VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 211, 5 September 1900, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

(By Rifleman.)

The No. 1 Battalion paraded last evening, and advantage was taken of the moonlight to practice attack work in the Domain. The right half-battalion, under Acting-Major Schofleld, conducted the attack, while the left half-battalion, under Lieut-Col. White, assumed the defensive. As on the previous night attack, blank ammunition was served out. Lt.-Col. Banks. Officer Commanding the District, acted as umpire. After the sham-fight last evening the Victoria Rifles marched back to the Drill Hall, where Captain L. Skinner presented the prizes won in the shooting matches recently held by the Company. A handsome silver-mounted biscuit-barrel, presented by Lt. Cox, for first-class shots, was won by Private Carlson, while Sergt. Kretschmar, who came second, received a money prize. In the competition for second-class shots the first prize, presented by Mr H. M. Smeeton, went to Private Johnson, and second and third (money) prizes to Corp. Pitkeithly and Private Stacey respectively. The No. 2 Native Rifles, held a meeting last evening to elect a captain, that position not having been filled since Captain J. Oakes resigned some considerable time ago. Mr Alt'. Bnrtlett, the well-known jeweller, was unanimously elected to the captaincy. Mr Bartlett' is an old volunteer, having at one time been a member of the now defunct City Guards. The Victoria Rifles' Cricket Club meets next Tuesday evening. The quarterly examination for officers commenced at the Drill Hall this morning. Among the candidates for commissions are Captain J. R. Reed (No. 3 Natives), Captain J. Knight (No. 2 Victorias), and Lt. W. Kay (No. 2 Victorias), Captain Iredale (Seddon Horse), Lts. Bloomfield and Wynyard (Auckland Mounted Rifles), and Capts. Richardson and Hume from Waikato. The annual social of the Ponsonby Naval Artillery takes place in St. Benedict's Hall on Friday evening next, and that of the Devonport Submarine Mining Volunteers will bo held in the same hall on Friday, 28th inst.' I have to acknowledge invitations from both of these corps. A Parliamentary return shows that New Zealand sent a total of 85 officers and 1703 2nen to South Africa in the various contingents, a percentage on population of .224. The Commandant of tho Forces proposes to increase the annual allowance of ammunition per man from 150 to 200 rounds, of which 100 rounds will be expended at target practice as at present. 50 rounds in field-firing', under the supervision of one of the permanent staff, and the remaining 50 rounds at the discretion of the Officer Commanding the District, expended in firing at moving and disappearing targets, if possible at an unknown range. He hopes that this will make the work more practical and interesting to the volunteers. The Auckland Mounted Rifles intend to start class-firing next Saturday at their range at Penrose. Points gained in class-firing are to count towards possession of the rifle presented to the Company, by Mr James Kirker. The Company have wisfely decided to go right through with the class-firing, so as to get it all done early. A number of the right division and their friends intend to journey up to Papakura on Friday next to attend the ball given by the left division. The latter are sparing no trouble and pains to make the affair a success, and everything points to a very pleasant evening. The Company parades on the 15th for inspection. • • The companies at present enrolled in the New Zealand volunteer force comprise:— 46 companies mounted rifles and 1 honorary corps, o batteries field artillery, 8 companies naval artillery, 2 companies garrison artillery, 2 companies submarine miners, 4 companies field engineers, S4 companies in-' fan try, 'S cycle corps, 4 bearer companies. During the year ending' July, 1900, only two new volunteer companies In the Auckland volunteer district were accepted by the Government—tho Soddou Horse (Auckland) and the Marsden Mounted Rifles (Madden), The total number of new corps accepted throughout the colony during the same period was 44, and the total number rejected 77. The Defence Committee are now recommending that ihe services of all corps offering be accepte.fi, which If carried into effect will result In a large increase In the volunteer force of the colony. The Auckland Naval Artillery parade at the forts for gun drill this evening. A church parade of the company will be held at St. David's, Sym'onds-strcet, next Sunday, the company assembling at the Drill Hall at 10.15 a.m. The examination of all non - commissioned officers of tho corps commences on tho 20th nt the forts, and will be continued on the 27th at the Drill Hall. Classes for gun-ltiyers and rangefinders will be held on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. A lecture on "Const Defence" was Riven by Captain McKenzle, R.A.. of the No. 1 Service Company, at tho Drill Hall last evening, to N.C.O.'s of the Naval Corps. A second lecture on tho same subject will be given on the 18th Inst. Colonel Penton proposes to form the mounted infantry of the colony Into battalions of four companies each, grouping them by convenience of locality; but he is at a loss what to do for officers to command the battalions and form the staff. The triangular shooting match between the officers, N.C.O.'s, and men of the No. 1 Infantry Battalion takes n'aco noxt Saturday at the Akarana Rifle Club's range, Avondale. The teams are faivly evenly matched, and a close contest la expected. Refreshments will be provided by the N.C.O.'s. Quartermaster-sergeant Koarsley has been asked to officiate as range officer for the occasion. Lieut. Daw, junior subaltern in the Newton Rifles, has resigned. The following team has been picked to .represent the officers In the triangular shootinu match next Saturday:—Lleut.-Colonel White, Captains Skinner, Knight, and Hutton, Lieuts. Dormer, Cox, Dorrom, Barle, Markham, Boscawen, and Gaudin, with Lieut. Kay as emergency. The No. 1 Battalion furnished a detachment to attend the funeral of the bluejacket off H.M.s Porpoise who was killed on Sunday morning by falling from sin upper window. The funeral took place to-day. The proposed garrison officers' dance has fallen through owing to lack of support. The promoters, Lieut.-Commander Patterson and Lieut. Markham, worked hard, but the proposal was not taken up at all enthusiastically. The following Is the team to represent the N.C.O.'s in the triangular match next Saturday:—Color-sergeants Atkinson,Aylett and Goi-rie, Sergeants Kretschmar, Steward, Cairns, Scharett, Sellers, Sheppard, Parker, Sergeant-maior Mclntosh,Corporals Phillips and Pitkethley. It is a peculiar fact (says "Tit Bits") that Lord Kitchener gained his first experience as a soldier under the French, flag At the outbreak of the war of IS7O ho offerer! himself as a volunteer, to General Chanzy, commander of the army of the Loire. On returning to England,, after the fall of Paris, he obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers. ■■■•"., The heaviest military rifle in Europe is that of the A.ustrians, which weighs 91b lloz The British, French, Danish, and Russian rifle all weigh a little over 91b 6oz; Spanish, 81b ttoz; Turkish and Belsrium 81b 30oz; German, 81b 6oz; ana Italian. 81b Boz. The Italian rifle throws a bullet which weighs only 162 .grains while that of the French rifle weighs 232 grains- the German. 227 grains; the British 215 grains, and the Russian 214 grains. Officers commanding districts have been notified by circular that volunteer corps may obtain khaki drill from the Defence Stores at Wellington, the cost of which will be made a charge against their capitation accounts for the present volunteer yetcrereant Wm. Hobbs, of Ohinemuri Rifles No. 1, has been elected lieutenant vice Lieut. Avery, who went to Sputh Africa with the First Contingent. Lieut. Hobbs has been a member of the corps since its inception, and . his promotion Is not only well meritefl, -out is very popular among his company. Col Pole Penton in his annual report says "the want of great coats is a drawback to. the efficiency of the Force. "An example of this occurred this year at Foster The artillery corps at Auckland wege ordered to man the forts on a certain nipflit- the night turned out to be wet and cold and two of the corps sent in medical certificates to say that the health of the men would suffer if they carried out this duty as they had no great coats. If such a thing happens in peace, what will be Estate of affairs on active service, when ™»n might have to lie out night after nilhtTn the wet and cold, with no change of clothing? I have Beveral time 3 recom*

mended that the Government should either make free issue of great coats to the troaps, or else a small annual allowance to enable officers commanding corps to supply their men with this most necessary article. We are extremely short of accoutrements. No proper supply has been kept in the colony, as was evidenced when we sent away the Contingents to South Africa. Owing to the necessities of the Imperial Government for accoutrements of all kinds, it will be some time before we are able to obtain a supply from England, and even when all these stores that are on order now are received, we shall not have sufficient to'equip the whole of the Forces. '" The Commandant's remarks on ammunition are rather unsatisfactory. He says: "At the present time we have a contract for the supply of small-arm ammunition, and this contract practically ties us to one firm for our arnfnunitlon supply. The contract will shortly expire, and" it is for consideration on what terms it should be. renewed; I have no complaint to make of the quality of the ammunition supply by the company, but I must point out that it is a fallacy to call the works an ammunition factory. They are simply workshops in which the different parts of- the ammunition are put together. Every article that is used in the manufacture of thb ammunition is obtained from outside the colony, so that in war time all these articles would I presume, be contraband of war, and we would be no better off in obtaining the ammunition supply than if we Imported the complete ammunition direct from England. To establish a factory in which explosives, bullets, and all- the parts which go to make up a complete cartridge were manufactured would entail a very large expense. It is for consideration whether it is advisable to again tie our hands in the matter of ordering ammunition supplies by binding ourselves to one firm which puts together the ammunition in the colony. A fair way, I thinfc, would be to guarantee the firm a fixed annual order, on the understanding that they kept sufficient material of all kinds in the colony Sejenable them to turn out at once a certain* largely increased supply in case of urgent necessity. Any quantity of ammunition in excess of the annual order that we might require should be open to tender from other ammunition companies carrying on business within the limits of tho Empire. I have seen suggestions made, that either the Government should undertake, or invite firms to undertake, the manufacture of ammunition for heavy guns in the coliny; but from my own experience, I know that the cost of establishing the necessary works at present would be prohibitive." The strongest army in Europe for the purposes of defence is that of Switzerland", where the law forbids the maintenance of any standing army whatever. The difficulty is got over by making every boy a soldier, and beginning his military education, when he is eight years old, pasisng Kirn through a regular series of annual inspections and reviews until he is old enough to go to work. And then, if he does not find it convenient to continue his training he can be relieved of his liability by paying a special tax, which, however, does not exempt him from the landwehr, in which he has to serve from his 33rd to his 44th year, nor from the landsturm for which he is liable until he is 50. The school period from eight to 17 is voluntary but is encouraged and supported by all classes; the adult period, from 17 to !50, is compulsory. And even in Switzerland there are veterans who form the backbone of the national force.—Leisure Hour.