DEFENCE DEPARTMENT'S PICNIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 29, 4 February 1910, Page 3

DEFENCE DEPARTMENT'S PICNIC.

GATHERING AT LOWER HUTT. An enjoyable outing of the Defence Department staff took place on the j pleasant park of the Lower Hutt < Borough Council yesterday, in fine weather. The Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. R. Buddo) was present as~ representative of the Minister for Defence (Sir Joseph Ward), who was kept away through indisposition. A large number of ladies were present ; in fact, the attendance was so pronounced that the Hon. Mr. Buddo was moved to remark, in the course of n. speech, that the whole place was radiant with young ladies. ' "I really congratulate you on such a fine gathering of young ladies," he added, enthusiastically, and when J some one laughed at his qualifying ad- i jective he gallantly added that he "had no desire to be invidious ; all ladies ] were young, and all Avere beautiful !" Captain -\labin, of the financial branch of the department, was the organising head of the outing, and he was assisted in his duties by a large committee of energetic workers, representive of all branches of the department. Two large marquees were erected on the grounds, and in these the combined staffs entertained a large number of guests at luncheon and afternoon tea. The Chief of Staff ' (Colonel Robin), the officer commanding the Wellington Defence District (Colonel Bauchop), officer commanding artillery (Col. Head), Colonel and Mrs. E. Chaytor, Colonel and Mrs. R. J. Collins, Lieut.-Colonel Purdy, and Major and Mrs. M'Donald were amongst the gathering. Colonel Collins, whom the Hon. Mr. Buddo congratulated on his promotion to the office of Auditov-Creneral, replied briefly, and incidentally expressed his great regret that his promotion imposed on .him the duty of ceasing to take an active part in volunteering, and of resigning from his post on the Council of Defence, as the law required that the Auditor-General should hold no other office of emolument or trust under the General Government. Various games were indulged in during the day. A rink formed of three colonels and a Cabinet Minister was vanquished at bowls by a team of "farbelows," led by a captain ; another colonel and • a fair partner acquitted themselves with credit at tennis ; others played rounders ; and two picked elevens played cricket. The cricket match deserves a separate paragraph. An annual tussle for supremacy takes place between cricket teams representative of the Defence Stores staff and the headquarters staff. It is tradition that the headquarters men are invincible ; but they were beaten this year. The "stores,"' in M'lntyre and M'Gill, possessed a pair of Macs who were decidedly useful, and when only one wicket was down there were nearly eighty runs to credit. The remaining wickets fell very suddenly, but there were 123 runs scored before the end. The headquarters men were all out for 40, their fielding efforts having minimised their effectiveness. After dinner, the "stores" were a bit crowded, and the best they could do was 61 all out. Headquarters i did better in their second strikes, and with six wickets down for 75 they looked to have a winning chance, but at this critical juncture some one said the game was al) over. Thereupon stumps were drawn, and the reverend gentleman who had been umpiring went home. Some mild argument ■in the pavilion followed, and eventually the fieldsmen returned to their places, while I two more players took etrike and piled up about twenty more runs. Then one lost his wicket, and as the other three batsmen of the team were away the innings was declared closed, leaving the stores winners by a fairly large margin. M'lntyre (76 and 28), M'Gill (26), Mabin (10 and 26), Chesney (12 and 23 not out), Fordyee (10 and 10), Griffin (10), and Rockstrow (10) were the principal run-getters.