AUCKLAND GUNNERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 653, 2 November 1909, Page 5

AUCKLAND GUNNERS.

VISIT TO FORT - KEUWRNE. \ i ■ . ; .: ■ STATEMENT BY CAPTAIN KNWETT. MATTEftS DECIDEDLY MIXED. * furiiifir inquiries which, havo boon mado by a Dosikiok representative concerning the surprise visit paid to tho Petono Navals'training Camp at Port Kolbumo by a half company _. of Auckland garrison artillery volunteers under • Captain Knyvott on • Saturday ■ latt,; and tho* •,■ unfortunate position.in which tho visitors found ' themselyos, there oppoars to vory littlo doubt 'that someone—who, ms not cleaf-hm "»' blucdorod rather badly. Matters aro drcidod! j mixed at prcsont, and from tho multitude o) conflicting statements, it fa: sommrhat" difficult ■ ■ ; • to J arrlye at' tho real: truth of tho matter, vH: : On; 3 thing appeats to be cortain—somoono; in . ■ Auckland "left undono the things ho' ought - t« havo done.", But let tho statements here* undor speak for theW solves.

Captain Knyvett Explains/ Captain F. B. Knyvett, officer commanding " '' No. 1 Company, Auckland Garrison Artillerv,. , " called' at. tho .office of thp ; .Dominion yepter. day to stato. that tho article whioh appoarcd -■ v m yesterday's issue regarding the visit did not prosont the facts in'their frue light, <and was, m effect; Bomewhat of a reflection upon him. self and. tho members of: his company, Whore the . narrative was in error, ho taitl, was in stating that tho company had: cftnio down to hold a shooting competition with the PeWi Navals,, and also in:, the'" statement tliat the ■ visit..was.unexpected;,; Aa?a matter of fact he had been :n coihmnmcation'with Captain Ellis, officer commanding tlio Polone Navals, for some time, and through : that officer- tho' com- 1 pany had been invited to' visit Wellington dnr- ■ ' ing tho timo thoy'were in camp, Thoy had endeavoured to get nassos over tho railway forthe men, .but these'' had been , refused. This was' assumed by thosa in' VfclUuffton m ' tantamount toan annotmecMMit that- they : ' w-ould not,come south. 1 ' But thoy were so' keen < on: coming, tbht even that check did : not detei. them. They Jiad offbrs. from outsiders to pav half the fares," and 1 tho: mon di 3 the rest. Ho and, his follow ojßcers'hod gone- 1 ■■ to no end of ■ trouble to interview .the omployors of many of the men that' thoy'might bo ' to come 60nth> and in a great many cases thr > men had sacrificed their pay. on l tho otf-chajicl ■•• of learning sOmothing in tho art of gwmerj iv: in Wellington. As avidonoo that the corps were not unex'." pected ih Wellington, Captain ICynvott showed■' ;> tho following telegram received by him on the train;—. )}. i "Captain Knyvett, travelling, South Main 1 -Trunk.Expressi-Marton Junction. If not i: on traini, rcaddrcss to, Queen Stroot, Auck- -- - t'i I land.—Arrangements made meetvou; Pro- ■ coed straight Ngtihauranga.' •. H2 •... ~ , WillisStreet, numbcvs.r-Captfiiu. EUis." v, To Pick Up ,"Wrink!es." AeM as to tho reaßori of tho visit /if it was' understood thcro was not'to be ft big glin com*- dh-w petition),, Captain KnyvoH explained 'that 1 for, ' ;'■* soma ycars i past tho l'otono Navals held » high 'position in gunnery—thoir, mamnsan'' • : ship' was as cxcclloiit as their general effi.: ' . cienoy. ' Naturally, those keen- on their work, ' as .they wcro in Auoklond, dosirect to not® tin-; der wnat conditions niin did euoh 'good - work, aud, if thoy could . pick up • . wrinklofi" in. gunnery ivas ,Well ,as improT<'their; nono-too-satisfaptory; oouditious. : i;SuiiolyV.'C that was a laudable ambition.:' Their wjsh'to ■sco tho l'otonoi mon ht work had. only one ■■? aim—to improvo thciusolves. It was pointed ' 1 ■■, out'that if that was all that whs dosirtd. ths : y 6amo knowledge, coilld have 'been attniiled one or .two officers or offlcera and m{n; but ■ Captain Knyvett stated that theyi wished a» v ,v, manjr mcm Dors to watohs the 'operatibnt as ' possible. In conclusion, lie-remarked that; if ,a', body: of ■ Wellington gunperii had ■ tomo to Auekland 'under, similar conditions they wonld / ■ have received - very , different , .'to that *hich' thoy thbmsolves hart received, and ; the misrepresentation of tho facts in the paper . ifcdJiottly-. made things'.worse.•: So.\muon 60,0 •>< i indeed; that most ofi tho rcon, who. were to < iiOflmined a weoKiireturncti.+p Auckland - }:.. b'y : . yesterday's' Main- Trunk express.; :x . ' .', . '■;

"Vta Camt to Shoot."' ■ « ' ('.'Our, representative had , & conversation ;<£' • "with! oho 'of' the Auckland : gunners., i ■ vrith the .objwt of if possible, ono. ol tho puzzles of the situation. > As ono of tho men,'can you:state definitely ... whether or not you camo down to Wellington with''the object of enganng inv.a ; shooting !>. match with the, Petono Navale?

"Certainly wo did/' ho replied, v : .>,>.■ Thero was no doubt m your minds about that?-; >:>;"!VV "No" i Did you get permission: to. ttavolP , .> -> . ' "I suppose wo did. Wo must have got t»r« mission, for tho officer, commanding tho division ' > camo down to sra u8 off w hen; wo; tell, in at. thii. drillshed, and wished us. oviir& success. . 1 Have'you: any idea as to how this misunder« Standing has arisen? _ . ' _ i "Somo trouble Tvithllio Defcnto Department here, Jt suppose. CaptiiiriOßldhaT'dson Biys It • ■ would cost too much (b havo a match. Another thing, the Petone.-Navals/liavo got to ,£re for ; the cup; and' there would" not bo any timo for a'company match." The men aro natiifally' very-disappoitiwd?,- : ."Some of them : are pjctty mad about it, htv : replied. What the Iftlone Navail Say. *"''' ', '«■ '■■■ At 4115 p.ni. : ori &tiirday,' ; our'reprMcntativ* ; : was informed, '.irhfen.' the I'fltonO Navals; 'wfero paraded; for- dismissal,.- Captain /Elhs, offipe?' ? { commanding tlio corps, said:— . ' ' ,' , "There l(as bfefri a.tot-ofstalk lately abott • the! Auckland gunnets Coming down-here.what - '.v I want vou men 1 to iindorstand'ia this.i Uptam ; ; Knyvett tells; me ho -is; ■Departtnfetit tolls mo ho is not,-corimig. >WhplJ -■;=<- the express arrives ht Tliorndon I sbnll laot bA ; .. surprised to' sea Captain Ivnyvett .oil board, and. rshall not bo-'surprised if noMk-not oh btotd. - That's all I.can tell you: about it. lii tho course of a - conversation w ltli Oaptaiu Ellib yesterday afternooil, tliot oflicpr said to our representative that tho Petono I>avals had,, ~ expressed their" willingness >ild plouMifo to f6> oeive the- Auckland; Rlintiersifihoald JtheV «om» to Wellingtons "I might add,' .-■ eaid ho, that X . told them to be sure to get authority '« comd. Captain-Ellis went on to says; ''Tho .mat", ter Was talked' 1 about •! at/Auckland last 'Eatk , tor.' ■" Nothing fuller wrts /hoard': -here until . three weeks. ago,/ when I got a letter to shy , i that railway passes'and/ivarythiiig had botn ~ fix'fed up. ': X-'wroto;, back', stating that I WM i very pleased to'hear thattWy.TVcro cop*'ng and that tho idea was a very, good onb.' 1 ItoI pressed 'iipon tlienv the/ importance' of having ; ■ i cveryihirig i ; e!julttr-., , and > ,;omcial, -In reply I got Vno followingitelegratni—'-I'ropose-Itaving. ■. 4 - Alickklid evening, of r.OctobCr 2D.;. Is that convenient t6 ; ' yottßr-InVrbSjyV.l telegraphed as .delighted. ■ l'loa6o,arrango\oflw , cially with the: Defence Department bo that I may requisition' for ctc,' lII' tlio mean* • timo I had. Ward'nothing further from the Defence Department,"and in- reply to my in« quiries was informed that , nothing had . como, through' ,from Auckland; , It was necessary foritho Auckland, people, te apply to hcadquartors for permission to travel m uniform from / . ono military district to. another." V/ •,