RESIGNATION OF MAJOR ATKINSON.

Evening Star, Issue 3714, 18 January 1875, Page 2

RESIGNATION OF MAJOR ATKINSON.

Major Atkin on has carri d into effect his long-contemplated purjios- of resigning the command of the Otago Volunteers, and in a few days leaves here for Auckland, in which Province he int > ds t > settle down to agricultural pursuits. In the last number of the ‘ North Otago Times’ appears an article, evidently fnm the pen of a brother officer, eulogistic of Maj ir Atkinson’s se vices to volunteering in this Province, and from it we make an extract, with which Wo entirely ag eo n Mncti of tbo prestige to which the Otago Volunteers attained as rifle shots W*s due to the earnest efforts put fo’-th by viajpr Atkipson to keep up their esprit dt corps. It may indeed be raid of him that his heart was in his work, ; it is only fair to record that during the moo years he has fcWa in the Tronalte be has atbieved a

great deal. When Major Atkinson arrived in Otago the Dunedin High School was the only school in the Province in which drill was taught ; now all the schools io that City are regulady iu-ar icted in drill, aud of those out of Dunedin nearly half tin* teachers have studied the rudiments of military drill, and are able to teach it to the 1> ys uqie their instruction. A go'd deal ot ttic credit for the change brought about mav he aUnbuu-d 1 o Major Vtkih>on. Then, again, t'-e introduction of disc-mark-in r ioro this Province. if .ot ,-iho into t.lie Co'ony, may wc believe, be t acod to that i ffieer. and the advantages of that system ,ve bio generally recognised to mel commetit. During ht-» nine >ears’ servi -e in Otaco Maj n- 'tkinson has, by his energy and perseverance, made his ma k in volunteer matt-rs. and, we venture t> say, will be gro itlr miss d, Utd he jdied the Otago force, this Provinc had m-ver been re ore seated at the. Coloni d tiring, aud su .sequent hereto th- Champion Beit for the Colony was won and held for seven successive years by Otago men ; six times against the whole olony, and once a aiost the Middle Island. If it were only in these ma ters, Viaj < tkinsop has at lerst done something for the Province and the Colony, and it muss >ie remembered that ihe duties of the command until very recently embraced, the whole Pro vince, and were unusually heavy ; the distr ct being larger than those of Auckland, Thames, and Waiuku, and also larger than those of Wellington, the Hutt, and Castle Point in each of which they have a staff officer on the same salary. We have said enough to show even the recruits in our Volunteer force that by the resignation of Major Atkinson they lose a most useful and efficient officer, one to whom Volunteering in dago owes very much ; and we are glad to hear that be is not to be allowed to take his departure without some recognition at the hj inds of officers and men of the esteem in which he is be ! d.”