EASTER VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1834, 8 January 1880, Page 3

EASTER VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

A meeting of the committee of the Easter Volunteer review took place last night at the Commercial Hotel. Major Lean ocoupied the ohair, the other members present being Captain Craig, Captain Warner (hon. sec), Lieut. Wolfe, Lieut. Strange, Sub-Lieut. Francis, Sergeant-Major McGuinness, Ser-geant-Major Parker, Sergeant Francis, and Sergeant Judge. The Chairman commenced the business by imparting to the committee the substance of the information he had collected since they last met relative to the reviews held in Dunedin and Invercargill in 1878 9. He said that he had scarcely deemed it advisable to attempt to raise subscriptions towards the object they had in view until the holidays were over, and the prospects of the harvest were defined, keeping in mind the not very cheering financial crisis they had passed through. In the meantime he had written to collect such statistics of former meetings of a similar character in order to obtain some idea of the numbers they might expect would attend the review at Easter. This information, as he had before stated, referred to the reviews held at Dunedin and Invercargill. In the former place the majority of the "Volunteers were residents, and no subscriptions were raised towards billetting the men, but in Invercargill, where the total number of visitors was 750, subFcriptions to the amount of £674 15s 5d were raised, of which the hotelkeepers contributed £ll2 Is. The number of Volunteers who attended the review at Dunedin in 1878 were 1006 men and 474 cadets, while at Invercargill the visitors had numbered 750, which, with the local contingent of 300, made up a total of 1050. He might estimate the probable attendance here at Easter as thus : Artillerv, 460 ; Naval Brigade, 300; Bines-Lieutenant-Colon el Staveley's district, 400 ; Oamaru district, 100 ; luvercargill, 85 ; and Canterbury, 220, making, roughly estimated, a force of 1600 men, but it was exceedingly probable that the gross total would be increased by 300 more men. Putting down as a fair amount the head money to be paid by the members of each; corps at 10s per man, there would thus remain upwards of £SOO which would h»ve to be raised. Several methods had suggested themselves for this purpose, which he would enumerate. The Jockey Club had in a very kind and liberal spirit granted the use of the racecourse, allowing the Volunteers to receive a third of all the privileges. These would comprise a third of the sum obtained from the booths that were let, and the same proportion of the gate money and admission money to the grand stand. Furthermore he would suggest, as a further means of obtaining funds, that on the Saturday morning preceding the review there might be a military entertainment got up within the Drill shed enclosure, suoh as dismounting competition drill, bayonet exercise, and athletic sports. And in the evening a grand concert might be organised in the Drill Shed at popular prices, in which all the banis might take part, and lastly a ball might be given on E later Monday, the price of the tickets being fixed at such a tariff as would ensure a large amount of public patronage. In order to carry out these suggestions it would be necessary to obtain the consent of the Drill Shed commissioners, but he apprehended no difficulty upon that score. Outside the amount they would be likely to raise by the various means he had mentioned, there would still be at least £250 to be met by outside contributions. He thought the proper plan to pursue would be to draft a circular stating tbo amount of head money to be paid by each member of the several corps, and a copy sent to every company. He would like also to know how many of the cvvalry might be expected to take p'irt. Sergeant-Major Judge sail a meeting of the cavalry would shortly be held, and he should then bo in a position to give the information the chairman had asked for.

It was resolved that a oircular should be drafted by Major Lean, addressed to officers commanding district troops, batteries, and corps stating the head money that would be required from visiting corps, and requesting to be informed at their earließt convenience before the 15th February the numbers likely to attend, and that it would not be possible to find accommodation for cadet corps, the capitation moneyj being fixed on the assumption that the railway fares would be free. The Chairman sketched out the following as the probable programme of events : —On the Friday preceding the review, the volunteers would arrive in Christchurch ; the next day—morning, military exercises in the Drill Shed enclosure, and in the evening a grand promenade concert; Sunday morning, Ohuroh parade; Monday, the review and the volunteer ball in the evening. These views were unanimously approvedof by the committee, and the chairman then in-

vited expressions of opinion on any point unmentioned that might occur to any member present. He pointed out they were not a committee to interfere with the military part of the review, but rather as representing the quarter-master general's and commissariat department. Captain Craig advised the appointment of a canvassing committee to raise subscriptions, and expressed himself in a sanguine manner on the probable result of hie own endeavors. He thought in the time that would intervene between now and the review that a concert, or even more than one, might be given, which would further augment their resources. The appointment of a canvassing oommittee and other matters of detail were relegated to the next committee of which the secretary would give due notice, and after a vote of thanks had been passed to the chairman, the meeting adjourned.