AUCKLAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 8

AUCKLAND NEWS.

. : (BT' .lEI,EGRAFH—SPECIAL'COnEESr'ON'DENT.;/ Auckland,-. March 31. Three months ago it was'expected •that.the forthcoming Easter' manoeuvres u\!ould.' bo carried oiit • on/iv-most'- Extensive -scale; • but? it would appeal; from; present* indications that whereas; 1000 men-were at :first' oxpected-'to attend, .••• only..': about -half.', that'.; number,' .Will nowtake' part.;.' This unfortunate:'.position is'said td bo largely due"to the action of tho Def once Council, which has. drawn; up tions to the effect that, unless; a-company musters half ..strength, at '.tho manoeuvrea, none of • tho members will' reoeivo payment. This is sure to damp tho enthusiasm of many Volunteers, 'several of whom' have already oxprcsscd their intention of not, attending camp, as their, company cannot possibly muster tho required strength. Another ; regulation provides that' tho manoeuvres will not count .as. tho .annual, training for mounted men, and in consequence several of those corps will bo poorly represented, tho mon holding back for their .privato. camps. Passengers by the's.lo p.m. ferry steamer from Auckland to' Devonport .last evening wero, witnesses of a most exciting roscue of a mail from drowning. Just,before tho, ferry boat. left. the jetty, a man was seen to bo struggling in.the.water near No.. 1 jetty, just under tho stern of tho. Italian barque Gorii. A man close by . got down into. a dinghy'and attempted to rescue tho struggling man, but the latter was' apparently reluctant to bo saved, for ho struggled'strenuously in tho yrater. A 'policeman then lent, assistance, and tlio man was hauled into tho dinghy, but ho immediately attempted to get back into tho water. ' Eventually the constable put a rope round the man, who was' uncweniohiously dragged oil to the'-wharf, and taken into. ou£tcs(y -pa a chaise of druiikeui?sß.