VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 165, 14 July 1902, Page 3

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

The capital is £3000, in £l shares The a? 43 taken out a patent Mr Trotter will shortly proceed to London to exploit the patent. Co. Burton, the largest sharenoider in the ->omPany, is making arrangements to also make the tnp.-"xaranakt Hei-ald."

An interesting decision was given by Mr J. G. Russell, S.M., the other day at Adelaide m a case in which Private William Ralph, of vie A.N.A. corps, brought an action for libel in the local Civil Court against Capt. Morley. The complaint was that the Captain, in sending an order for the return of the private's arms and accoutrements, used a postcard, which anyone in the office in which he was employed could read. It was riot the order wnich annoyed him, but the fact that it was sent on a postcard. The magistrate non-suited the plaintiff, observing that a privaijj* should take his grievances, not to a Civil Court, but to the tribunal appointed by the Imperial Army Act.

Concerning the achievement of the Victoria Rifles in the annual medal-firing contests, "Non-Shootist" writes as follows:— "I am informed that the medals presented by the New Zealand Government—lst, gold medal for the best shot in tho North Island; 2nd, gold and silver mcgal for, the second best shot in the North Island; 3rd, silver medal for the bast shot in the district—have been won by the Victoria Rifles. Surely, sir, this is a performance that any corps may well be proud of, especially as I venture to say some of the best marksmen in New fez and are to be found in the North Island, lo decide an argument, can you inform me whether the above has been equalled in New Zealand by any other individual corps?" Such a record as this has certainly not been equalled in New u nd ]? efore ', a nd it is one to be remembered and distinctly creditable to the

The following are the conditions for two competitions which will be decided'd™ inj? t.k time the Aucxuril Xavil A.rt.l Corps is encamped for the r£™ ? \-?? Ur l G of Instruction:Competition No. l : -Pri 2 es: A gold watch, va ue £o 15/, and tnree articles of less v^ 0, . Open to> all N.C.0.-S, Acting N.C.o. s, or those who Intimate their desire for promotion on or before July /m £? d Wh ° com P l y vtth paragraph B. (B) Every compeUtor must have atwuded at least 60 per cent, of any and every paiade held from present date to the date L>f competition. (C) There must be ac least 4 competitors or no competition (D) Competitors who obtain less than 40* per cent, of marks shall be ruled not to have competed. Competition Mo. 2—x-rizes: I laay's gold watch. 1 calendar watch, and 4 other articles. Open to gunners only. For the purposes of this competition, the company gunners will be divided into ciasses, and will receive instruction as follows: (A) Gunnery. Projectiles and fuses. (B) Gunnery and gunlaying or range-finding. (C) Gunnery. Dials and fuses. (D) Gunnery- Cartridges and fuses.

An Auckland writer, in the Canterbury "Times," makes the following , suggestion for the formation of an Officers' Club in Auckland:—"Speaking with a volunteer omeer a '.Few days ago, he deplored the fact that his brother officers did not seem interested enougm in the movement to form a military club. In my opinion f san Officers' Club is an absolute necessity. It reed not necessarily be an expensive affair. Let the officers band themselves together, engaging, say, two good large rooms in a first-class hotel—one as clubrr om (where a small library might be establisheaj, for the holding of meetings, is a writing and smoWng room, and for other purposes; the other to be a diningroom, under the management of the proprietors, but run as an officers' mess, where meals could be obtained at the same tariff as in the ordinary diningroom. . . There are at least twenty officers regularly 'having their meals in town, who could with advantage mess tAirether, and doubtless another dozen nould join in without inconveniencing themselves; beside which a large number -vnuld visit the clubrooms frequently, knowing that they would there meet bro-ker-officers, and have an opportunity of 'Miking over military matters."

"T R." writes that be purchased a Mar-Hni-Henrv rifle in Auckland, and on ■^"nowln? , it to a friend he was told that. I* , wn? one that hnd bee" nnst or reacted. The rifle was made at Enfield in 1887, and has the Crown on the side of the breech and double broad arrow on the stock, which he was told was a sign that it had been cast. There are also two angular marks on the fetoek. He, wishes to know whether it would be safe to use the rifle, how a flaw in the barrel could be detected and what .would be th§ cause of it. Ho also asks whether I consider a Mar-tini-Henry a safe, reliable gun. The answer to the last question is given by the two angular marks, which, indicate that the rifle has been properly tested for strength. The Crown and broad arrows are merely Government marks, and have nothing to do with the question of efficiency. There is no.thing- to show that the rifle is' unsafe, and the makers would not send out one which was found to be in any way deficient. A flaw in the barrel 'Would be revealed, by the use'of a reflector, which should be obtainable at any gunsmith's. By fitting: this in the breech and looking down the barrel any defect would be visible. Flaws are generally due to careless methods of cleaning. The cord or "pull-through" used for cleaning , should have at one end a piece of soft material of just the .right size for the purpose. If too large, it is likely to jamb, arid in such case an Injury'is often inflicted by using a piece of iron or other hard material to poke it out. The result would be inaccuracy of firing. MartiniHenrys are supposed to be obtainable only through.the military authorities, and are not sold to private individuals .