VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1900, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

(By Rifleman.)

The firing for the district rifle belt will take place next Saturday afternoon at the Mount Eden rifle range.. This annual competition is open to all volunteers in the Auckland district on the payment of an entrance fee of 1/6. The entrance money is used to provide money prizes for the highest scorers in the competition The annual smoke concert of the No. 1 Native Rifles will be held on Wednesday, 19th inst., In Sowerby's Hall. The Seddon Horse parade for inspection next Saturday afternoon. The left division of the Auckland Mounted Rifles gave a dance at Papakura on Friday evening. A number of the right division journeyed up from town to attend tne function, Which proved a great success. The Ponsonby Navals must be congratulated on the success of their annual dance, which passed off on Friday night with great eclat. The decorations were splendid, and the whole affair was admirably arranged. The Auckland Mounted Rifles commenced their class firing at their rifle range at Penrose last Saturday afternoon. Troopers Till and Everard and Sergeant Thode were the highest scorers. Next Saturday the corps will parade in the Domain for the monthly inspection. It is intended to continue the class firing every Saturday until the course is completed. The Auckland Engineers will probably make a start with practical engineering work in a week or two, by building a small redoubt round the flagstaff to be erected on the parade ground behind the Wellesleystreet school.

As I expected, the privates' team succeeded in winning the battalion triangular match last Saturday, their total score being 33 points ahead of the N.C.O.'s and 39 points ahead of the officers'. At the 000 yards range the three teams finished within six points of each other, officers and N.C.O.'s both beating tho privates; but the latter had already established too strong a lead at the COO yards, and managed.to pull off the match.

At a veterans' social held In Melbourne recently, two veterans were mentioned as having won the Victoria Cross in Maorlland in 1863. The fact is the medal referred to was not the Victoria, but the New Zealand, Cross—a quite distinct decoration locally issued at the time referred to. The late Major Heaphy, it may bo mentioned, was the only volunteer who ever won a Victoria Cross in New Zealand. .

The guns of the E Battery (Chrlstchurch) are being painted kharki, so as to be in the prevailing fashion. It is only to be. regretted that this will not increase their range, which Is below that of the modern rifle. It has been suggested that the kharki colour will render the guns almost invisible at a moderate range, and if this is so It would be well to apply many coats of kharki paint, so that the guns may never be seen again. It is more than discreditable, it is positively wicked, that the ordnance of Christchurch should be misrepresented by such out-of-date weapons. — "Canterbury Times."

There Is a groat clanger now (says the "Broad Arrow") that everything military will shape itself on South African lines. This would be a mistake, for, after all, South Africa is but a corner of the British Empire, and very unlike, in many particulars, other places where more serious fighting may take- place. A retrospect of recent wars shows us under what varied conditions we must fight. Volley-firing smashed up the Dervishes, but did not answer with the Boers. We now hear it said that volleyfiring must go, just ns formerly we heard that various other things must go, as the result of an unusual experience. Not so long ago cavalry were relegated to the limbo of a past age. Horse artillery batteries were reduced. Quick-firing field-guns were scoffed at, and so on. Now we wonder who could have said such tilings, but we imust take care that we do not rush too far ahead now. and, regarding swords and lances as barbaric weapons, and various other things unsuitable to Boer warfare as only fit for the rubbish heap, destroy much of the usefulness of the army for employment elsewhere. There is need now for level-headedness when such vast volumes of criticisms, wise and otherwise, are poured forth. The main desideratum is a strong, effective army, ready for all possible emergencies, and trained to fight under all conditions with Intelligent interest.

The obsolete pattern .of the guns supplied to the Victorian military forces Is the subject 'of pointed comment in the annual report of the Victorian Council of Defence. In his statement for the year that ended on June 20 Major-General Downes sets forth that the guns and carriages of the Victorian Field Artillery are obsolete, and the harness very old, and all-require renewing. The horses are quite unsuitable for the purpose required. At least 50 per cent, of the haversacks supplied to the Permanent Artillery are old and unserviceable, and although the arms and accoutrements are in good order, the issue of .303 magazine carbines is urgently desirable. In the garrison artillery the want of drill guns is badly felt, and constant but unavailing eflorts have been made to induce the authorities to provide them. Thirty thousand magazine rifles are required, so as to have a reserve of 10 000, and Major-General Downes also *- commends that provision should be made for the renewal to a very grijat extent of the greatcoats, haversacks, and belts now on Issue. He again places on record the fact that Victoria is 12,000 miles away from her base of supplies, and urges that the colony stiould therefore be made independent'so f*>r-as ammunition is concerned. Cordite and lyddite, he states, could easily be made there. The raw material for the latter exists in largo quantities in New South Wales, and several large foundries would readily undertake the manufacture of projectiles. The commandant urges that the necessary guns should be ordered now; that everything should be In perfect readiness, and large supplies of ammunition kept in stock; and that a school of instruction, with special instructors for garrison militia, artillery officers nnd non-commissioned offlcers should be established.