ARTILLERY FIASCO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 7

ARTILLERY FIASCO.

FURTHER EXPLANATION. INTENSE IRRITATION IN AUCKLAND. STATEMENT BY LIEUTBNANT-COLONEL WOLFE. (By'Toleerftph.-gpcclal Correspondent) - Auckland, November 2. In connection with tho artillery > fiasco, an official statement was sought from LioutenantCo'onel Wolfe, Officer Commanding tho Auckland District this morning, Ho saiuj-

"I consider ;(; a great pity that this matter has boon ventilated in tho papcis at all beforo being propoliy investigated. Certain erroneous ideas regarding the matter ha\o gained ourfoncy, us for instance.— , "(1) I, tho Officer Commanding the District did not appear on parade and. wisu the conipam success before leaving. I was not in Auckland at tho timo. , i "(2) I neuir.gave any permission for tho company to leave Auckl&nu. "(A) On last Thursday fortnight, October U, I infoimtd the Officer Commanding the Gam son Artillery Division that No. 1 .Company could not leave Auckland without tho permission of tho proper authorities, application for! which should be mado through the proper onannel. "Up to the date of my loavlng Auckland (October 22) to attend a, district class, no apPiicanon was made for permission m connection with this matter.'> During my absence, on October 28, an application was made for the men to travel m uniform to Wellington. This was fornorded in the usual flay .by tho Acting-Adjutant-General (Captain Pllklngton) on the same day. It is difficult to seo how a reply could hare been expected before tho company left of thoir own'accord on Friday eveninu October 30. , t "Then again, tho man interviewed in Wolhngtpn declared tltftt tho men had not a doubt m thoir minds! that they wont to Weihnjrton to fire a match with tho Petono Navals. This was, in fact, stated in Company Orders issued some time ago. Qn the other hand, it appears that > there has been a change since thofie orders weTe issued, since Captain Knyvett states positively in an interview given inWelI linftton yesterday, that, it was known that there was to bo no firing, and that the expedi. tion was solely for tho purpose of paying -a visit to the Petona Navals to watoh the latter conduct their firing practice, and to study tho gear in Wellington, That the Defenco Depart inentMu Wellington was undqr a misapprehension as to the object of tho visit and the trouble on Saturday seems to transpire from the reported statement of Captain Riohardson, to tho effect that 'It would cost too much to have a matoh.' In fine, it would appear ■'."(I); Tho, Defence thought the visip was'for I'the purpose of firing a match, and did not sanction it on the score of o-sponao.N % (2) The men who went'down to Wellington thoucht they word going to fire. "(8) The officers apparently knew that there ivfts to bo no firing." , , Th«' mmdent hae caused intense irritation in volunteering circles, and tho Defence Dottirtmont is ronndly abused, By some if is asscited that the Department knew a considerable whiU back that ho firing ivns contemplated, that a party of our immartillory wished to visit the Pcwno Knvals in camp. Any volunteer who pays one shilling' ontranco fco for a singlestick competition at Palmcrston North of November 10 can get a free return fiass from the Eailway Department, and could oavo two or three weeks before that date to practise there. All the Department was asked to do, it is asserted, was to extend the freo pass to Wellington.