TIMARU RIFLES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11976, 27 January 1903, Page 3

TIMARU RIFLES.

FAREWELL TO LIEUTENANT WOOD. A special parade of the Timaru Rifles was held last evening, when 47 were present under Captain Beckingham and Lieutenants Wood and McNab. The companywas exercised in deploy movements in sections, but owing to the rain the drill was considerably curtailed and when they were marched back to the shed a complimentaiy smoke concert and presentation was given to Lieutenant Wood who is about to leave Timaru to take up a position on the staff of the Dunediu Boys' High School. The large room was well filled, and besides those mentioned above, Colonel Jowsey, Captain and Adjutant Foden and Q.M.S. Martin were also present. After the toast of " The King," Lieutenant Wood proposed the health of Lieu-tenant-Colonel Webb, their, present commander arid spoke highly of his efficiency and the great interest he took in the command of the forces. Captain. Beckingham proposed the toast of their late commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey, an officer for whom they all had. the greatest Tespect. He referred to the arrivals of Colonel Bailey, who came as a real live soldier to the district and took up the command from Colonel Lean. He well remembered the first parade .of the Timaru Rifles before Colonel Bailey, which took place in Stewart, Gracie and MacLean's horse bazaar, now owned by Messrs Guinness and LeCren, the company then, mustering 105. At this time it was the strongest volunteer corps in the colony. The colonel congratulated them on their fine muster and it was only the other evening when he said good-bye to the Battalion that he congratulated them on their fine parade (61), remarking that they mustered best when first inspected by him, and they still maintained their position when he left them. Colonel Bailey had done a great deal for volunteering in South Canterbury, and he mentioned the assistance he had given to nervous young officers who knew their work but could not put it into practice at the time. He was a good disciplinarian, a-' man who showed no favouritism and one who acted squarely in all his doings. Lieutenant McNab, wso claimed to have served under Colonel Bailey during his command <of the district, also referred to the Colonel's good qualities. Captain and Adjutant Foden and Lieutenant Wood also spoke endorsing the remarks of the previous speakers.

The toast of the Battalion staff coupled with the names of Colonel Jowsey and Captain and Adjutant Foden was next proposed by Captain Beekingham and tne officers named responded. Captain Beckingham then proposed the toast of the guest of the evening. It was with very much regret thaat they were losing .Lieutenant Wood, who had been associated with the corps for the last four years and tfluring this term he had by the keen.,' interest le had taken acquitted .himself as an officer most creditably., Lieutenant Wood lad had the command of, tie High School Cadets, which helped him considerably in his volunteering, and it was. only I when he was leaving them that they' fully realised lis loss. The captain .spoke at some length on the work of a lieutenant connected with a company and hoped that Lieutenant Wood,ypujja' join another corps. He had much "pleasure in presenting him with a gold medallion suitably inscribed, and he hoped that when he wore it he would look back with pride on the time he had spent with his comrades in the Timaru Rifles. He wished him every success and prosperity in the future. (Applause.) In replying, Lieutenant Wood sincerely thanked them for their handsome present. He referred to the time he first joined the corps when another corps was booming, and he had been told that he was going into the wrong one. However, that booming did not last, but his corps had successfully gone to the front. he bad had better opportunity, of picking up the drill than others, not only in tie cadets but, owing to the Boer war, the loss of some officers threw the work back on the subalterns. He mentioned the enjoyment he had derived from the camps, and spoke of the general good behaviour of the men on such occasions. He was also very grateful for the help given him by Captain Beckingham, who had the interest of the corps at heart. He again thanked them for their present and hoped the Timaru Rifles would continue to progress. During the. evening songs were rendered by Mr A. Cooper, Lieutenants Wood and McNab, Colour-Sergeant Higgins, Sergeant Holdgate, Corporal Karton and Privates Thompson, Murphy, Niall, Husband and Knott. The accomp%niments were tastefully played by Mr J. Watts. Several other toasts were honoured and a most enjoyable gathering was brought } to 'a- close at about 11 o'clock.