ENGINEER UNIFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8814, 1 March 1892, Page 3

ENGINEER UNIFORM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Seeing an article in a recent issue of the Herald re the difficulty existing between the volunteer engineers and the Government, on account of the latter t;»xiug the engineers' new uniforms to the extent of £51, I, as a late member of this company, have made inquiries into this matter, ana am in a position to place the entire facts before the public, and allow them to judge of the Government's generosity. When the engineers first formed in 1871 there were t hen em oiled 66 members, each of whom paid out of his own private purse the sum of £0 10s for his clothing, since then the company has spent £1000 for clothing, all of which liai been spent in Auckland, anil they woul£ have continued to do so, but the Government having reduced their capitation to £2 it wa impossible for them to continue paying sucl large sums for clothing, so had to send to » cheaper market for the same, as the lowest tender in Auckland was £5 5s per siu When the engineers decided upon sending to England for the uniforms, inquiries wer« made from the authorities re the duty, and the reply was, that there would be no difJs culty in the matter, as the duty had alwa»*! been remitted in former cases. "So much for the remark re importing in defiance A the Government." Then, again, the overgenerous Government compel the companies to pay to their rifle range £10 per annum / band, £(i; e.ire-taker and Drill-shed, £2 ss; gas, £3 12s ; stationery and stamps for warning members of their parades, £6 ; besides sundry expenses, such as buying ammunition, paying markers for class firing, carting ammunition to the Rifle Range, etc. I think the public will now be able to judge for themselves what a munificent balance the Government leave the volunteers to pay their clothing accounts with. This is th< first time the engineers have imported their uniforms, while other companies have done so frequently. I may also mention that when the engineers reformed in 1885 the Government could not supply them with th< regulation buff accoutrements, one of the engineer non-commissioned officer's paid out of his own pocket the sum o e £03 to provide proper accoutrements for tht, company. Apologising for trespassing e< much cm your valuable space, i am, etc., An Old Voluntee,