DAILY NOTES FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 6

DAILY NOTES FROM WANGANUI.

BRUCE ON MILIIAEY TRAINING. ' SPEECH BY. HON. T. MACKENZIE. , ■ (By Telegraph.—Spcciaf Correspondent;)* ' • \■.*■. Wanganul, August 27. "The air was full o' tartans and the grnp» pin o' brown haunds" to-night ■on tho occasion of, the , Caledonian Society's ' which; was attended by over 100 member! and guests. It proved vory successful. Mr. - Donald' Boss, the president,'qras in'tie chair,... and'among those present ware" the . Hon. , T... Mackenzie, Messrs. J.~ T. Hogan, W. T. Jennings, M J., R. D.;. M'Loan, , ■ (Napier), and Mackay (tne Mayor)., Apologies Were rcceived from the Honi. D. Buddo and J. A. Millar. The toasts usual:.on.'such 1 occasions%were/drunk and Bpocial mention may, be-made; of one, '-'The Imperial, Uarco# of the Crown,"- proposed/in a 6tirring.; .and eloquent speech by Mr. E.'C. Bruce,, formerly member for Rangitikei, who put in a' strong plea for universal military [training, as .'an 'adjunct: to. the 1 first line of. defence.' Everything, W said, pointed to; tbe conclusion, that we.> V6re' '. threshold .of great: events: /As long as there wero invaders,.we should be ready to;resist.them. If we could not. win. let us go down with the , flag-. flying. The. .ancient Greeks . represented ■, tho. Goddess of' Wisdom, as: clad inarmour, aua. that was a .very good 'hint , for -us. In reply- ; ing. to '.'The Parliament of /New Zealand.!' Mr. Mackenzie was : full ,of promises, for- tho , .future. The Government,:ho.said,,was.alive tb.tlie necessities of the situation,-, and were carrying <?n v important ._and honest':work,: remindinghim of what Sir Harry' Atkinson had done.. He stated that the. Government was .goiiig to see to the."vigorous settlement-:of the land. He ; could not understand why the ' settlers were suspicious of, the Government, , and; would tell" them that;' the Ministry was "a' band of rosoluto men," determined to promote settlement:and prevent , the aggro- , gation pf estates. - Ho. advocatod ;optional tenure, and >would not be surprised, to'; see. * that: policy.'enlarged in the near .future. l With tlie settlement' which Ywas going, to bo: camfed ,on. and the 'prosperity; 'now in'.'the'.' country .(though, many refused to admit it). V ,we> jvere on the and if they -,worked • together : thoy were going to 'see. continuedprosperity. , The inquest ,on the, man Shanks, who died in the hospital as tho result of - exposure, duo to wandering, alxmt . Ahu Alitl .Block iii a delirious condition,; has: been postponed to" allow of inquiries -being, mada . by-the police. ... ... .