HAMILTON: NEW WHARF AND STORE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4406, 28 September 1871, Page 2

HAMILTON: NEW WHARF AND STORE.

The Waikato Steam Navigation Company are at present erecting a wharf here, on which they intend to build a store for the receipt of goods in transit — a want long felt, which will be of great service to settlers residing at some distance from the town. They have also nearly completed a thorough overhaul of thep.s. 'Waipa,' and fitted up on her a fine cabin for passenger accommo. dation ; and intend cutting down the sternwheel steamer 'Eangiriri,' which is the most powerful boat on the river, and also increasing her speed by putting in 18in. cylinders instead of the llin. enes she has at present. When completed according to drawings seen by me, she will be the fastest and most comfortable of the number owned by them.

VOLUNTEER MATTERS. The Waikato Rifle Volunteers held their usual weekly parade on Saturday evening at 7 o'clock, in the hall in Sydney-square, when the members were put through squad drill by Sergeant Wallace, of the A.C., and acquitted themselves very creditably. The corps is increasing in numbers, and would i do so more rapidly if the Government were to use a little more liberality with regard to Volunteers. Numbers are quite disgusted with the Militia, but are deterred from _ joining the Volunteers by the question of expense ; and the Government, who say most explicitly that every encouragement will be given to the formation of Volunteer corps, ought more particularly in a frontier settlement such as this (where all efficients are liable to be called out at a moment's notice for active service) to consider that if the members give their time and attention to drill and discipline, so as to become efficient, they should be provided with uniform free of cost, and also with the best weapons obtainable, giving them a considerably larger percentage of ammunition for target practice than is at present allowed, so as to enable them to become proficient in the use of their rifle— the sine qua, non of a Volunteer. In the neighbouring colony of Victoria the Government treat Volunteers in a most liberal manner, hence the popularity of the Volunteer movement there ; and all colonists well know that Volunteers are — when properly trained — equally efficient with the regular army, and, in New Zealand lighting, much more so : as they take an amount of intelligence into the field (where so much depends upon individuals) not possessed by troops trained under the British regime. And last but not least their cost to the colony would be a mere bagatelle, although the Government were to adopt the suggestions indicated by me ; and the increased numbers and efficiency of corps would well repay the outlay. — [Correspondent.]