WELLINGTON RIFLE BATTALION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 6

WELLINGTON RIFLE BATTALION

PARADE AT THE BASIN RESERVE. - The First ' Battalion "Wellington Riflo Volunteers paraded under Lieut.-Colonel G-.' Duthie, 0.C., at tlio Basin Reserve last evening. Tlie.ro was a good avorago muster in the company units. Battalion drill,was practised, then lines of columns of companies. Colonel A. W. Robin, C.8., Chief of. tho General Staff,, and Colonel-R. J. Collins, Finance Member of the Council ofDefence, were present, at the parade. The next parade will tako place on February 12, and some Saturday next month, when tho Trentham riflc-rango, will be closed to tho shooting men in, order to get it in order for the big meeting, a daylight parade'will be held. A request from , the Battalion Band for financial assistance will bp considered by the officers of the battalion at a meeting to be held shortly. The following was tho parade state: —A Co., City Rifles, Captain Esson. 32; 1! Co., Wellington Guards, Captain J. Duthie, juii., 19: C Co., Kolburne Rifles. Captain Davis, V.D.. ISO; D Co., Civil Service Rifles, Lieut. Marshall._ 33; Fj Co., Post and Telegraph Rifles, Lieut. Harton, -10; F Co., -College Rifles. Captain C. Harcourt .Turnerj 2-5 ; G Co., Zealandia Rifles, Captain,Corrigan; H Co., Highland Rifles, Captain M'Diarinid, 27; Cycle Corps, Sergeant, Swain, 10; Garrison Band, Lieut. Herd, 21; Battalion Band, i Bandmaster Dean, 21. . Total, 296.' Tlio I Battalion staff includedLieut.-Colonel W. " 0. Duthie, 0.C., Major C. D. Mackintosh, Pay and Quartermaster Captain F. B. Mabin, and StafF-Sergeant-Major Colclough, of tho District Staff. The Tost and Telegraph Rifles will parado at Nowtown Park at 2.30 p.m. to-day for field practico. Skirmishing, helio-signalling, and genoral work will bo carried out. Thirteen of tho company's., signallers were oxt amined- on Thursday evening, and, although tho results aro not.available, it is pretty well . understood that all havo got through.

Mcille.. Lola Uubiustein may • lie. interviewed ' by intending pupils at the Valaze Ma.ssage stitule, ItiwmUm Street, during the first week in February. Tlu 1 secretary til" I lie Wellington ,Painters' _ and Dei-orators' Union will attend at Hie jj Trades' 11 .111 from 11 (0 1 daily. Dr. Cyril Tanner hop resumed hit legal . practice at, 107 Liwhkm.Quaj-., . A

MUSIC..EXAMINATIONS. :. /. • •» ' ' ■'/' ' ZiIEDALS AND . CERTIFICATES; 0 PRESENTED BY MADAME CLARA BUTT Happy and' fortunate nrc, the candidates wild were successful in tlic 'Associated Board' pt'the I'.A.M. and R.C.-M. -examinations' of, 100". Theirs' was thq.'hpnowr last evening' of .rfeceiying their.medals or.certificates from 1 the.hand- of-Madame Clara Butt,- a peeress' in the world of, music, 'and into which mailt of. tlicm aro, timid' young debutantes.'-. Tho. Cdricort 11 .. Chamber' of the Tovrn';'Hall was crowded. ; v ..... ~,.v •Madame 1 Clara Butt and Mr.: Kennerley Rumford were accompanied. by< tho..-'.Mayor, (the Hon. T., W. Hislop);'.the Mayoress;" Lhdy Ward, ■ Mr. Joynt.(local ■ representative of' ;tho* ; - Associated -..Board '. of 1 the Trinity College and Royal ,'Academy ■ of Music), 'Mr:^Robert-.Parker,', Mr.W. Gill, and others, • wlio all took their seits. on -the stager amidst'-..-the' pretty, floral decorations that had.,been carried -out. ; •..Mi;. J. W.:-'Joynt,. ainidst- applause,•,extended a'hearty lvelcome to Madame Clara Butt and' Mr. JUimford. :.. -, . . [ The pupils '.were'" then called to-the steps' at the - front -of the stage; and Madame, perforce bonding' low, hut with siniles and a charming grace, ' shook hands - with each, and- amidst, gave them. their vlarge. blue certificates and medals. A.jfull'hst of the 1 candidates has already ibeeil.'-published!' '/. ' SOME;INTERESTING ..FACTS. .. .; : After. ', this • distribution:; Mr.,Joy'nt.. ma,do' some references to, the history of tlio Associated Board '.of- tlic two great musical Colleges of Britain under which the examinations Jiad been held. They now embraced the whole of tho'.British Knjpire.'. In 1898 the 'entries received, in. New Zealand -for their examinations, were 120 .(Wellington centre 42). Last'year they were 1653,(Wei-, ington centre 263) —a. reqord; number.:' The, growth during, the ton years; indicated the" confidence, of this country in the system followed by'thq. Board. He referred to tho meetings this! week of. the Society of Musicians and of, t-liq TJiiivorsity. Senate, both.,'of which 'had" interested ,themselves:. in-the matter' of'-, examinations... . .ItV; ; was.■: raid at the Senate''that-large sums , of money ware being sent from the country -in l'qes, v.-Jiich would go a-.long way. towards,. tho upkeep of. a New. Zealand Conservatoire of Music. But the}', should: first see. that- ; .the. country was able to do that work. ;-. The standards set by tho Board : should .-,not be allowed t-b''deteriorate. - lie.took the oppor-

tiraity'of saying in'his' official .capacity as Local Representative that unless ; tho standards of aiiy conservatoire; or examining organisation, :were equal to those of, the higher institutions of. L the 01(1 World,.'the musical students here • would: Sftill seek' diplomas from thOso outside bodies.' (Applause.); The University itself.,provided a, precedent in ..the matter of jionding fees outside the country, because, that body, conferred its degrees,, not. as to result of 'examinations conducted by. New Zealand, but .by nien in Kngland. (Applause.) . '!Tho' Associated ' Board was not a jnoiiey-making; institution, and had no finan-. "cial. interest in the examinations. Its sole object' w.as'the '.raising of the - standard- of . inu'sio, and . promoting its : interests throughout the .Empire.'- As one; interested in the Ilniversity, he,' hoped . sincerely thatV they, might bo able to . carry out a schema with success, but. they could nofcjtrifle' with the matter, and. without soMe'marketable,value. the 1 examinations'.would' not be successful.- , , Tlip Mayor' proposed a j vote' .of ,thanks -to Madame Clara Butt! .. ! ; : .Mr." Robert Parker, ■in • seconding' the motion, endorsed the, remarks- of Mr. .Joy'nt regarding exarniriiitions, -and, assented ihat this, yoar there ytttrja nn'donbtW. ovi'd.cnccs of an advaiico in the standard of . music in the Dominion in: its various departments. \ Both Madame Clara Butt 'and 1 Mr., Rumford bowed their. acknowledgments,-.'and, the lattor expressed 'the great delight it : 'had given his wife 'to. he present, particularly on account of the connection of" the' function with her old college. - .'■ ' The, gathering then dispersed. .