"PLAIN UNVARNISHED TRUTH."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 906, 27 August 1910, Page 5

"PLAIN UNVARNISHED TRUTH."

■ ■ " •TERRITORIALS • REPRIMANDED. ' ■. •' :"We.; heard the. :plain unvarnished , . tenth about : ourselves to-night," ob-' :'■ served-a man in .khaki to a'represents-. ■ ' tive of '.'The. Dominion last evening. ""What.have\you been doing now?" asked the pressman. ' ':'.'■■' . "Well;" said the territorial, ."what happened was this," and he'proceeded to relate an incident which ' occurred ' /at.the weekly parade of the Post and Telegraph Rifles that evening.■"' There : wore only 22 on parade, one officer (Lieutenant Hulbert)', and , one sergeant. ■ Lieutenant Hulbert, who is also -Sjg- ■'.'" nailing Officer,- attached to DistrictHeadquarters; ■ is -usually engaged with the signalling section of the company on parade nights, but owing to the in- ■ disposition of one of the' other officers, took charge last. H evening./"' After :-in- ■: spec'tion, Jie requested the sergeant to take the men into one-of the 'lecture ■'- rooms, and there told themsome plain ' tnlths about , their '"-.-discipline and their appearance on parade. , He began by .'■ asking two or'three of the men if they did not know any -better than unloosen •'■ their belts-and'snToke before they were dismissed from parade! Then he referred in scathing.terms to the state of their '~■:•, boots and belts, and to their apparent in- : ■ /,'diifereiico to the most elementary rules ■ of-discipline. ■ Their appearance on " ;parade was disgraceful, and the comments ho had sometimes hoard passed i apon them by other officers of the "bat- " talibn had'filled him. with'shame. The ■'. First. "Wellington Rifle' Battalion was generally accepted to'be the best battalion- in New Zealand, but this excel-.' '. lent reputation cbukl not long ■ be. maintained.if the Post and Telegraph Rifles wore going to continue in this fashion. / "The company has-,got into a very ■ eerious condition,", concluded the man in khaki, as he .finished his recital.