GARRISON ARTILLERY TRIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14208, 3 November 1909, Page 5

GARRISON ARTILLERY TRIP.

NO PERMISSION GIVEN.

In the course of an interview concerning' the visit of members of the No. 1 Company; Garrison Artillery .to the Petone Navals' camp at Ngahauranga, which, as explained in yesterday morning's Herald, was not expected by the Navals, Lieuten-ant-Colonel Wolfe, officer commanding' the* Auckland district, made a statement, which puts a somewhat - different complexion on. some aspects of the matter. Colonel Wolfe said: "I consider it a great pity that this matter has been ventilated in the papers at all, before being properly investigated, thus causing certain erroneous ideas regarding the matter to gain currency. For instance: (1) I, the officer commanding the district, did not appear on parade and wish the company success before leading; I was not in Auckland' at the time. (2) I never gave any .permission for the company to leave Auckland. (3) On Thursday, October 14', I informed the officer commanding the/division that No. 1 Company could not leave Auckland without the permission of the proper authorities, for which application should be made through the proper channel. Up to my leaving Auckland on October 22 to attend a district class, no application was made for anything in connection with this matter. During my absence, and on October 28, an application was made for the men to travel in uniform to Wellington. This was forwarded in the "/usual way by the Acting-A.A.G. (Captain Pilkington) on the same day. It is difficult to see ; how ; a reply could have been expected before the company left of their own accord on Friday evening, October ,30."

AN OFFICIAL INQUIRY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] : Wellington, Tuesday. Th© majority of the remaining Auckland gunners left on their return journey to-day, but Captain Knyvett and his fel-low-officers ' are still in Wellington. The circumstances of the visit of the company to Wellington continue to be the principal topic in volunteer circles here. " Captain Knyvett reaffirms his denial of the statement that his company , came down here to shoot. Had this been the intention he * says he would have brought down about 24 picked men for shooting " only, whereas -the - contingent that came down included all'classes of members, including signallers and others. The affair will form the subject of an official inquiry.