VOLUNTEER & DEFENCE NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 94, 20 April 1904, Page 8

VOLUNTEER & DEFENCE NOTES

■ {BY RIFLEMAN.)

Buchanan Cup firing next Saturday at Penrose. Auckland Engineers* annual meeting and smoker next Friday. The captain of the Tauranga Mounted Rifles Is advertrsing for recruits. The Devonport Navals will hold a reexamination In submarine mining on viva voce lines. A sham fight between Wellington and Auckland, near Taranakl, is suggested for next Easter. Sergt-Major Bruce will give a military talk to the No. 1 Co. of Garrison Artillery on parade to-night. Pr. W. Cox leaves Auckland next Sunday to join the Atheuie, leaving Wellington on Thursday, the 2Sth, for Blsley. The Te Pnke Mounted Rifles go into camp near Miketu on the 29th Inst., with Sergt.-Major Coleman as Instructor. Captain Parker, of the Devonport Navals, is having a month's leave of absence on account of his health. Lieut. Murdock is In charge of tne company. The final round of the shooting for the Grecnslade trophy at Kawhia resulted In Lundon becoming the winner (248 points), and Pearson the runner-up (235). Corp. Pickford, of Gisborne, while on a visit to Auckland, presented his old company (No. 1 Native Rifles) with a handsome gold centre medal and a fern scarf pin, to be fired ior by the company. The Northern Wairoa Rifle Club, firing the second round for the championship belt and club medal, made the following scores, the conditions being 10 shots each at 300 and 500 yartb.—Mr J. J. Dobbs (first round 87). 77; Cap.. Bassett (76), 71; Mr S. Webb (60), 60; Mr S. Stewart (CI), 54; Mr H. Anderson (79), 54; Mr L. Coseeboom (CO), 52. Acting-Major Hume, of Hamilton, has passed the examination which entitles him to rank as Major. Major Hume Joined the Waikato Mounted Rifles in 1897. and served In the ranks for a couple of years. He was then elected lieutenant, and later took command. Major Hume acted in the capacity of captain for about three years, and when the battalion camp was held in Hamilton in June last was apointed actlng-major-in-charge. Residents of Christchurch, in view of the present aspect ot affairs in Europe and the East, tre requisitioning the Government to strengthen the defences of the colony. They set forth that "this is a subject which is of vital importance to the colony, more especially in view of the fact that considerable time must elapse before any modern armament could be obtained and gnus mounted in our ports, or at the coal ports .which latter are wholly uuprotected." Devonport Coastguard Artillery Volunteers fired the first series of two matches on Saturday last, with the following result: —Mrs Lindsay's Cup (championship of corps, prone, sitting and kneeling): Sergt. Griffiths, 60; Sergt. Fendall, CO; Gun. Griffiths, 60; Lieut. Lees, SS; Corp. Blckerton, 55. Messrs John Burns and Co.'s Cup: Sergt. Giifiiths (2), total SO; Sergt. Fendall (2), 81; Sergt Dickey (5), 75; Lieut. Leee (scr), 69: Corp. Bickerton (7), 71; Private Booker (12), 69. \ The Devonport Coastguards began two competitions on Saturday, with the following results:—Mrs Lindsay's .Cup (championship of corps)—Sgt. Griffiths, 22 prone, 23 sitting, 21 kneeling, total 66; Sgt. Fendall, 21, iH, 18—66; Gun. Griffiths, 19, 21, 20— 60; Lieut. Lees, 20. 22, 16—58; Corpl. Blckerton, 22, ly, 14—55. Messrs John Burns and Co.'s Cup—isgt. Griffiths, 45 prone, 33 mag., 2 hep, total 8G; Sgt. Fendall, 38, 41, 2—81; Sgt. Dickey, 33, 37, 5—75; Corpl. Blckerton, 46. la, 7—71; Lieut. Lees, 44, 25, scr., 69; Gun. Booker, 36, 21, 12—69. The Coromancrel Rifles, shooting for Captain Horn's gold bracelet on Saturday, made the following scores, the ranges being 200, 300, 500, and COO yards:—Pr. Lindsay (handicap 20). total 83: .Lance-Corporal Marshall (20), 82; Lance-Corporal Carlyon (26), 82; Pr. R. Senior (scr), 75; LanceCorporal Strongman (5), 74; Corpl. Daldy (15),. 73; Lance-Corporal Bridson (12), Jl; Colour-Sergt. Morrison (scr),- 70; Pr. Lloyd (25), 70; Bug. Campbell (35), 70; Sergt. Gatland (20), 69; Lance-Corporal McNeil (33),' 64; Sergt. Hooper (12), 61; Pr. E. J. Senior (scr), 57; Pr. R. Kein (25), 50; Pr. Edgar (30), 38. Mr Walsh has been elected captain of the No. 1 Co. of the Second Battalion of Mounted Rifles, and Mr Allen Bell lieutenant. Next June the battalion will hold a "trek" camp. On Sunday Major Hume, Adjutant Kemp, and Sergeant-Major Coleman left Hamilton for the purpose of Inspecting the proposed route. They went to Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, and then on to Cambridge, where they stayed the night. On Monday they purposed going to ~Tawhere and Morrinsville. It is expected that there will be fully 200 in camp, which will open at Cambridge on Sunday, June 5. On Monday a march will be made to Te Awamutu, and tne following day Hamilton will be reached. On Wednesday the corps will camp at Morrinsville, returning to Cambridge on Thursday. During the "trek" manoeuvres will be gone through under service conditions.