FLEET WEEK GRIEVANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13839, 27 August 1908, Page 6

FLEET WEEK GRIEVANCE

THE VOLUNTEERS OVERLOOKED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday, In the course of some remarks in the House this afternoon Mr. Massey referred to the treatment received by the volunteers who assembled on the occasion of the visit of the American fleet, recently at Auckland.", The volunteers who took part ; si the reception were, he said, a credit to the force, but when they arrived in Auckland, what happened? Ho was thinking of the banquet given by the Government; .at the public expense. . If there, was one set of men more than another who were entitled to be invited to that banquet those men were the volunteer officers, as representing the volunteer forces who were in Auckland at the time, and yet up almost to the last moment not a single invitation was offered to them. But when it was found that there 'was a strong feeling about the matter a mere handful of invitations were sent to the volnntee. officers. Only two or three of them, however, turned xm, and he thought it was not to be wondered at in the circumstances. Personally, under such treatment, even if he had received at invitation, he would not have put in an appearance. What, took place in connection with that banquet was a positive insult to the volunteers of the Dominion.