DEFENCE PICNIC.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 733, 4 February 1910, Page 3

DEFENCE PICNIC.

A. SUCCESSFUL OUTING. ' . The annual picnic of the Defencb Department, held at • the Recreation Ground, .-Lower Hutt,. 'yesterday, . yras a very 'enioyable : outing.lor all: concerned.' Tho Prime. Minister (Sir Joseph ; Ward) ;was unable . to. be -present: in - his- official capacity as head of the Department,, owib'g to indisposition.-He was represented by the Hon. D. Biiddo- (Minister for Internal ''Affairs) and Mr. James ..Hislop, private secretary. : THe'ro were also ' Present: Colonel A. W. Robiri;\C.B. (Ghief of the General' Staff), Colonel R- J.. .Collins, V.D.,L5.0., (finance • member . of: the Council of Defence), Lieutenant-Colonel G- W. C. Chavtor,, Lieutenant.Coloriel H. F. Head, Lieutenant-Colonel A. Bauchop, C.M.Q., and other officers, as''well as a number of ladies. -■■-i- '■ During the luncheon,^'the Eon. D. Buddo, in a Ijrief speech, felicitated :Colonel Collins on bis.appointment to the Auditor-Generalship, and referred appreciatively to that officer's successful career in i the Civil Service. Colonel Collins, in. reply,' expressed his regret . that his new •duties would necessitate his' retirement from the Defence Forces, with which he had been so.long.associated. : f Bowls and cricket sustained the interest of.'the'holiday-makers, the progress of the games exciting keen interest. The annual cricket match,' Stores .v. Staff, ,was_-a drawn'game. In its. 'first innings, the Staff team totted up 40, runs. This was eclipsed by the . Stores' men, .who ran up 123, including 76 by M'lntyre, their captain. In the secoua innings, Stores made 61,' and staff,, witli'.two wickets .to fall, 100j the' latter team requiring ft to' win. As per- arrangement, stumps were drawn at 6 p.m. Good cricket was playedi by Mabin and M'Gill,. who each batted into the ' twenties, r ■