GUNNERS HELD UP.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 10

GUNNERS HELD UP.

■■■■■-D'- BATTERY AT "FEATHERSTON. ■■ A ...PEREMPTOEY "CEASE FIEE I' , ' : Yesterday afternoon the rank and file of tho D Battery, who were then getting reudy -'.for entrainment, en route, to Featlierston, there to engage in- live shell practice under service conditions during this afternoon and to-morrow, were startled to hear that there is to be no Sunday shooting, a peremptory order, it is stated, having been issued, from headquarters to that effect. Inquiries elicited the fact that although there has been in existence a regulation prohibiting the holding of capitation and. paid day-, light parades on Sundays, the rule, in the caae:df the field batteries, throughout New Zealand has been relaxed to suit the particular circumstances of field.* ar-, tillery training., Service practice, with live shell, must, it is explained, be carried out in; an -.area somewhat ■ remote from settlement, and as no such locality exists in the vicinity of Wellington, tho .local battory, for the last two training, seasons, has been.forced to go north over ] ,the. Rimutakas:' for ■■ a suitable shooting rango. ■' - '■' '■■.':■ \ . ;'•' ■ r ■ .7 ■■' V Necessarily, Vthd firing .has. had'/to bo fixed for the week-end, so that the men would be freo, from their city employ-, merits , to'attend the service'practice, and: get, back- to town by. Monday- morning. Tho year before last the, Battery, went to :Trenthain, and succeeded 'in get-' ting its ■;• firing ' accomplished, in one . day—Sunday. .'For',last year's, and the ■ impending, shoot, a range was found at -I'eatherston, and, on account of,, the distance from ■■■; town,'--the programme of service instruction and class-firing hasoeen. spread over.two. days—Saturday andSun;day. --.■: - c -,''■' .'":■' ' '■_- \. •..■/■ : ; :'■■ • ,'l'he result of .the prohibition , will'be to:compel, the -Battery', to, complete, both its -jinstructional and : class-firing in. the one! day, ■ an undertaking which .will, take strenuous - doing. ■; Added ;-.to that, the , gunners; who only .went up . last : night; are faced', with'the -task; of .dealing with a. mob of untrained.' hired horses—there are only eight-battery horses in Wellington—and a considerable , portion of the 'morning must;necessarily .bo. spent .in petting; the.:'strangeanimals used to ■ bey ing harnessed'up to'the guns and driven .over; rough /'country. 'Last: . yeai" .'-.'there verb some . lively , experiences, and 'one or two accidents.'., > ' .':; .'■•-.' '■'',■'■■:'•:

, The; gunners : are. considerably exercised in ; their > minds : over; the ..whole matter, although the.regulations afeclear'on the point. ,'The;, question is,'.whether these -ought 'j;p:be.'stra'ined: a l :little to suit their .pßCulia^i.circumstanoes;:''.",' It .is ■- understootT, that" 'a -protest; was' i recently -made' by. the ; ,'.Outlook,'i-'the';' journal bf?:tho Presbyterian ; Church,-on; the subject "of bnnday manoeuvres, : and 1 thisj has^.probably something, to dp with the decision of the,authorities to enforce the rule ;'