurion. April 13th, 1897.