ENGINEERS' REUNION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14888, 30 January 1914, Page 8

ENGINEERS' REUNION.

_ »- OLD TIMES RECALLED. OFFICERS HONOURED. One-time members of the old No. 1 Company, New Zealand Engineers, mustered in good force last night in the rooms of the Veterans' Association at a smoking concert held for the purpose of honouring Major Jones, who has retired from the command of the corps. Capt. Midgley presided, and had on his right Major Jones, and on his left Lieut.-Col. Chaplain Bean. Other officers and ex-officers present were:—Major Beattie, Capt. J. J. Dougall, Capt. McGee, Capt. Finms, Capt. Heintz, and Lieuts. Oakey, McDonald, Bradley, Salter, Barnes, Evans, and Kiddey. The toast of "The King" was enthusiastically honoured. "Ex-Members of the Corps" was proposed by Lieut. Evans in a speech marked by some humorous references to the early days of the Company. He was pleased, he said, to see_ so many exmembers present, and to oe reminded of the little games they had enjoyed together. He recalled the turn-out with tho fire brigade, the night parade, and the occasion when they had a band in camp. (A voice: "The one that fell into the ditch!") That was tho night that Mr Bean was drum-major. ±Teeent officers of the corps must find it gratifying, he continued, to see exmembers rally round the present corps. There was hardly an occasion when the corps turned out that ono did not see out of the corner of one's eyes a number of ex-members taking a keen, interest in what was being done. He was pleased to see Sapper Diffen present. (Applause.) He was the only member of the original corps present, having joined in 1885, when the corps was formed. He was also pleased to see among the officers present Capt. McGee —no gathering of Engineers would be complete without his presence. Of Capt. Dougall they did not see so much now as they would like to. That Avas the worst of a, man getting mixed" up with politics and drifting away from associations in connexion with which he had spent the happiest time of his life. Hβ was also glad to see Lieut. Bridgeman present—one of the oldest members of the corps. Concluding, he hoped ex-members would continue their interest in the corps. The toast was enthusiastically honoured. Capt. McGee, responding, .eaid that he was pleased to see that the same spirit animated present members as animated the old members. Ho was sure that if ex-members took an interest in the present corps they could be of great assistance to it. But for the fact that the corps had reached its full strength he (Capt. McGee) would have been a member of it at the time Sapper Diffen joined it. Ho hoped the time was not far distant when the engineers, the signalling, and the railway and transport corps would be formed into a regiment. Lieut. Bridgeman endorsed Capt. McGee's remarks, and said that it was twenty-three years since he joined the corps. He suggested that it ..would be a gracious act to elect Major Jones, who was retiring from the command, a life member of the corps. Sapper Diffen hoped that an , ex-Mem-bers' Association would be formed' in connexion with the corps. Captain Dougall then presented Territorial decorations to Lieut.-Colonel Chaplain Bean and Captain Midgley. In doing so, he said that from a purely military-point of view he doubted tho expediency of asking him to do so, but as they were aware, the senior officers of the district were absent on military duty in another part of the Dominion. He paid high tributes to both officers. Three ringing cheers were given for Lieut.-Colonel Chaplain Bean and Captain Midgley. .. . Captain Midgley proposed the tpast of Major Jones,,- and dealt at stome. length with the valuable services rendered by him during the twenty-three years he was connected with the corps. Lieut.-Colonel Chaplain Bean eaid that.three things had struck him with regard to Major Jones —his knowledge of every branch of work connected with the engineers, his extreme modesty, and his unobtrusive generosity. ' Major Jones, he remarked, was too young a man to-give up the Engineers. "Bocause a fellow lives six miles away, and has a little business to do, it is no reason why he should give Tip the best company in the universe," he said. . Sergt.-Major Richardson and Sapper Carretti also eulogised Major Jones's services to the corps. Captain Midgley then asked Major Jones to accept, on behalf of the members of the present corps, a handsome hall clock, and Captain Dougall, on behalf of the ex-members, asked him to accept the'engravings. Major Jones was carried round the room shoulder-high, amidst great enthusiasm. ' Major Jones, in responding, thanked the corps and the ex-members for their presents, and also thanked the speakers for their kindly references to Mrs Jones, who had taken an interest equal to his own in the corps. He spoke at considerable length, on jhe history, of the company. Ho remarked that any success attained by the corps was due mainly to the* harmonious feeling that existed in it, and to the unfailing loyalty always given to. him by both the present and past members of it. Concluding, ho said that he hoped a little later to take up some branch of the service. • ■ . Several other toasts were honoured, and during the evening vocal and other items were given by Private Jenkins, Messrs J. and L. Barnes, Captain Heintz, Lieut. Oakey. Major Beattie, Sappers Barry and Innes, and Sergt. Haigh.