CIVIL SERVICE RIFLES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 267, 4 August 1908, Page 9

CIVIL SERVICE RIFLES.

ANNUAL. REUNION,

SPEECH BY THE HON. DR. FINDLAV. ! Tiie annua} reunion of ."'tlie Civil Service Rifles \vas held Hdtei' Windsor last evening. Captain^'"Marshal}J. Oflicer Commanding the Corps,''presided, and tliero was a strong muster of members'." Tfe Honorary-Captain Commanding/ Hnh. Dr! Findlay;' was • present,- arid amnhg r tj!ip 'visit-' ing oflicers wore Colonel R.?'J. 'CoHhis/V.D.'; 1 of thp Defence Council, W; 6. Duthie,' commqndipg the Wellington -Riflp Battalion,: Surgeon_ Ljeut.-Cplonel ifason, Chaplain-Major Slnrer, J.lajpr C.'-Dl J{ackintpsh,' Captajn G, "(Hea'dr quarters Staff), aiid Captain' ! ".F.• 13,"'"Mabjn (Battalion! Staff), v . , " ■•"• •'- •" '1 Messrs. jG. V. Hudson, :W'.. T. Glasgow, Trcgear, and P. 'Hayes (Heads::of;'Governr' mept Departments) were' alnon'g present'.'" , - ' > \ f»a- yrrTKWv? ."Tlie lpyg.l toast havip" « be'en-'-T Colonel Collins prpppsed the'"' toast' of, the AYollington Rifle Bat'talion.'ullio rpferfed with pride to the past history of the apd congrati)lat.ed itg members',' in having spell .an plfipierit commapding.-, pfliper ; as. Lieut.-Colpnel Duthio had, .succeeding jiim (the. speaker),. proved;,.himse]f'.,,t6 be. (Applause.) , '■'! ~ • - Replying to the tpast ofr; tjiei Battalionjv Lieut.-Colpnel Duthie say] that speaker hpd expressed battalion still maintained its .higlr efficiency,'. Hp took this. ?s a compliment, pigs cpmiiig,from such an experifenced; officphi'as i.Cplpiidj. .Collins, 'fie expressed the excellent'-' ninstor' ofcr at Saturday's fiekl pppratio]is.^ati-Miramai , ,i 333-mon, 011 p gat\irt]sy bfill and other, counter a|traptioi)§ .going ojs was a most, gratifying n;uster r ancjcpuld' got;such tjis'coming months, when lie intended,, in a, gppcl flcnl .of. field wnrk, and',,sp qualify; themselves 'as eflicient inV.th'at r ;i\mj}orjiant. branch of 'th'pir''wpfk' in with other,, infantry, Davies had said they liacl 'siili' imich.„\q learfLj lie would' bo. more ( tljan", satisfied.':.

REMARKS BY PRj^FINDIyA^: Honorary-Captain the . Hpn,;ot l . . ;Pind|ay i then addressed the .gathering. : -- pleasuro and .a. privilege, bp . ; liavp; tile honour of presenting their,.captain .wifh. 'a company championship challenge belt,"..and '» handicap shield for shooting, hp. hoped t|iat these would stimulate the men;', to rrnise theinselyes tp a high .etpdard ;flf,'efEr, money jn Blippting/rge a. ponso,.li(?-; twecn. the past and . the pffisgn|,;, . On, , his' left sot .Mj\ frpgoar, a fflriftejC.captiinrof. tlio- Civil Sorvjoa liilles (applause),.. .who'. was, in )iis oiyio capacity, of ppaca, while oil his right.'wak'.tli'elr present cpnijnandiiig " ofllqei" wlipso , '' : l VQry.. , Ji'ati)o' whs ; • "martial" ' (laughter) 1;.,.:, . Turning, to' a... more serjotls, tbpicj''; 'the da-' ■fence of' their ■country,' t'h'pA speaker that they in New Zoajand; ~wer6.:y.erj apt to forget the true function:' of the voliiii- 1 icors, _ They lmd notheanl.the blast of war in their ears —they, (lid not know what war was. Because of that- thero.Jiad : lj.QCP' m p .evident. a tqiidetipy to underestimate''the truo purpose and valuo 'of the-volunteer forco. l'hero wore many—far too many—young men who lyero content to stand; on the footpath, and watph, 'wit|i a. sneer oil-; their .-faces, ' tin}, volunteers eo by, and ho ; ,pould-not avoid the feeling that the proper,> apknowledgmpufc of such was a \and-.'.wSll-phped kick,' for .tho queerer, '..;(v\pplauso,). Thoy- had iiot required, the question of. compulsory military " training, pontinued Dr, Findky, butktho.-serious' consideration of this question 'miist,-.h'Q:fo]t,..be-i : cpine iupi'o qxpediont as indifference- tp 'national defenco grow, The throes,- the trials, anil the vory death struggles of.'-the-, older countries—pf tlidir . own. Mother,- Country^, seemod very distant, and it seamed; a pity to. mentio.i the idea of compulsory .training; iii such a country as Mother Country's youngest child, in ifaoc- -England had steadily set her face .against ,ooiiscription. §)io lmd preferred to .fostwHhßSv&l. untocr spirit, and as.a result ; thero was fo-.be: found in that . country, thq."' "finest;-' volunteer ( forco in the '< world, •••> Naw.v.<liooland>.was . instinct with the traditions of- thcv-Empirp: tp which slio; boloiigod, and 0- it: would'be 3a". disgrace to hor young men if> tho question' of compulsory training had What thoy had .to do,' continued tho'. ; spoaker,'• was to encourage ; tho volunteer',-'- With thdproper sort of encouragomoiit'theji h'ave'110 l'oar of voluntooring. It lvrts - tlidy duty of' the Government, lie'asserted, to seo' that tliof. woro oneouragod,' by making ■ their patii • easier,' their rewards groater, and 'their distinction higher. The public mind miist b'e ; educated tp tlip holiof that'ypliiiltairy 'milftnry sorvico ■ ivfig worthy pf- tlio" ]iighost'"Ac- : claim, net tho sneers of ;-:.tho-:bystaudcrs. The iinest defonce a> country eould havo was a corps of good , rifle shots,' j .Goffd 'rifiershboK ing mado not only for I military efficiency but good citizonship, for to be' efiicioiit with tho rifle' a man must live" tcmperatelv. jn presenting the bolt land shield *Drr Fintllay ventured to hope that the corps would steadily improvo jtsolf in shoo'tmgpiarid Tanlc-> among tho -foromost shootrngi compariiciuin.the Dominion. Tho Now Zealand' Civil faervico was eomppsod of a finpcbPd.y:of:-irioVof'. high, intolligencp and qualifications', : and .'it' was from its ranks that tho'.Company drew its recruits. It was therefore, not. too much to oxpcot that 1 tho high dis>: tinguishod tho Service would: also distinguish' tho. corps. . .do&bww- -.itr.-. Captain Marshall briefly I,returned., thanks for tho tropliies,. and tho tpast of "Honorary Mombor?;"bwlucli was responded to by tlio Hon. Dp. jftudlay. Mr, Tregoar, and othors. . Captain 'ffi.-.D. .-Mabin proposed the toast of tho Press,--..; During the ovening itonis wore contributed,J)y I'rido, Forbes, and M'Williams.r.andi: Honors ary-Captain Dr. FindL\y presented the shooting prizes won last scason; w i2 io aoe'Sfi •«.