His Major Points

NZ Truth, Issue 1153, 5 January 1928, Page 4

His Major Points

NEW Zealand is tolerably free of the swagger and arrogance of militarism. Nevertheless, a little overweening and clanking of spurs on the part of Fred Huggins, of Nelson, might easily be overlooked. But truth to say there is no more than the faintest suggestion of soldierly swank about Fred. Which is, perhaps, all the more admirable and surprising when it is considered that he is major in command of one of the smartest territorial cadet companies in the Dominion. Under his enthusiastic direction, the Nelson lads have twice won the Campbell Statuette, thus proclaiming themselves the cadet company par excellence of the Dominion. Five times have Fred's merry men in the making marched off with the Passmor Shield, to the envy of all other youthful contestants in the Southern Military Command. As mild a mannered young man as ever sang in a church choir, he is a martinet on parade. Fred acquired a taste for soldiering as a full-blown private in the company of Captain, now General Young, G.O.C. N.Z. Forces. Turned down for active service at the outbreak of the Big War" on account of his youth, he made his way to England. A big heart cut more there than a beardless chin and he was decked out in khaki.

Invalided and sorrowfully turned home, he once again enlisted and saw the grime and sordidness of war from a front line trench in Flanders. He is champion of the Nelson Golf Club, and also a past provincial champion of the ' ancient game, while Saturday afternoons find him in cricketing flannels as captain of the Whakatu juniors. Between times in the Old Land he studied elocution and singing under renowned tutors.

Always identified with every movement making for the brightness and progress of his little world, it is the confident belief that some fine day he will have his feet firmly planted on the heights of civic fame.