VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 126, 29 May 1901, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

(By Rifleman.)

Officers are notified through the "Gazette" that mourning bands are to be worn on the arms until their discontinuance is notified in general orders.

The Dunodro branch of the New Zealand Natives' Association recently presented Colonel llobin with a pair of pfoh! spurs and a purse of sovereigns.

Some of the Ponsonby N avals caught and killed n half-irrown weasel on the parade-ground on Monday night. This i- not the first of these pests that has been caught in the city of late.

Lieutenant James M. Nott Osborne, of Currandooley, Bungendore, has been invalided home •from South Africa, but left again shortly after hi.s arrival in Xew South Wales for New Zealand, where he is to join Lord TJanfui'lv's staff as A.D.C.

The parade in the Domain on Saturday last wan greatly interfered with ■:\ IV , crowd, who on several occasions wouM not allow room for the movements to be done A few policemen, each with a good oano. would have had a good effect upon some of them.

In his twenty-seventh annual report to the Wairarapa Education Hoard Inspector Lee mentions that, owiiur to financial difficulties, the expenditure will have to be curtailed, which will involve the abandonment of three important services. One of them is the system of battalion drill just lately introduced into schools.

Lieutenant-Commander G. W. S. Patterson, who went to Australia as a member of the staff of the. Commonwealth Contingent, is expected back by the steamer arriving from Sydney next Sunday night. He stayed in Sydney to witness the celebrations (here in connection with the Royal visit.

Quartermaster-Sergeant Simson, of the Seddon Horse, who went to Australia with the Federal Contingent, while in Wellington was presented by the Premier with his crest, worked in gold, and inscribed with Mr. Seddon's motto, "Vulneratus seel not victus." Mi-. Seddon has also given all the members of the corps which bears his name permission to wear bis crest.

Our Wellington correspondent states that there being already a Highland Corps there, the idea is being discussed of forming an Irish Company. Tt is suggested that it be called Queen Alexandra's Own, Wellington Irish Fusiliers. A meeting will shortly be held to select officers and decide on the uniform to be adopted.

On the occasion of the Duke of Cornwall's visit, to the Melbourne University (says the "Otag'o Times") one hundred New Zealanders formed a guard of honour. Captain Stoneham being in charge. Colonel Hoad, who was in command of the ceremony, was very pleased with the guard, and more than once declared in the men's hearing. "Splendid guard."' "Excellent guard," etc.

Colonel Pole Pehton. Commander of the Forces, is expected to return from Australia next Sunday night. Before leaving for Wellington he will doubtless give the question of a new Drill Hall for the Auckland volunteers his consideration. The matter has been delayed far too long already, for a drill hall is an absolute necessity, if the force is to be kept in a state of efficiency.

The School Cadets' parade last Saturday in the Domain was an objectlesson to our volunteers, for the boys acquitted themselves really well. With a few more such parades they will show our older corps a thing or two. 1 notice some of the officers are very weak in their drill; they might with advantage give a little more time to the study of the drill-book. The Napier-street boys deserve special mention for the excellence of their drill.

The Companies who lost their arms and part of their^jequipment in the Drill Shed fire are very ajixions to know when the Defence Office are going to replace what was lost. It will be a pity if fresh arms and accoutrements are not served out before the Royal review, ,for it will certainly detract from the display to see half a company without rifles or Carbines, as the case may be, or another company with no belts. One corps, I believe, lost all but about a dozen of their Carbines in the late fire.

•When is the Officer in Command of the District going- to call the officers together to make arrangements for the Duke of York's visit? Up to now, I am informed, the officers have not been consulted in any way. Is it going to be the same as when the Imperial troops arrived — call the officers together the night before, and then tell them that no arrangements have been made for the volunteers, and that the officers in command of companies must make their own arrangements? Something must be done, and done soon, if a good muster of volunteers on parade is desired.

The Ponsonby Naval Artillery have been doing good work during the absence of the captain, who is at present in Sydney. Lieut. Spinley has kept them steadily at infantry work in order to be ready for the Duke's visit. They are also recruiting steadily, and I see they are going to hold a special parade next Monday evening, when the officer in command hopes to be able to serve out the belts and sling's which were lent to the First Contingent, and which have at last been re-

turned. This corps will be the only naval corps with arms at the Royal review, the others having lost theirs in the Drill Hall fire.

It is stated that the applications of those corps who wished to go into camp of instruction before the Royal visit, thereby to qualify themselves for their work at the review, as well as to avoid the pressure of camps, ■which occurred last season, have been refused. In this connection a Southern writer remarks: "I think the refusal of such a request is a great mistake on the part of the Department. It surely cannot matter to the authorities when the corps go in for their annual instruction, and if a

corps can. see its way clear to put say eighty members into camp in May, whereas only forty could go into camp in November, why not let them go in May? It is little snubs like this which discourage volunteers."

Lieut.-Corumander Clemens , suggestion in Monday night's "Star," advocating , that a space should be reserved at the Royal reception for the relatives of volunteers, is one that deserves the favourable consideration of the committee. It seems to me that the most trying , part, of the work in connection with the reception will fall on the shoulders of the volunteers. They will be on duty all day from earl - in the morning - , and to keep the roads clear when thousands will be crowding for a view of ! the proceedings is not by any means the easiest and pleasantest of tasks. For such a purpose a disciplined body of men like the volunteers is invaluable, and it would be a graceful act for the committee to recognise their indebtedness to the volunteers by reserving , an enclosure for their relatives on the day of the Royal party's arrival.

Speaking of. the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in the procession the "Argr.s" says: "After the Tasmanians was the usual gap of ten yards: then appeared four immense men, who, as they approached, were found to be the first line of a dozen Maoris in the New Zealand contingent. One of the men was a veritable giant. He must' have weighed 20 stone, and there was very little of him spare flesh. His fellows were only small in comparison. All. however, were tall, muscular men, with the appearance of bronze statues. Of their fighting qualities there is no question. The Maori loves a fight even more than the Irishman, and there is no doubt that he will prove himself as expert and as willing with the rifle as he was with the mere in the days of old. The rest of the New Zealanders were of the stamp of men we have ween on their way bade from South Africa—well set, powerful fellows, skilful riders, and equally capable of hard work at home or fighting."

The Auckland members of the Commonwealth Contingent returned last Saturday via Wellington. Chattins' with one of the mounted representatives, T gathered that they hud had a royal time of it in Australia, and enjoyed the trip immensely. It was much more of a holiday for the mounted men than for the foot soldiers, for svhil<> the former were the escort of the Royal party their comrades on foot had the far more arduous task of lining- the route of the procession, each man having to stand at his own particular station .on the road for hours. Then again the work of looking- after the camp generally fell on the foot soldiers, the mounted men having- thus much more time to themselves. It is said that the Royal Park camp was rather damp, and the commissariat very bad, but notwithstanding these drawbacks the men contrived to enjoy themselves all right. At the Royal review the troops had a dreary two hours' wait in the rain, and of course? got very wet; but the New Zealanders had their reward in the march past, when they were greeted with the loudest cheering of the day. "Although I am a New Zealander," remarked my informant, "I will say that our boys looked the best of the lot/ After the march past Colonel Penton came across from the saluting- base and complimented the Xew Zealanders, awarding the palm for the marching to Captain Fisher's infantry section.