VOLUTEER CAPITATION.

Patea Mail, 13 November 1880, Page 3

VOLUTEER CAPITATION.

Slit, —In jmur columns of Tuesday a letter from Mr Bush appeared in which he asks a question or two concerning the Volunteer capitation, and as he asks the question publicly I suppose ho expects a public answer. Mr Bush says “ the money was forwarded to the captain for distribution.” It is true the money was forwarded to me, whether for “ distribution ” in the general sense of that word I do not know, and I did not pretend to decide, for it was a vexed question amongst the members whether each individual member should receive his capitation, whether only those who had bought uniforms should receive it (as a partial recompense) for their expenditure, or whether the Avholo should not be left as a Company’s fund. At the time I received it I was intending my resignation, which shortly after took place. I placed the whole sum of money untouched in the Bank of New Zealand, and left it to the Finance Committee to decide its apportionment. If my memory does not fail me sadly, Mr Bush himself was the Secretary of that Finance Committee ! How is it he knows nothing about the money ? Who lent it ? Some of the men had uniforms which they themselves provided, some had none ; the corps never borrowed money for the purpose, lam certain. I thank Mr Bush for the manliness he shows in signing his real name, but it was almost needless to write “ late ” a volunteer. “ Other times, other manners,” Mr Bush, and if you had present experience of soldierly uses you would find the most fashionable mode of attack was the ‘‘ right stratagem,” in which I should have been attacked under a false name, and with the imputation that I had spent the capitation myself. Edward "Tregeak, Late Capt. Patea Rifles. Patea, 10th Nov.