VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 60, 11 March 1903, Page 6

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

The Oamaru people are spending £1200 on a marble monument .to fallen troopers.

The plan of paying out daily the prizemoney won at the Trent-turn meeting is a very sensible one, and probably welcome.

We are told that Col. Porter, C.8., who is to succeed Col. Webb in command of the Canterbury district, was offered the CnderSecretaryship for Defence, and declined.

A Canterbury volunteer thinks the capitation to artillery and engineer corps ought to be the same as that of the mounted corps, £3 10/.

A Wellington volunteer returning from the ri.le range noticed a shepherd with a dog mustering sheep. He promptly raised bis rifle and shot a sheep dead. At the Police Court he had to pay two guineas In fine, damages, and costs.

Mr Ord Hume told the Adelaide people that New Zealand bands are slightly better than those of Australia. He advised them to arrange regular contests with New Zealand, and to follow New Zealand's example in sending a band to England.

The competition for the Gordon Shield, arranged by the Akarana Rifle Club for Saturday, April 14th. is open to any teams of five men (volunteer or civilian). There is an entrance fee of a sever- ie-n. The ranges will be 300, fioo, and GOO yards, seven shots being allowed at each range.

Vice-Admiral Fanshnwe jwys that the Admiralty has been desirous that the Australasian Squadron should have an opportunity of working iv concert. That opportunity had been lacking in the past, as the shins had been widely scattered. But it was possible now.

The six 0-ponnder Nordcnfeldt guns and equipments at Christchurch were only

silently damaged by the fire which demoli'hed the drill shed hist month. Two of them are to he added to the Lyttelton Harbour Defence, and (he other four are to be sent to Wellington to get rusty prior to being distributed to other districts.

The Akarana Rifle Club's programme for March comprises the following competitions:—March 14th: Mr McCallnm's cup (\ Class); Mr Evans' trophy (for tyros). March 21st: A and R Classes, Championship shield and medal; I*. Class, Mr J. G. Buchanan's ri'rgregnte medal. March 28th: \ Class, Messrs Ruchanan and Sons' marble clock; 1; Class. Mr E. T. Buchanan's medal.

Lad luck attends the titles of soldier noblemen. The Duke of Wellington's title has never descended directly through a son. That of Marlborough came down to posterity by special Legislation conferring it upon a daughter. No I one of the three great soldiers of our time has a direct heir, for the sou who would have borne the earldom of Lord Roberts lies in tui African grave. Lord Wolseley bus no son, and Lord Kitchener is a bachelor.

The present champion rifleman of the colony, George Hyde, of the Opaki (Mastertoni Rille Club, bus :i chance of retaining the trophy for the coining year, :is he stands third on the list iit Trentham. Should he do so, the belt will become his absolute property. IPs score of 411 so far Is ten below Siindford's (Phi Istohurcb) 421, und five below It. King's (Opaki) 41G. Captain Shepherd (Rrten Cadets) end Lieut. Cox (Vh'torin Rifles) are top of the Auckland men with 404 each.

It is refreshing to notice that in its "range-finding" troubles Auckland is afflicted in good company. In some remarks upon the rille meeting at Trentham it Christchurch writer says: "It is apparent that some districts iv the colony are much stronger than others iv rifle shooting. Dunedin, for instance, is exceedingly enthusiastic; Wellington, too, is strong. Auckland Inis some capital marksmen, and so hits Christchurch; bill the last two places are severely handicapped in the matter of n range. I'nless the Auckland volunteer can get practice on the Akarana (dub's ground lie may make up his mind that he can get very little shooting. The same remark applies to Christchurch. The usual departmental bungling was shown in making :i range for Christchurch volunteers so far from town. Why does the Government send impracticable and inexperienced men to select il rille range. The result Is the same :i!l over Ihe colony, dissatisfaction. Such ii mutter eoultl well be left in the hands of capable local men."

A Dunedin writer, cum_eutin_r on the new hfteen-pouudeis similar to those lately received by the "A" Baiter.- at Auckland, observes that the new yuns bear brand

"D.L.N.A.." so perhaps they are not really quite, so new as was at drat anticipated they would he. "A'ter looking the new fifteen-pounders in the mouth," he continues, "tin- points of difference between the present pieces and the old ones seem to be niiiuv and great. The new gun is much longer than the nine-pounder, the breech action quite different, of course, and the means for lessening the recoil much more powerful. The angle of lock is Kreater. too, til us atKlins to tlie mobility of tlie battery, an added mobility which is evidently contemplated, since the gunners' seats arc provided with substantial springs." In regard to the age (>,' the <mius our Dunedin friend is evidently wrong. The guns bear date 1902, and are said by the best gun experts of this city to be the very latest thing out. Now that the rust has been worked out of them, they arc regarded here as real treasures.

A Dunedin officer who was lately In Auckland has told a Dunedin pressman that the Auckland electric car men wear 1 the uniform of some of the infantry corps t„f New Zealand. Whereupon the Duued n l pressman observes:—"Now, our uniforms for' all branches of the volunteer service : here aie so plain, both in material and ! design, that it certainly cannot be said , that our volunteers give their time to volunteering merely for the sake of the eclat I which is supposed to come to one 'wearing ; the uniform,' but the fact still remains ' that he good aud efficient volunteer feels ii lust Pride in the circumstance that in ' eerS particulars he is different from the i'r ,nd one of the main things which i lie s to naVk this difference is his uniform. Ate? one of the aims of military training ' t to Inculcate in all ranks not merely a !,ie 1 it a respect for the King's unirm vie.ever and whenever it is met. '■ J3TfbS nothL Ue.»

__ s£2 &&&&£>&> \ £ targets are of Jin steel and Sn snnnTe. an.l"S placed upon a small oTSether tl c implct of the bullet would overturn the target. The targets having been placed In position, the marksmen retired to .novels, where scooting was commenced. Williams and Collins were first down At the first shot from each rifle wo relets fell. Collins nnickly d;opned his other target, but WiMiams although he hit his, only sneeeedod in turning it eornerwise. and it was not till nft"r two other shots had been fired that he succeeded in overturning th» target. Tt was found on oxnmi'\"tion that the brMots had drilled holes clean through the target, as thongh a punching machine had been at work. The tnreers were again set nn. this time two of them heine placed together, thus presentinc n thleVness of *in steel to the bullet. Colonel and the press representatives then took a hand at the test, and acain the targets were overturned, tlie double nlnte bclu-r drilled almost vis pomnletely as was the stnrie one. As nn fflnßtratlnn of the Inmaet of the bullet the experiment was an Interesting one.