THE OLD LEGION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2417, 24 March 1915, Page 7

THE OLD LEGION

DUTY OF FRONTIERSMEN HIGH STANDARD SET Members of the Legion of Frontierstaen, to the number of about forty, who ' are at present in camp at Trentham, as members of tho Reinforcements, gathered at Barrett's Hotel last night to entertain • Captain. D'Eiterre,.. of Auokland, who has been maii.ly responsible for bringing the Legion to its present strength in New Zealand. lie prinoipal toast of the evening, that of the guest, was proposed by iFrontiersman Wilson, who said that although they had not all had the pleasure of meeting Captain D'Esterre before, they knew of the good work he ihad been doing for Frontiersmen, in '.the early stages of their organisation ■ in New, Zealand they had not been in a strong 6tate, and had it not been for Captain D'Esterre's work he did not .think the movement would have survived in the Dominion. . Captain D'Esterre met with a hearty of applause on rising to speak. He said that he had to convey good iwishes to the members present from Several squadrons in Wanganui, Northern ■ Wairoa, Wairarapa, and elsewhere. iHe- wanted- to address his remarks. ta ■'•those newer members of the Legion, i and he wanted to draw their attention to the world-wide brotherhood o which they belonged. It was interesting to reflect that there were 12,000 members scattered over the world, and Iwherever they went, wearing the badge •of the Legion, they would meet friends. Some of the members who had already reached Cairo had founded a branch there. (The members in New Zealand had been disappointed at the commencement 'when their offers ,to supply. squadrons !within 24 hours and 48 hours, and to : inan a transport, had not been accepted by the Government, but that could not be helped. The first regiment from Canada, Princess Patricia's, had been organised and almost filled by Legionraires, and they had already given a good account of themselves. Wherever the members were it could be depended , that they were doing their duty. In the North Island of New Zealand they had got over 1500 members, and soon they ivvould have 1000 with the forces. Over ! 65 per cent, of the "A" class members were now with the forces, and many of lithe "B" class, who originally volun- • tee red for home defence, had already gone. (Applause.) Captain. D'Esterre referred to particular districts where had kept fairly well togethor '.when going abroad for service. Although i"ihe men had to go in the Territorial .uniform when they would have preferred their own, and had to serve with ■other officers, the fact remained that Jthe members of the Legion were playing an important part, and were exercising a good influence on the man jwith whom ■ they were associated. Ho '■'had had good reports from the Comjmandant.at Treritham as to their conFduct, and the standard they set up. AH c;those things showed the good of the (Legion. When their services as a were refused at the start of the fwar it was said that that was the eni '.of the Legion, but he took a different Itview; he held that the future jleld the possibilities of great 'progress for them. Probably they would (grow along the lines of a military lodge, .end probably they would play an imporVtant part in the military organisation jof fhe country; - The movement, he' I pointed out, had started after the end jof the South African War. The pro;cress at first was very slow, and- in I 'July, 1912, they had only GOOO membe™- Now it was over 12,000,' nearly 5a3,000 he expected, showing their rapid fSn'crease in tne last few years. In the Fifuture he thought they would look back ;rto the 13,000 mark, and think what a iemall body they were then. They were 4m to be recognised by the ( l\Var Office when war broke out, and their hopes. All the members <jwho were going to the war had at the (tack of .their mmds the hope that they would ultimately come together again a-s body of Frontiersmen. The way in Avhich the members, in New Zealand, aarter their nr6t disappointment, re(gponrled to the call 0 f the [Uiimpire was magnificent. (A> j!,plause.) They played their parts as tmen, and showed their spirit and re.Bourceiuluess when they adapted themselves to conditions, and went •into the regular forces. The new mem.•lters might, not now see a great deal j-m the legion, but later they would to see there was a great deal in pt He had heard it said that they "were • nothing more than a drunken crowd of cattle rustlers, something after the i;type of the Bar X Ranch men, or Something of that sort, but he said that nowhere m the world could they find a more sober body of men, and men more chivalrous than the Frontiersmen. iHe had every confidence in them, and knew they would do their duty. He twished to say "good-bye" to them, and aoped to welcome them all back. (Ai> Mause.)

Frontiersman Howell, in proposing ; na toast of the Navy and Army, referred particularly to the good work .done by the Navy. Had it not been or their work they (fcbe Frontiersmen) •would not have been there that night i.(Applause.) ° irontiersman Ingall briefly responded. I 1 rontiersman Mason proposed the It-oast of "The Good Old Legion." It t!' 36 j- duty he had, he said, but he did not need to say much about the Legion, thoy were nearly always ■known by their hard faces. (Laughter.) ■A poet had said about them that they '"never came back, and they never iwrote." Judging from what he had seen -.m the camp they wrote a lot, and he hoped they would come hack. (Applause.)

irontiersman Hall, in reply, regretted that they were not all in the one uniform—that of the Legion. He Hhought they were doing- a good work at Ifrentham as Frontiersmen.

_ ''The Ladies" was proposed by Fron- ; tiersmau Hill and responded to by the i chairman ;■ "The Organiser and Treasurer at Trentham" (Frontiersmen Jesnop and Smith), was proposed by Captain D'Esterre and responded to by .frontiersman Jessop and Smith.