THE VOLUNTEERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1270, 27 October 1911, Page 4

THE VOLUNTEERS.

rs ie » y THANKED BY PARLIAMENT. '° Tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) " moved :— That this House, on the establish- ,. Mont of tho new defence sdiemo of Q universal Irainiiis of the youth of ,'(. tho Dominion, desires to express its ~ very high appreciation of the services ~ rendered by the New Zealand Volunteer Force, extending over a ]ieiio<l of fifty yearj. 'ilie faithful wrvico n i)f tin , volunteers to the country under if dillicult conditions, and their loyally is at all times to the volunteer service > under the defence system (lien exist- & ing in New Zealand, has been gratifying not only to Parliament, but also 1- to tho country as a whole, c > Speiikini; to tJio niolioii, the Prime '" Minister alluded specially to (huso who " went from tho ranks ol (he volunteers )'■' in ISflfl (o give (.heir services to the Em- ': l)ire in the ivjuth African War. ]!e also " achnoivlwlged their services in connection ° x willi nuiucious public functions, and s [ earlier in tho defence of the. young colony J during the Mauri Wars. Up also spoko ', appreciatively of tho volunteer officers ,' who had now joined (ho Territorial Force ' (o its great advantage. The old voluii- ._ leers wero merged in the new scheme, and their spirit and traditions would ;c survive. ,(. Mr. W. V. llasfey spoke heartily in , 0 support of tho motion, and especially in j l'cfcrcnco to those who had gone to South t . Africa when tho Kmpire called on the n youiijfor nation!) "for men who could ), shoot and ride." Air. J. Allen (Bruce), who remarked (hat ho was the senior officer present, em- '" phasised the loyally and spirit of fiaeri- '■ lice, of tho volunteers. ]t was upon selfsacrifice (hat the greatness of any nation J' must 1» based. The new system demand- ', ed greater equality of sacrilico for all, 1 and lie believed tliat in a few years no '" voico Mould 1» vaisej against it. a Mr. li, IT. Rhodes (Kifesmere) said that he and other volunteer officers f«lt t they could servo just as loyally under f tho' territorial system as under the d_ volunteer system, 110 especially appref ci.ited tho resolution on account of the 0 older officers, like Sir William Steward '- and Colonel Slater, of Canterbury, who had practically devoted his lifo to fcho a volunteer eorvico. ,f Sir William Steward said the rcsolu- ;. tion would givo very great satisfaction to it old volunteers, like himself, and others ~ who had met with him year by year in r, Christchurch. Mr. A. Myers (Auckland East) and Mr. o F. M. 1.1. Fisher (Wellington Central) I. also spoke to the resolution, which was g carried unanimously.