LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18130, 30 June 1922, Page 9

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN.

m ANNUAL CONFERENCE. RENEWAL OF ACTIVITY. The annual conference oi the' New . Zealand Command of the Le±rion of Frontiersmen was held in Auckland on . Tuesday. Wednesday and yssterdav. Thirtv-two delegates attended. General Sir Andrew Busseli resigned | his post as commandant, being unable to ■ devote the time necessary for the duties- ; T're conference accepted the resignation with regret, thanked the general for his j services during the past two years, and asked him bv telegraph to accept the houorarv position oi president and military adviser, which he cordiauy agreed to do. . ..... ' About a month ago Captain J. -Millar, of Hastings, resigned his position of staff officer, and the conference presented a unanimous request to Captain E. ; "D'Esterre, the * former representative of London i:eadguarters and staff officer for ; New Zealand, that he should resume the j "josition. He agreed to accept, the post for the eosuinz 12 months, and New Zealand headquarters will thus return to Auckland. There was an important discussion on defence matters. It was laid down clearly that the lerion was pledged and ita members sworn" to active service in time of war if. and when called upon by the State for either home or oversea service, and that such pledge included a state of war arising from revolutionary out"breaks. but did not include service on occasion of any purely industrial trouble. This has always been embodied in the legion's rules, but in view of mutrepresentatipn in some political circles, it was feH- the position should again be stated. The legion, of course, with a great- many other organisations, has experienced a slackness during the period since the war, and it was resolved to oruer a state of artivitv in organisation througtiout all districts, and to press for a short amendment to the Defence Act giving the legion j official recognition as part of the defence forces of the Dominion. In this matter the lesion undertakes to find its own uniforms and equipment, as its rules command it to accept no financial aid from the State, but it will ask the department to issue rifles, which will remain the property of the Government just as in the Territorial forces. , , . It was reported that the Frontiersmen s Memorial Cup had been won, this year, bv Wairarapa Squadron. The competition for the D'Esterre. Cap, which is awarded on the highest averages for tie year, has not conc'nded, as the averages *"or several squadrons have yet to be oompiled. This silver cup was presented to the legion, as a perpetual challenge trophy, bv a committee of ladies at Hastings* fHawhe's Bay), who did splendid tervice throu?hout the war in looking after frontiersmen in Palestine, France and East AfricaIt, was reported that General J. C. Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, had written to London headquarters giving special praise to the legion's forces which had served under him in East Africa and a"so in the Rand Rebellion, Ind had forwarded his application for active membership of the legion. The next annual gathering will be heid in Masterton. The proceedings concluded with a smoke | social, at whirh'there were several guests ! interested in defence questions.