PRESENTATION TO COLONEL STAPP BY THE CADETS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9139, 21 July 1891, Page 2

PRESENTATION TO COLONEL STAPP BY THE CADETS.

On Friday afternoon, the Central School Cadets, under the command of Captain Dempsey, and Lieuts. Hißlop and Mills, presented Colonel Stapp, the late Commanding Officer of the District with a silver mounted walking stick, bearing tho following inscription. "Presented to Colonel Stapp by the Central School Cadets, New Plymouth." Captain Dempsey, in making tho presentation on behalf of tho boys, said : — Colonel Stapp, when tho boys i heard that your official connection with this company was at an end, they were sorry to lose a commanding officer, who had always treated them with snch kindness and consideration, and they made up their minds not to let the opportunity pass without showing you some mark of thoir respect and esteem on your retirement from your public duties. They wish to show their gratitude to you, in the shape of a smell souvenir, for the friendly feeling and hearty sympathy that you havo always shown towards them during tho time, now more then five years, that tho company has been in existence. As was only natural among small boys, tbeir drill was not at all times what you could havo wished, yet you never spoke harshly to them, or blamed them for their mistake, but excused their shortcomings, and encouraged them to greater zeal and exertion. They also feel grateful to you for tho kindly words of advico that you never failed to impress on them at your inspection of tho company. You have again and again urged on them tho advantages of cultivating an upright and manly bearing as likely to secure good health, together with a straightforward and honourable nature. The boys are glad to see that your health is so much improved, and they join in hoping that you will havo a prosperous and happy life. They ask you to accept this walking Btiok, and with it their hearty good wishes, that you will long live to enjoy its use. Colonel S'i'Ai'P, in replying, said .—. — Cnptfcin Dempsoy, oflicers, non commissioned officers, and members of Central School Cadets, it is a surprise to me to bo the recipient of such a handsome present from the youngest corpa under my late command. I feel that this is one of the proudest moments of my life, but at tho same time one of tho saddest, to, know that I have, through age aad infirmity, been obliged to sheath my sword for ever. I do not want to sing my own praises, but quote the woids of Sir Harry Atkinson when advocating my causo for a pension before a Committee of tho House. He said, " Gentlemen, you cannot rcaliso tho worth of this officer in the past. It is a natter of history : but the duy was that not a man":would go out to fight unless ho led them." 1 wish every success to the Central School Cadets. 1 am of opinion the Cadets ought to receive every , encouragement, as they are the backbone of the volunteers of the future, in tho highest sense of the word ; in the best sense of what is called the military element. What is tho military element? Disciplines and organisation. Discipline is not drill though drill ia a very important part of' discifjlinno. But what is discipline ? , Discipline means the discharge of duty with the greatest accuracy and perfection possible, us to the time in carrying out superiors' orders, and in every grado of chose in charge as to whether all wants are thoroughly supplied, all defocts looked into and remedied. Now, are we not all wanting in discipline, and ■ what bettor preparation for civil life than this training !in discipline could there bo ? I ' am' | convinced that if the country would show,' more liberality to the Volunteer force, they would make due and . proper roturn for that liberality. I do . not mean to confine them Btrictly to, be liberal so far as money grants, but liberal in showing a general appreciation .of ,^ho services tho volunteer force render, tO;thou colony. 1 thank you most sincerely 'for' «• tho handsome prosent, which I shall revere l as long as I live. I shall leave it to 'my '* son, Arthur, an an heirloom to remind him • of the happy dayß he spent at the New i Plymouth Central School i,.> j Three hearty cheers for tho gallant oH > I Colonel brought to a conclusion the proceedings. Nothing surprised tho natives of the 2 West of Ireland more during the recont tour of the Chief Secretary, than tho appearance of Mr Balfour, his way of speaking aud of addressing different persons. They had not expected exactly an ogro, but at loust a fierce looking man and ono who spoke roughly aud comported himself in a dominoeringr way. They; kept saying, "Can that bo Bajfour?' Is Balfour^, like that ? He's just civil spoken, indeed, and it's not BalEour, it's not, if ye didn't ■ say so." And they kept looking at him as , if doubting their eyes, and in a way which really was exceedingly funny An old i Roman Catholic priest said : '■ Thno will • show what theso light railways will do ; \ in my long life no man has done • for Ireland one half or one quarter ■ what Mr Balfour ban done Bince he has settled down to his work, and it - is in him probably to do a great deal nioie. I believe the railways will start new industries, will collect people together along the bauks of the line, dimisod mills will bo ut work again and new ones will bo built, and— well, sir, in a word, Ireland will be prosperous, and will have to thank the Scotch Chiof Sociotaiy of an. Euglisl* (jovuruuent for H."