TEMUKA RIFLES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2150, 15 January 1891, Page 3

TEMUKA RIFLES.

A meeting of the above corps waa held last evening after drill, Lieut. Findlay being in the chair. The chairman said the meeting waa called to consider what should be done with regard to carrying on the corps. He himself was seriously considering whether he should resign. A good many officers in Christchurch and elsewhere were leaving their corps, no doubt because the Government were not treating them well. However, he bad been a long time connected with the corps now, and would not resign if the men promised to turn up to parade, It was for the men themselves to say whether they would stick to it or not. If they intended to carry it on they must come to parade. When parading weekly they used to enjoy it, but once they allowed themselves to go out of the way of coming they would find it hard to do so. Of course there were nights when men could not come, but it was too discouraging to see only five or six out of 50 present. Lieut. Cutten said it was nine ( mouths since he joined, and for the first three months they failed to put in one parade. It was disheartening to come when there were only three or four in uniform and as many more i in plain clothes. If the men gave an ; assurance that they would attend he would go into it heart and soul. Lieut. Findlay said they had 47 members, and they would want one or two more. He had been 21 years in the corps, and he would he sorry to see it disbanded. They had not been well treated by the Government, but they hoped for better times. The corps was nearly defunct before, when only six attended a Colonel’s inspection. They let the hall for an immigration barracks, and had great trouble in getting it back, but still they survived it, and it would be a pity to let it drop now. There was no corps in New Zealand had greater advantages. In some corps an entrance fee and a monthly subscription had to be paid, but here they had a revenue that obviated the necessity of that. Sergeant - Major Coira said he, Corporal Levens, and Lieut. Findlay joined on the same day, and he would be sorry to see it fall through. He would do his best to keep it together, and would move that the corps be carried on. 1 Private Sim seconded the motion,

and said that in the beginning of last 1 year everyone thought the corps would be broken up, and that was the reason • the men did not attend. The men r were desirous of carrying on the corps 1 if they got encouragement. 6 Corporal Levens, as one of the oldest members, could say thab tho corps was b often on the verge of being disbanded, but s so long as Lieutenant Findlay stuck to it P there was uo fear of it falling through.

> -Lieutenant . Findlay said Captain Hi<yhuret h'id, lie believed, resigned, but they had Do official information of it yet. It was time enough to lake etepa to fill hie place when they heard officially that he had resigned. After eonSe minor matters were talked over the meeting terminated.