MILITARY PREFERMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 105, 11 August 1910, Page 8

MILITARY PREFERMENT

CAPTAIN MILLS RESIGNS HIS COMMAND. Din Tuesday night, at the conclusion ei the parade of the Taranaki Guards, Captain C T. Mills announced his itffeft* tioo of resigning Ua command. His statement that this would be the bat parade at which he would be in M—t* mand of the company was received witgreat surprise by the members of t_B company.. Captain Mills went on to" «_- plain that he had decided on this stop in consequence of a recent appointment. He regretted very muobJ having to sever his connection with a company witwhich he bad 'been associated from the date of its inception. The corps had been well maintained throughout tho piece, and in leaving he had at feeling of satisfaction, for there was evsry reason to be proud of the position the company had attained. There waa £l5O to tJ» credit of the uniform accoirtt, cuf_eient to provide new uniforms for _»• company; there was an amount on deposit, bearing interest; and they bad * balance of over £BO in the worl_n&ao* count. He heartily thanked the offiosrs, non-commissioned officers, and men for their loyal co-operation, and wistifcdhin old! corps every prosperity in the future, but he felt that there was no course open for'him but to resign, although'if cbst hint) keen regret to dk> so. Upon leaving the drill hall, Captain Mills was given three ringing cheer* Captain Mills says he is not only disappointed, but disgusted with the treatment meted out. He has shown the keenest interest in the volunteering movement, and in the training of men generally, both in the ranks and in all outside matters appertaining to the service, during his past ten years' continuous service, and in his previous eight years' continuous service,, in mounted and infantry corps. But in giving up command, ho told a News reporter yesterday, "I feel proud in every sense of the word of their strong position, both numerically and financially. They aT*well clothed and equipped, and as a' shooting corps I would pit them against any other in the Dominion. In all, I [have had over eighteen years' service,, during six years of which I: have held a I commission, and to be placed in a subor- - dinate position to one who has had only about a quarter of the service is, to say the least of it, an injustice. If I had been a waster, I should hare myself to • •blame, but on the other Hand I have kept myself well postc' and well versed in.drill work with my company, and, in addition, Have given more tlikn the average attention and time to outside matters connected with the service." Captain Mills first saw service with the Taranaki Mounted Rifles-in 1880 to' 1882, and was enrolled in the Taranaki Rifles for five years from 1884, and for a further fourteen months in 1890-1892. Upon the formation of ther- Taranaki Guards in 1900 he joined them with the rank of sergeant, in which «apacity he had served' with the Rifles, and in 1903 was elected' lieutenant, succeeding to the ■ captaincy ih> the following year. About three year* ago _e wished _*-resign hiscommand, fesling, as he expressed Himself at the time, that by rettfijfaj the captaincy Me was preventing«fis4)fficersand non-coms, from obtafaWi their "steps." He was prevailed upflw>y the members of the company to- Hwnsider his decision; • , j£k There is a tendency on tWrfart of the rank and! file, we are informed, to treat the affair, as ja secondMnyvett: case, and a meeting anil be fielji»n Friday evening: to .'consider tile ttpestion. There are advocates of extremejafrasures - •being taken, such as the reßJgjffiion of the membeus of the company ■& body..