THAMES TITTLE TATTLE

Observer, Volume v, Issue 115, 25 November 1882, Page 174

THAMES TITTLE TATTLE

— The girls are again having a treat. Bill F. is again on the corner. Rhodes paid a visit on the 9th. He looks 10 years older since he has had the cares and responsibilities of an agency. — Miss McKenna has returned from her visit up country and Willie D. has consequently recovered his exuberance of spirits. — The young lady in the Presbyterian choir who was winking at the young jeweller last Sunday night, had better be careful. — Who is that affectionate young couple that may be seen nearly every evening promenading the Parawai-road not arm-in-avin. but arms-in-arms. — An aspiring young equestrian in the Postoffice mounted his Eosiuante the other day and started on a trip to the sodawater springs. Whether he had taken the other part of the mixture first, or wanted a rest, this deponent sayeth not, but suddenly the horse shied at a dead pig, deposited the rider this side up with care on the roadside, and returned to Shortland. — I have lately seen in the local- papers the new Volunteer Regulations, and the prevailing opinion is that these regulations will be the death warrant to Volunteering in this district. More's the pity, as this district commands, or at any rate is, one of the bases from which a force could be launched at any time against the Waikato, the only place where there is the remotest chance of a row internally. We have always been proud of our Volunteers here and have (excuse the egotism) considered it the first place in New Zealand in Volunteer matters. An opinion has been expressed that one of the reasons for the new move is that the Wellington authorities are jealous of Volunteers in general and mean to have -the whole concern under their cast-iron thumb, just as they have the A.O. Force, but how they expect men to comply with the ridiculous rules laid down is a puzzle, for they are almost prohibitory here — and the capitation allowance is most inadequate for the service required. Everyone has deplored the disbandment of the Scotch Battalion, but still there are three or four full companies here. The Navals, who nave 120 names on their roll and who never turn out on parade under 80 men, exclusive of officers and band, and how they are going to cut themselves down to 63 and 5 bandsinoi they can't tell, in fact, jjthey will, in all

probability, cut themselves out of existence altogether. The Rangers, Engineers, and, Naval Cadets also are fine companies, and poor Barlow will dwindle and fade if his boys are wiped out. The bands, I hope, have vitality enough to live outside the pale of those regulations if required. It is not the Volunteers that ought to be dut of existence, but the head of the department in Wellington.