Volunteer News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 150, 8 June 1893, Page 9

Volunteer News.

(By

Rifleman.)

Very serious dissensions have arisen in the ranks of the Hamilton Light Infantry, and one man went so far as to ask Captain Reid to resign. Strange to say the officer not only overlooked this wilful piece of insubordination, but actually complied with the request. After events went to show that Captain Reid was very popular, and the discontented one stood alone. The regulations contain a special clause dealing with this affair, and if Captain Reid knows his duty he will enforce it.

I understand that things are not going quite smoothly in the Auckland Navals. Lieutenant Little is a most capable officer, so the fault is not quite clear. Major Banks takes more than ordinary interest in the Volunteer movement.

Captain Reid, of the Hamilton Infantry, is now practically without officers. Lieut. Jackson Palmer very seldom appears on parade now with his corps, the Engineers. He seems to be thoroughly sick of it. The Rifle Club system is slowly but surely killing the Volunteer movement. Lieut. G. Watson, of the Ponsonby Navals, is putting in a good deal of time over at the forts learning gunnery.

Capt. Miller, of the Ponsonby Navals, is one of the very few officers who set their face against shooting men who are bad attenders competing for company prizes. Nothing further has come to hand in reference to the New Zealand team of shooting men visiting Australia. Mr Whitney was a little too premature writing about those ball cartridges which were found amongst the blank at Pukekohe. It would have looked more decent to await the result of the inquiry.

Men who have never served a day in the Volunteer force continue to be taken on in the Permanent Force. More political influence. The Defence Minister has intimated that any corps under the strength will not only be debarred from capitating, but run a big risk of disbandment. The Retired and Unattached Lists are now so crowded as to be quite unwieldly. Despite the wretched weather on Saturday last the Ponsonby Navals fired their match with the Katoomba men, which ended in a draw. Poor musters are still the order of the day, but the shooting men roll up in strong force for prize shooting on the rifle range.