REGIMENTAL SMOKE CONCERT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18185, 23 September 1924, Page 14

REGIMENTAL SMOKE CONCERT.

CANTERBURY REGIMENT. A SUCCESSFUL EVENING. A smoke concert was held by the members of the Ist Canterbury Battalion in the King Edward Barracks last' evening, when there was an' attendance of about SSO officers and men of the Christchurch, Sumner, New Brighton, and Lyttelton companies. The barracks were specially decorated for the social. Lieutenant-Colonel Murphy presided. , The toast of "The King" was honoured at the commencement of the function. , , . Captain H. M. Foster, m proposing tlie toast of "The Army and the Navy," said that all who studied history must have been impressed; by the exploits of the Army and Navy all through the years. In the course of Ins reply for the NavV Major Batehelor said that all had'some idea of what they owed to the Navv, but very few had an adequate conception of the real debt that was owing. . Alajor Row apologised for the absence of Colonel-Commandant E, Young, j O C Southern Command. He said that j during a war the Army and Navy were on "top but immediately after a war all expenses were cut down. This had hapr pened after the last war. The estimate? \ had come down. With the reduced | grant, it was difficult to get efficiency, j This year matters seemed to be getting | better again, and camps were to be | held once more. During the last five i years there had been five changes .m -i adjutants and sergeants-major of the battalion, and this was bad for efficiency. However, he hoped that they j had seen the last of changes. The , Standard of the battalion to-day was ieaTly up to the standard of 1914,. | and he was quite sure that after ,the next eamp the battalion would be one of the best in New Zealand. Lieutenant-Colonel A. E. Loach proposed the toast of "The Begiment."' He said that Colonel Murphy was lni -command of one of the finest bodies of;, men that he had seen. He had the) honour to command one of the bat-'

talions at Gallipoli, and it was his wish; that he was physically fit to rejoin the regiment which he had such admiration for. He congratulated the I men on their recent camp. j Lieutenant-Colonel Murphy, on be- j half of the regiment, said that the i good wishes that had been expressed were for the future as. much as for the past. He reminded the men that, they should be proud of the regiment. One reason was the fact that his Majesty the King was the Coloriel-in-Chief of the Regiment. Then there was the fact that they were allied to that famous regiment, the Royal West Kents. The Canterbury : Regiment was the oldest' in New Zealand, its history dating back to 1857. The regiment had Gallipoli, France, and Belgium on its battle honours, as well as the honours of the South African War. He added that the country had great possibilities, and it was quite possible that the "future '. Commander-in-chief was among those present at that social. Ho wished .to . impress '■ on them the value of service. He had stuck to the. regiment for many years, and he had made friendships which would last through life. There were many men holding responsible positions in the city who owed them in no small Way to their connexion and training with the regiment. He asked the men to give, of their best for .the three years required of them. He wanted thzm to find the comradeship and the spirit of those who had gone "before. . It was the same in business. If they gave of their best, they would win through th > same as the men who | had won through during the war. That evening's entertainment was an experiment, and he hoped that it would be the forerunner or many others.: He also wished to exnrr.s their thanks to j the committee and- to the band and j entertainers. They would all reszret j losing the adjutant. Captain Foster, who had be?n transferred to InvorcarI gill. Captain Foster was a good sol-- ; dier, and one who was trving to pet. I the host that they could'give. Thei; J men who had ber-Ji in camp with I ( Captain Foster knew that he was a I good chap. (Applause.) Lieutenantj Colonel Murphy , also introduced to' thos- present Captain Walker-, the new I adjutant to the regiment. Captain Foster's ' health was drunk with musical. honours. .- The toa-st of "Fallen Onr-ades" was proposed by-Captain Walker, and was' drunk in si'ence. '-■■ ' ■" During the evening . the - following, musical programme was tyven: Songs, (Continued zt foot of nest column,)

Lieutenant W. Korner, Bandsman Bishop, Private Barbour, and Privatg R. Campbell; mandolin solos', Sergeant limmerson; monologue; Private Bottinghouse; saxaphon© eolo, Private Cutler; recitations, Mr G. T, Owen Mr J. Laitrence, Lieutenant Erinis; reminiscences, Lieutenant-Colonel A. E. Loach. A number of selections was given by the regimental band.