VOLUNTEER NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 88, 25 March 1902, Page 2

VOLUNTEER NEWS.

' Thkbi was a good muster of the local , volunteer corps and Garrison Bud at I the battalion parade on Monday evenjing. The men marched to the Recreation Grounds and put in some battalion drill. Subsequently, at the Drill Hall, Colonel Ellis made a presentation to Celour-Sergesnt Okey, of the TaranaU Rifles, of two long fervice medals—* Imperial and New Zealand Government. The Oolonal complimented the recipient, and addressed a few words of encouragement to a'l the volunteers. Colour-Sergeant Okey was heartily cheered on resuming his place. Thu Guards held an election of ofioui afier the parade, whon Lieutenant Conk was unanimously el- c(ed caplai* and Se geant Mestecger second lieutenant.

The annual meeting of the Rifles ' will be at 7.30 to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, in the Drill Hall. A full act*! darce is requested, as a lot of ; important business is to be trusacted, ii eluding the election of effioere, for which two-thirds of the compaoy ii requited to be present. Members are to at'end in blue uniform, without leggi'Jgs or side-arms. The battalion camp is to open at Hawera this week, and {he local men will be taken down by train at 6.15 on Thursday evening. There seems every probability that very few of tde Stratford Rifles will be able to attend the battalion oamp at Hawera, o*ing to the uncertainty which existed as to whether the camp would be held, the men nave made other arrangement*. H»d they had longer notice no doubt they would have been glad, says the Settler, to go, iK used every effort to do so. The same remark applies to New Plymouth volunteers. But somehow there seems a (uncus fatality about New Zsaland War Office arrangements, things being allow.*! to jo* along " at ease" till the last uiocuenr, when in the rush and scurry something hangs fire, and the success of a gathering is imp irel Tim Mvo shilling* subscription required of competitors iu the Taranaki Ifet.iet Mach which was tiredjttt the uioitirig held on too StratfordTange lust wuek baa been uiaue thj cause of

a dispute, and the oouooil bat not paid the priza money pending a sotthmrat. From what we can gather, a prottrt has been made by a few membsi e of the o*kur* Rifle Club who journeyed ta Stratford with ibeintention if competing; they however refused to pty the sun&ciiption, and returned none with* out firing a shot. I Tue Stratford Seltltr cbaraotoitM the action of the Oakum men a* in

■porttttw like, and lays tbey should have contributed toward the expense of the association as other cooipetitois did. It does sot mention, however, 4hat some of the other competitors only paid the five shillings under protest. The prizes were allocated out of the Taranaki district portion of the Gavernanent subsidy for the encouragement of iifle shoolinsj, and the conditions of the match, as published by the associatioo •were that it was to be open to all members of the Permanent Artillery, volunteers, or citizens resident in Tarajaaki, an entrance fee of 3s being pay*ble. There may have been good and sufficient reasons why another 5s should have been added ac the last moment;; but they do not appear at first sight. Moreover, the occurrence of a disagreement of thw kind, at the first meeting of the association, is not conducive te success at future gatherings.

THE BISLET TEAM. FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. Wellinqtoh, March 24. The New Zealand rifle team for Bisley will lewa the colony abjut April 24th. The personnel of the team is not yet finally decided upon.