VOLUNTEER PARADE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 764, 22 October 1886, Page 19

VOLUNTEER PARADE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL Sik s—The 5 —The parade of the "Volunteers in review order last week, at the Mount Cook Barracks, was about the best turn-out of the kind held in Wellington for some years. The various corps, after going through the farce of inspection (for it was little more, ,the moon being hid by a bank of dark cloud* which prevented the officers from observing whether the accoutrements were up to' the mark or not), were marched, through the town, headed by the Garrisons* Band° On reaching Lambton-quay, the , order was given, "Front ! form company," thus bringing each company into a line. The marching of the men while in line was generally pretty o-ood, when we take into consideration the fact that the wind was blowing a regular gale from the north, and the uneven nature of the street. The marching of the Wellington Na'vals, City Rifles and Guards was, if anything, better than that of the rest; indeed, the Guards made quite an appearance in their fulldress uniform. It is proposed to make this company wear helmets in order to correspond with the reßt of the Battalion. Now if this is carried out it will only spoil the whole appearance of the uniform, which is far better left as it now is. The officers who proposed that the Guards should wear helmets so as to correspond to the Battalion were surely actuated by mere jealous motives, because their companies do not wear nearly so good a uniform as that corps. What will those officers do if the Highland company is formed? Will they object to the corps wearing bonnets because they do not correspond with the Battalion, I should like to know? After

marching past the Government Buildings the various corps again formed fours, and marched to the reclaimed land, Thorndon, ■where they executed some movements in a very creditable manner. They were then marched up Tinakori-road down Molesworth-street to the Volunteer Drillshed, where they were dismissed at 10.30 p.m. A great deal of dissatisfaction was manifested by the men at having to parade till such a late hour, and it is to be hoped that in future the Volunteers will be dismissed at a reasonable hour, and not kept at parade half the night.— I am, &c., Hour Son Qui Mal y Pense. |