The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-11-14
GROWING SMALL
Company B Falling Off in At
tendance.
BUT TWENTY MEN TURN OUT
Various Reasons Assign
ed for Decrease.
BUT TWENTY MEN TURN OUT
Major Mcleod Calls the Boys to
Order-Listens to Excuses and
Makes Suggestions.

AT the review of the first battalion,
n. G. H, last night there were but
20 men representing Company B. At
ter review Maj. Mcleod requested the
men to go into their company room,
as he wished to ask a few questions.
The main one was to ascertain the
| cause of the great decrease in the at
tendance at the recent meeting and
particularly the one just closed. The
members were asked to give their in
dividual opinions. The answers were
varied, and the causes were almost as
many as there were members present.
One was that it was due to the inef-
ficiency of the officers; the men found
they were not properly governed, dicip-
lined or drilled, and they were losing
interest in military affairs. Another
was that they were tired waiting for
Lieut.. Jacobson to present a statement
of the condition of the finances of the
Dramatic Club, and without this there
was little use of trying to fix their
thoughts on tactics as long as they
were in the dark about the profits
from the entertainments given at the
Drill Shed. There was a rumor that
the profits were large and there was
likewise another to the effect that the
profits were not visible to the naked
eye.
Another member said the truth of
the matter was that the company was
in debt, deeply in debt, and the boys
had lost interest in it. on that account.
A company with the reputation B had
always maintained as the stars of the
regiment could not be at the top and
in debt at the same time, and as it
was easier to remain in debt than it
was to put joy in the hearts of the
members, the company had gradually
dwindled in numbers until it was as
bad as d Company
Maj. Mcleod listened with evident
pain to the remarks of the members,
and then made a few on his own ac-
count. He said:
Gentlemen and Soldiers:-I confess
that the difference in the opinions ex-
pressed tonight quite Supply me, and
were it not that a guarantee has been
handed up with each statement. |
would be inclined to doubt most of
them. The one which reflects upon the
efficiency of the officers 1 will doubt
on my own responsibility, because
know it is too fimsy to stand over
night. AS to the dream of the man
with an idea that military dramatic
club could be a success, I will dismiss
his excuse with a thought unexpressed,
guess it who can.
My opinion is that the lack of in
terest shown by the gentlemen who
are absent tonight is due chiefly to the
fact that the company tried to run a
theater in connection with the army,
and got experience for their troubles.
My sympathies are always with the
men who suffer from a erabundance
of that sort of thing. I know men in
Honolulu who walk around the streets
heavy laden with butchers bills, who
have lost heart for almost everything.
They haven't had a good nights rest
in three months, because they were
unable to liquidate $25 butcher bill,
and in order to induce sleep and assist
them to a plan whereby they could
liquidate their bills. they have even
gone to the trouble to buy $50 worth OF
season tickets for the Frawley COM
pany. Those are the men who de-
serve the sympathy of the Nation, and
I feel constrained to believe they will
get it.
What you boys want is a freedom
from the dramatic experience you have