TARANAKI RIFLES' JUBILEE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 323, 14 January 1909, Page 3

TARANAKI RIFLES' JUBILEE

PAST AND PRESENT VOLUXTEKRS- ■ The social evening promoted by the Taranaki Kille Volunteers to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the company was held last in the Drill Hall, and drew a huge gathering vf the past and present membras of the eoinpany, former militiamen, members of South African contingents, and citizens interested in the volunteer movement. The veterans were weli represented, and their medals and badges made a brave show. A portion of the hall had been cut off by Hags and scenic elfects and transformed into a luaqaetiug hall, where the us sembli'd company did full justice to an excellent dinner. Captain i\ T. llellrmger, of the 'faranaki Ratles, presided. On his right were Colonel liobiii, C.8., Chief of Staff, Colonel Ellis, CoJoiiil Messenger, Major llalone, Captain Mt'Kellar, Lieutenant lieadle (liuardsl, lieutenant -Johnston (Taranaki HilleS), and Hon. Tlionms Kelly, M.L.C. 0;i his left were his Worship the Mayor (.Mr. (j. Tiseh), Colonel E. X. U Ukey. V.D., Captain-Adjutant Weston, Captai'll AVright (Stratford Killes), Captain John Mack, Captain Mace, X.Z.C., and .Mi. 'H. Okey, M.l\ Other ollk-ers presc.nt were Staff Ghaplahi K. G. Evans, Major Sandford, Captain E. W. Okey, Captain <j. Cock, V.D., Captain Mctlardy, Cap-1 til in I-aac liayly, lieutenant 11. Carrick, Lieutenant C. li. Lever, Lieutenant .1. Fletcher, audi Sergt.-Major Armitagc. Apologies for absence were received from hir Joseph Ward (Minister of Defence), Lieutenaat - Colonel liaucliope (Officer Commanding the District), Captain U. Eyre-Kenny, Captain C. T. Mills (Taranaki Guards), Lieutenant W. H. I'ree, Hon. 0. Samuel, M.L.C., and ilessTS. R. A. Hiinierto.il, R. X. Greenwood, G. Hoby, G. X. Curtis, T. Veale, and J. Coleman (original meiuibers of the corps). Prior .to commencing the toast-list, Captain BeMringer said he intended to ask the bugler to sound the old buglecall of the company, and after that lie would call the original roll of the company. ■ Bugler W". Okey then sounded the hugle-caJl, and the* original roll was called, the members present rising as —their names were called and'receiving hearty rounds of applause. There was an impressive silence as name after name was called of those "who, once comrades in arms, had, left this small remnant of the force to celebrate its jubilee. The following answered to their mimes:—Corporal G. Bertrand, Drummer W. Lawrence, Privates L Bayly, John Black, 11. Carrick, 11.

Hooker, Tlios. Kelly, ,W. T. Messenger, E. T. Morshcad, W. D. Webster, and J. S. ik'Kellar Apologies had been received from Sergeant iFree, Privates G. Oirtis, Jt. X. Greenwood, and T. iVeale. i "The King," proposed by tlie cliairman, was drunk in bumpers, to the strains of the National Anthem, i Tlie Jlayor proposed ''The Army and Navy." He remarked that New Zealand fully appreciated the British Navy, and Jmd shown that appreciation by increasing its naval subsidy from £40,000 to (£IOO,OOO. They were very pleased to lave with them that evening Colonel Robin, C.B. It was undoubtedly a privilege and an honor for any man to enter .the service of His Majesty the King, and, when trouble arose, for him to be of use. Tnra.naki had proved itself again able only a few years ago, with men and money, to take its part in aiding the motherland, just as these heroes of the Kifles had done half a century ago. I Colonel Robin, C.D., in responding, said he had to thank the company, on behalf of the Anny and Navy, for the manner jn which the toast had been received. It was an old-time toast, and for many years Jie thought it had been itakpn just as a toast. But of Hate years it seemed to have a-greater significance attached to it. (Applause.) He could say littie to them concerning the Navy, except that, as they all knew, the Navy kras our all-in-all, our first line of defence, and so long as the Navy kept the edas our dominions overseas and our dear old homes at Home were perfectly safe, despite all they heard sometimes that the Army and >'nvy were not all that they used to be. Tliey were better still than any other on the face of the globe. The Army was not anything like bad as they read sometimes. True, it was undergoing transition, but there remained the fixed policy of the country, and after all the centuries that 'Britain had been Britain and had had the Army and Navy with her, her policy of finding the' people .uid the men just Mihen they were wanted seemed to be still the best. , In regard to the territorial army—it was improper now to speak of the ''Army, Navy, and Volunteers," for the Volunteers formed part of the Army—they would often hear that the Volunteers were not what they should be, meaning not that they were inefficient but insufficient. The auxiliary forces in New Zealand were a great ideal more efficient than the public generally gave them credit for being.

i Colonel W. T. Messenger said lie started at a disadvantage after the eloquent remark* of Colonel Robin. There jwag little more to sav, in res|!|ondiiig to the twit, except to iiver that every iword of the previous speech was quite ,trae. What the JSritWi Army and Xavv ,was, and what they had been, was writ large on tlitf pages of Mstory. Coming to matters more local, he said that .Turanaki owed a deep debt to the Navy. iWhen the militia and volunteers were out at Waireko, fighting tlieir first fight, Ithey had to thank Captain Craeroft and feia taw from the Niger—(applause) jtlet very maany of those present were fetill alive. (Cheers.) They were undoubtedly in a very tight place, and but for tiff fact that the gallant tara ■created a diversion, they would have ihardly got out of it. And those sailors had been led 'by one who was here now. iHe referred to Captain Mace—(cheers) r—who bad led the bluejackets, with two of the speaker's 'brothers, right up to jthe gate of the pah, and could vouch for the way in which they conducted jthcroselves that day. There was uo iieed now to talk of that fight, except Jo say that It was a very creditable fight, for the troops engaged, t Mr. W. J. Penn proposed 'The Parliament) of New Zealand." After referling to the fact that New Zealand had BOW a new House j>f Representatives and a new Ministry, he went on to refer to the connection between statesmen ' and legislatures and military forces. It often happened that legislatures did much that, til* Army and (Navy had to put right. In New Zealand* they had been more fortunate, (A Ivoice: "I don't know.") Recently. anv-

jiow, they had been, more fortunate, continued the speaker. One of the greatest (patriots that New Zealand had ever seen was a man who first served his* country as a soldier and afterwards as A statesman. He referred to the late Captain Harry (afterwards fir Harry) litkinson—(cheers)—who received what lie termed his "marching orders'' as a (statesman, but had previously been the Successful organiser and leader of the (old company known' as the Taranaki Bushrangers. Another member of the legislature who had seen service as one iof the original members of the Tarninaki Rifles was the Hon. Tlios. Kelly. M.l/.C., whom lie ivas pleased to see present that night. The Hon. T. Kelly, in responding, said Die considered the present 'Parliament Was a good one. New Zealand had the freest Government in the world. I Mr. Okey said there was a feelim; amongst many of the members that the Government was not doing all that it

'should do for volunteering, but volunteers could rest assured that when the party he had the honor to represent got into power they would he well looked after. ; Lient.-Colonel Ellis proposed The •r*r»B*ki Battalion." As the first : « •< of the battalion it had given ~t pleasure to hear Colonel J? 1 ?. . « of Staff, -state th.it the Robin, Chae. . M gflj e ( en t force, for iToimrteers were was •he took it that Jus included in that praise. referred to v Colonel Okey, in replying, '-«• [nation

the causes which led to the fo. . )( , I . 'of the Taranaki battalion. Before , T I - outbreak of the South African . Taranaki volunteers had been included ■ ■ in the 2nd Wellington or Wanganui •: (Battalion. But with the. growth of the : volunteer companies it had become ■ necessary to gazette a new battalion (embracing all the corps from Waitara "to IPatea. As colonel of the. battalion

'* l(succeeding Colonel Ellis) lie had seen ' borne good times nn<l bad had somo pretty hand work. Ho did not think ' ■ itho "boys" would soon forget the last ■ »Easter manoeuvres, when, a Her having <>een hard at at from 3 a-111. to 8 pm< ytbey ware ordered to take an eishfe ■■hours' march' to Wellington over the> fast country that had been made." And. - hot a man of the six hundred fell out . ' Of the ranks. If that inarch had d«nc. hothing else it had shown tliat the. teen of the Taranaki battalion wern ' ' sot gingerbread, and that they could Ujo haul work when they were put to it. - \jl J .Major MaJona considered that the t. -- slpirit sWI pervaded the raiiKS battalion. hut the volunteer was not sufficiently encoursupported bv the public. The | lipoji war.

nation commemvd to decay. It had •uimmi said during tlu» evening that the \ioverninent should aosisi volunteering I mora He could not see what more the UovernnviMit could do. lie thought the eoiiid easily infuse a real enthusiasm into volunteering. Amidst much daughter he declared that if the. girl* of this district took a* much interest .tiui prido in the volunteers preparing to tight for their country a* they did in the Taranaki football leam, m-ae of the volunteer companies would go short of its full strength, tile claimed intimate knowledge of th\» rank and !iie of the Taranaki voluntiyns. and said he was sa-tislU'd that there was no better staff in the Dominion.

■ Uiptain-Adjutaiit Weston also replied ill a humorous vein.

Colonel Robin propu.-ed the. toast .of "The Taranaki Killer pa.si and pre' sent.'' Rending the News that morning, he had learned 0 f the reasons which had actuated the Taranaki pioneers in banding thimsvlves together as the

Taranaki Utile Volunteers. It was liana, in proposing a toast- like this that thi

proposer should outline the history of 'the eompaany, bill he liad learned- that a history of the corps and all its early 'vicissitudes and triumphs was in the

press, and no Idoubt 'everyone interested

would be able to procure a copy shortly. To take up time in recounting the doings .of -the corps, when there were so many of its members present, would be talking for the sake of talking, and would interfere, perhaps, with the stories of the veterans whom he would ask >to respond. This corps had been ra'iswl for defence and, whatever its changes d-uring the intervening years, the Taranaki Ri-lles oast and present

'were .one and the same in traditions

and for proof of it he pointed to the colors of the old corps. (Applause). U gave him great pleasure to sec so hale and hearty a large number of the men

who jobiekl at the beginning and served in the war, and who now celebrated! the jubilee of what lie was sure they'would call their dear old eorps. And

it -was well to note that a tablet in that very hall bore the; names of the original members, so that they were not forgotten. The vld iv<oluuta".'r>; now handed to their sueeessors a glorious heritage. They entrusted to them the colors of tile corps. Those early citizen soldiers luvd fought side by side with the regulars, iuid in «uch u way as -to earn ,their respect and admira-. »tiou. They passed to the presentday corps a sacred and serious responsibility, iind he asked them to no accept (the trust that, .should the call come, ithis cor,ps and <tlie kindred corps in the •Empire would be lit for their duty. He /.•oupl'tkl the toast with the' name of Captain Bellriager, and all the members .present of the original corps.

i Oa*ptain .Belringer, tin responding on .behalf of the presenit company, referred <to the unique nu-turef of the gathering. (There .were present men of the older generation, who fought in the Maori and other wars; men who joined'the iforces later on, andinvho, although -they did not see service, showed their readi.nesij to serve 'by the manner in which Alley undertook the necessary training; •men -who had) volunteered for service in. South Africa, and who had upheld the ihonor of New -Zealand in such a glorious fashion; and, lastly, the younger auen, 'the present members of the volunteer companies, who he hoped aad believed would, should occasion arise, not ibe found wanting. It was but natural •to look back .over the past, and to ; n.otei ithe <liliiculties under which the early Kolunteers Iftid labored. It had been j fejiid that the Government was not doing I enough for the volunteers, but they, were treated right royally as compared with the treatment meted out to the men in the olden days, when, apart from supplying the rille, the Government did •little for the volunteers. The men had. even to provide their own uniforms, •There were no paid daylight parades and no .Easter manoeuvres then. But •there was plenty of life in the volunteer movement, and the fact that the-men •had had to shift for themselves had, given them self-reliance and independ-, cnce, leading theiu to show an example, and leave a recorri of work of which the present generation could be proud, trusted that no member, from captuin down to the latest recruit, would do anything to rellert on tlw reputation of the corps or its honored traditions. Colonel Messenger, Captain L Bayly, Captain McKellar. Captain Mace, lion. T. Kelly and Mr. X. Hooker also delivered replies which were reminiscent of the, fighting days and which will be dealt with in later issues. Staff-Chaplain Kvans proposed "The Veterans and representative* of New Zealand in the South African Contingents." Ue remarked tjiat he had just completed his twenty-fourth year in connection with volunteering, and twelve as chaplain of the Rifles. He spoke of the great gaps in the original rank*, as shown by the roll-call, and passed ou to a few remarks concerning one of the original Taranaki Killes, Mr. Reginald Bavlev, laid to rest but a few days ago. Of that man an old comrade had said to the speaker at the graveside: "That man did his duty always, ami helped other people to do their duty, too.'" That was the secret of success.

Captain Mace, Captain If. Cock, and Lieutenant Fletcher (for "t'ontingenters") responded. Other toasts were: "Our Visitors.'' proposed by Lieutenant C. B. Lever, response by Major iSamlford, Captain, Wright, and Mr. I{. Cock; "The Ladies," •'Thi' Caterer, Mr. J. C. Legg," and "The, Press." During the evening songs were given by Sergeant E. Clarke, Messrs. T. Wooitard, Colbeck, De la Haye, and O'lirien, a recitation by Private Stokes ami selections by the orchestra. 'God Save the King" terminated a memorable and successful gatlrering.