VOLUNTEER MANŒUVRES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 131, 3 June 1904, Page 6

VOLUNTEER MANŒUVRES.

Tho Wellington Rifle Battalion »p?nt tho morning in field exercises at Lyell Bay, being favoured by splendid weather, and gained some useful experience. The musters wero fairly good, due perhaps in some measure to tho .statement nt tho foot of the notices issued, that "the parade will be dismissed in time to enable men to attend the football match." One or two companies, however, wero present in very small numbers, while tho Post and Telegraph Rifles had none of its members present. The representatives of the City Rifies only numbered half a score. Tho pniude state of other companies was rh follow*: — D Battery (threo guns), 45 ; Zcnlundia Rifles, 24 ; Kelburne Rifles, 27 ; Guards, 25 ; Civil Service Rifle*, 27 ; Collego Rifles, 22 ; Highland Rifles, 26 ; beside* seven members of the Clyde-quay School cadet, corps, who did useful work us signallers. Tho main idon of the operations was thnt a hostile cruiser at Pencarrow Head watt landing men on the coast, and for the purpose of preventing tho landing the lJaWalion was split up into thive detachments, for the protection respectively of Inland Bay, Haughton Bay, und Lyell Bay. Am it turned out, the enemy attempted to land at tho western oktreinity of Lyell Bay, and was met with heavy gun fire from tho D Battery, which had its guns poeitod in three dif- ' ferent positions calculated to givo it a good command of the contemplated land-ing-place. After a few rounds had demonstrated the attack tho Battery ceased firing, and left the Battalion to complete tho work. From the hills overlooking the bay the various companies kept up a hot fire on the boats of the enomy, the manner in which they comported themselves being carefully noted by Major Brandon, who .was in charge of tho operations. Ho informed them subsequently tluvt the restricting influence of tho drillshed was very visible, aud in reference to tho small attendance said, "If thoso who aro not here to-day do not attend on a future occasion oi Hiis ]cin«l I hope you will take thorn by the scruff of the neck and kick them." The Battalion, after a brief rest, formed up and inarched into town. Subsequently tho D Battery did some work "on Ha own," ono gun making an attack on Kilbirnie and two others defending that hnpdrtanb suburb, whose inhabitants watched the fight with much interest.

The incoming Council of the. Marlborowgh Ctumber of Commerce is urgod by the retiring President to. coutinuo tho agitation for the appointment of a resident flax grader. Mr. Reid said in his annual address that- the output of -the flaxmill* in the district, estimated at a low minimum, averaged 1500 tons annually, or, nay, 8600 bales, the present market value of which is £40,000. Now that regular visits of direct steamers for London had "been e&tablished at Picton, where, say, 700 bak« would have to lie graded monthly, the demand for a local grador, who could be paid by results, was, the Council thought, a fair one. Quite a now idea in the way of placing hoiioy on the retail market has been, struck by Mi. Jumes Allan, of Thistle Bank apiary and dairy, Wyndham. Thu usual custom ha» been to sell this nourishing .sweet in glass or stone ware jars of jib to lib lots. This is a convenient size for family use ; but. in addition to the extra cost entailed, it is not an easy matter to extract the contents from tho bottlo or ,jnr. Mr. Allan has obviated all this by preparing blocks of granulated honey, neatly packed in parchment puper, of similar siao and design to the familiar pat<» of butter. Ho claims that the honoy can thus bo sold at a cheaper rule than in bottles or jars, and also that the wrapping can be handily removed and % tho article placed on the table iv an attractive and economic way. According to the Rev. Mr. Clarke, of Auckland, the better classes are drifting away from the city to the suburbs. Mi'san* .. Macdonald, AVilson and Co. noil to-morrow afternoon, at 1.30 o'clock, at tho preiniflos of Mossr*. Loo Bros., Joek«ouBtroel, Potono, a largo quantity of now household furniture, oto., m .dotailed in tho ertuemont in the auction column.

[Mr Notices of Birth*, Marriages and Deaths, see Page 1.1