MORRINSVILLE

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4398, 15 April 1909, Page 3

MORRINSVILLE

(Own Correspondent)

Ever since last Thursday the town has been the scene of bustling volunteers. Portion of the squad of the Permanent Force returned to town by express being in charge of the batteries and were required in Auckland ; those retraining unloaded the guns of the A. batiery on Thursday afternoon. The men and horses arriving later in the day, camping in the station ground for the night and moving out to camp on Good Friday morning. The No. 2 infantry arrived at ten o’clock and immediafely marched into camp, baggage waggons being in attendance. The night was a perfect one for the work of transport, being fine and moonlight. The next train to at rive was the horse train with the Auckland M.R’s, Franklin M.R’s, Ptikekobe M.R’s and the hoises for the battery on board, an interested crowd watched the work of detraining the horse 3. At 1.30 the train arrived with the Auckland Battalion on board, which were formed up in quarter column and beaded by the ■ garrison band, marched into camp reaching there »h .rtly after two o’clock. Friday morning was spent getting the camp into shape it having been decided not to shift to Mr Starkey’s. The engineers soon had a telephone service in working order, and a pump rigged up to pump water from the river. The afternoon was devoted to drill, the infantry being exercised on the naive land on the Kereone Road. The Mounteds also did useful work ; the signalling section did useful practice, a portion working from the top of Kuranui Hill over two miles away. The Ambulance corps put in a lot of useful practice. Saturday was devoted to field practice at Mr Starkey’s, the battery doing good work with the shell firing. Sunday morning a portion of the forces took up a position on the road to Kiwitahi to prevent the convoy from getting to Cambridge. It is understood they got through as they forded the river instead of using the road. The weather at this stage becoming very wet clearing up enough however to allow of a short church parade in the afternoon, when it again rained in torrents otherwise there would have been a large number of visitors. The Mounted Rifles band and the Auckland Garrison band enlivened the camp with good music. On the whole a good time was spent despite the monotony of being on active service rations, having all tinned meat. Servic es were held in St. Matthew’s Church on several evenings during the week and the Rev. Harvie gave a lantern lecture on Good Friday night which was well attended. The Association Football match played here on Saturday resulted in a wm for Waikino by three goals to one. Morrinsville could only put a scratch team in the field composed mostly of Rugby players. The camp at the racecourse was the j^CQpe. of activity on Monday, the day being devoted to striking camp, and getting everything on the train. During the morning, a tent in the Piako Mounteds line got burnt, but it is not known how it caught fire. The No. 2 infantry proceeded home by the express. The Auckland 'companies leaving at 5 p m., and the horse train at 6 p.m. ; the weather keeping fine for the cleaning up operations. The gas room, situated at the rear of the Nottingham Castle Hotel, caught fire on Tuesday evening, and caused some excitement, when it subsided a little, and the danger of an explosion was over. It was quickly got under, the only damage done, was to the frame work of the gas house. The natives of the Pekapeka Settlement have been having a week of feasting, during which, they have been discussing the ladvisability of working their own lands, and have also been celebratiug a wedding.