VOLUNTEER & DEFENCE NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 225, 20 September 1905, Page 6

VOLUNTEER & DEFENCE NOTES

(BY BIFLEMAX.y • *

• I: In the House of Representatives it was | mentioned that Major General Babington's term of office as Commandant of the NewZealand forces would expire before Parlla.*nent met again. Mx Seddon said it was liis intention to invite Major Genera: Babington to remain a longer term in the colony. There had been a considerable im- I provement in the forces since the Commandant took charge and he proposed to offer him an extension- of tima. The No. 1 Infantry Battalion parades en October 13th. Fvt. W. Newman "won the Kaiapot Cβ.'e trophy of the No. 1 Thames Rifles last Saturday. The appointment of Captain "Wm. Crook Lloyd to the command of the No. 3 Ohinemuri Rifles is gazetted. The shooting match between the Victorias and the rest of the No. 1 Battalion (ten men aside) will take place on October 11th at Penrose. The Auckland Navals are advertising for their members to return at once to the Orderly hooni all Government arms at present on issue to them. The Xo. 1 Regimental Band, A.M.R., tinder Bandmaster Adams, played some excellent music at Calliope Dock on Sunday. The baud is making good progress In its musics 1 work. I.icut. Co. Loveday, commandant of the cadet force, who is visiting tne Auckland district, inspected the Thames school cadets yesterday aftPrnoon, at an Imposing combined parade of the Battalion. The Victorias fired a match for Pvt. Tobin's trophy, si. Pen-rose, na Saturday, Pvt. 'McCarthy winning easily, with a fine score of 88 out of 100. Mc is a consistently good scorer, and is improving rapidly. The JC«w Zealand defence forces army list for the Quarter ended August Slst i has been issued. With index, it covers near- ! ly seventy pages giving in a clear and [ concise f.»rm the whole defence t-stablish- : ment of the country. ! A triangle match between the D Squad- ! Ron (Franklin) A.M.H.. the No. 8 O.A.V. I iPonsonby). and the Victoria Uifles (20 men I aside), is being arranged. In the Inst of these matches the Victorias were first, and I the Franklins second. I i The Engineers held an inspection parade ' In khaki on Monday evening last, and had I a very good muster of r>4 on parade The compiny is now recruiting up to its full I"strength of luf>, but there arc still a few ! vacancies for suitable recruits in the slgnal- : ling ajid tteld engineering sections. The following is the new draw for the ; football for the nest two Saturdays: i September li.'lru. No. ?) <~"o. <;.A.V. v. Gordon .Rifles, Mounted Rifles v. Newton Rifles. College Rifles v. A Battery v. Submarine Miners. Sepicmbe-i 30: I No. 9 Co. (i.A.V." v. Engineers. Mounted ! Rifles v. Gordon Rifles. Newton Rifles v. i A Battery. College Rifles v. Submarine Miners. Pome of the less successful teams have dropped out. J j Volunteers whose interest is mainly in ! the shooting would be much interested . i in the telegram we published on Thursday last, anent Trentham range. It is to be so! much improved that the nieetiug can be carried out in five days. Major Hughes is Sending out a dozen Ralston tragets. as used at Bisley, which work on the sliutter princip'--. They tost i"- , ' , '. About £HHUj Is i to he spent on 'he nuige within tnree ' years, and JEPjuj will be immediately expended. Queen's South African medals and clasps i for the Ist mid 3rd Battalions, Austrsliau I Commonwealth ll.>rse and Commonwealth ' Army Medical Corps, are now being dls>- ! tributed iv Sydney. Similar incdaLs. due i t'> nwmhois of the irregular corps, such as I Rimingtor s Guides. Kitchener's Fighting I Scouts, Kitcheners Hnm\ the ltaiiway l.iurer Regiment, and tl>« Prince of I Wales" Light Horse arc also ready ror is- ! sue, but applications require to lie made j to the officer commanding the discbarge depot, Capetown. The volunteer force of the colony, all told, is 15.X02 officers ami men. all increase '■ of SSI on last year's total. The Auckland forces number 3385. made up as follows; — 1 One battery of field artillery, consisting ;.f 74 officers and men: three coinpani'-s srar- ! rison artillery. 211; two companies engineers. l«<i: four battalions mount c<l rifles (In all 22 companies). li!7e: two battalions infantry (iv all IS companies). OS7: one field hospital and bearer company. 32: live defence cadet companies, '244: 16 defence i rifle clubs. 374; and one garrison band. li 7. Major R. Hughes left London directly after the termination of the Hisley meeting, and he is at present staying In Dublin. He expects to be there for about a fortj night, and then po o:i to Scotland to see Edinburgh, Stirling. Inverness, and Glasgow. He will come hack to London later and will spend a little time here before embarking on the s.s. - lonic on the ISrh October ou his way back to New Zealand. ! The New Zealand Bisiey team are now all paid off. and all are scattered, visiting varii ous parts of the Kingdom. I Tfie Minister for Defence has had under j consideration tin- question of capitation pt:d to cadet corus, with a view to giving ] a slight increase. The capitation at present i paid is 5/ per head, which members of Parliament have urged on the Minister as being totally insufficient, seeiug that uni forms have to be provided for the cadetsOne t'iptain commanding a cadeT~corps has written to a member of the Hoi.sc. statin* that it would take the company nine years to pay off the cost of its uniforms on thp present basis of capitation. An idea of the vast importance the little yllow isl-auder has acquired since the beginning of the present war can be gathered from the Liverpool "Journal of Couimerce":— "British Officers to beam Ja;wuese.—A War Office order has been promulgated at Woolwich ]pr which officers aTC invited to come forward to learn the Japanese language. All names at present noted will be carried over to Jauuary I, 1906. and the officers selected wiJ! thei* in. , sent out to Japan in Kebniaiy, and will be provided with free passages. In cases of failure. officers will have lo pay tu<-;r passages back." Colonel Davies, C.8., visited Hamilton en Saturday, and inspected the local M.R. in the afternoon and thi> eade(s in the evening: He returned to Auckland on Monday, and yesterday he went up to Clevedon. where the D. .Squadron (Franklin) A.M.R. is in camp. He spent a portion of the day inspecting and drilling them, and returned in the evening to Auckland. Today he went up to Te Awamutu to inspect the local M.R. He inspects the Piabos next day at Te Aroha. and then returns to" Auckland. At the end of the month he goes south to Wellington for lv« general conference of the O.C.D. with Major General Babington. An Australian National Defence Leasue, on strictly non-party lines, was formed at a large and representative meeting of citizens held recently, under the presidency of Sir Normand MaeLaurin. The object of the organisation Is: (11 To take such measures as may be necessary to secure universal compulsory training (military a*nd naval) of the boyhood and manhood of Anstralla for purposes of national defence, the military training to be on the lines of the Swiss system, modified to suit local circumstances; and (2) to secure an adequate and effective system of national defence. The resolutfon to this effect was moved hy Sir Julian Salomons. X.C.. supported by Mr W. M. Hughes. M.P.. Sir William McMillan, and Commander Brown Jew. In reference to the appointment of a successor to H-M.s. Euryalos as flagship on the Australian station, the "Sydney Morning Herald" says that the news of the selection of H.M.S. Powerful caused surprise in naval circles, where it was anticipated that H.M.s. Cressy would have been chosen. The paper further states that Admiral J'anshawe received official confirmation or the statement that the Powerful had been selected. A private letter received from England by the last mall stnted that H.M.s. Cressy was to succeed H.M.s. Euryalus. The Oresey is a sister ship tc the Dnryalns, a first class armoured cnjlsei of IXOOO tons, 14 guns, and 2i-knot speed.

Recent experiments, carried on principal-: ly by Captain Scott, and also by Lieut. Vyvyan, R.N.. have greatly increased the possibilities of naval gunnery. The light : steel platform now fitted to the head of each lower mast is electrically connected with every big gun position in the ship, no less than 2700 yards of wire being employed for the purpose. It is on the representation of Captain Percy Scott that the Admiralty has abolished military tops in our battleship classes. These masthead fire control stations will only be used at long distances, as the thickly armoured connecting tower is the right place in close action for those who direct tie evolutions and the gunnery of the ship. After prolonged disenssion and communication with cavalry officers all over the world, the Army Council has decided that the lancer regiments shall retain their lances. Thus a question that has excited much attention during the past few years, aud over which a ttimes the dispute has waxed very high, is at last settled, aud we remain exactly where we were at first. The general tendency of military discussions is to follow a circle, and to wind up exactly where it started from. The present decision is a particularly futile one. inasmuch as it implies that the lancers will now bear three weapons — the lance, the sword, and the short rifle. Col. Davies, C.8., told the meeting which discussed the proposal to celebrate Trafalgar Day that if it desired to do the best it could to help the Empire which Trafalgar did so much to create, it would use all its endeavours to persuade employers to give their men time to take an intelligent interest in volunteering. The men were willing enough: they did their part to the best of their ability, and to the utmost limit of the time at their disposal: but they should be allowed to come out for service during the day time. It was not the slightest good Uaving such a force unless it was made moronghly effective, and that eonid not be done unless the men were aliowed to come out in the day time. The final stage in the shooting competition -.mon? the members of B Class of the Wnntly Rifles, for the prizes presented by Mip members of Nos. 1. 2. and 3 Native R!fles. was concluded on Saturday, when thp wraibor conditions were most puzzling to yoTins shots, the wind blowing obliquely across the target with varying force, and rons'rierable strength. At the 4f>o yard* distance (seven rounds prone position, and seven rounds sitting). Pte. Wm. McCready came firs-t with 44 Ipossihle 56>, the rnn-ners-up being Pte. M. Rigby with 3fl. :ind Pte. R. B-»ag with 35. The last named having the highest aggregate wins the flrst prize. Pte. McCre-ady, who also wins th» range prize, a silver mounted pipe presented by Bngier Brooks, annexing the second. The prizes given by the same donor* ti the members of the A Class will be competed for shortly. Tho conference of officers commanding corps, held last Wednesday, onJy lasted the day, but was well attended, and some valuable expressions of opinion were given by the officers The subjects included the Suggestions as to volunteer regulations of June Ist. T.HIS, improvement and regulation of recruiting, measures in nrrtoi" to keep thi , corps up to the strength. possibility of making company camps more useful, or substituting some other form of training for them, encouragement of good irlisters on parnde. improvement of rifle shooting and gunnery, better instruction of officers and non-coinmifsioncd officers", and especially of senior officers, the best mran* of clothing the volunteer force. Lieut Coi Porritt. O.C the No. "J Battalion of Infantry (the Ihiurnkisi was amongst those present. In commemoration of the third anniversary of the foundation of (he ( lnb. a srr-oLe" concert was held by the members of the Auckland Garrison Non-Com.'s Club on Friday evening last, in their club room, at the Drill Hall Staff S.M. Che.itor was elected president of the club in the place of IJput. Carpenter, who has been promoted tn commissioned rank since electinn as president. About r>o non-coms, yore present. Hid sn enjoyable evening ! was spent in music and narrative. A fine concert phonograph was lent by Corporal Mnrtou. and its selections were highly •iiinreciaft' The committee consisred of ; f-evrnorn! Morton (lion, sec.l. Sst. -Jackson. S~t" Major Willonghby. Q M.S. (Ir-jh.im. S»rt" T>ow. Corpl. Beasley, and Bomb. Mul- . holland. "The fighting parson" Is little more than a name in Kngland. although some woar<*r<= . t.f tlit- cloth are connected with volunteer regiments. But in Canada there is a -ler , »vii>an iv command of the IHh Argenteuil This is the Rev. Henry .Tekiil. rector of Sr. Mary's Chunh. Montreal. l> Jekill. it should be said, joined that ' battalion when fifteen, and obtained hi? ' company In ISB7- He resigned when or- ' dnlned but his superior officers persuaded the bishop to advise him not to wver hi; connection the the regiment, and his resig- ; nntion was withdrawn. In InW Caplmr I Jekill became major, and now he succeed--Ito tho command, in accordance with the , unanimous request of bis brother officers ■ Lieutenant Colonel Jekill is an eiHhusias--1 tic rifleman, and lust year won the XXX . yffrds match of the Province of Quebe< Uiflp Association. The use of the revolver, which has done good work in savage warfare, is now t< be discontinued in hostilities against ciri lisvd nations. During the late South African campaign, the vVcbiey revolver wat carried by all drivers of the Royal Field Ar tillory. drivers of transport, farriers, am staff sergeants of otter arms of the ser ' vice, but these weapons proved more dan j g*rnns to friend than foe. owing to th< i soldiers never having sufficient practice ii the nee of them. None of the drivers use< them after the flrst few weeks of th( campaign. The officers who served in Soutl I Africa, in their reports, are unanimou: I that the revolver is a good weapon t< { use against savage tribes at close quarters but are equally agreed that it is useles: !in civilised warfare, where battles an I fousrht at longer ranges For these rea I sons, ir is proposed to abolish the re ! volver iv favour of a very light carbine i experiments on which are now being car i ried out. Farriers and shoeing smiths wil Ftill carry a revolver but only for the pur pose of killing horses and cattle. Another attempt was made on Thursda; last to solve the problem as to who is t< be the third lieutenant of the A Battery ! but without success/Corporal Spragg. om !of tbe previous candidates, stood down i and did not seek election, and a 'vote o 1 the compaliy which was tak>*u left Sergt I Major .loves. the other candidate i who still sought election, just twi j short of the exasperating two third; i majority required. Another attempt wil '■ no doulit be made to carry through the el ! eetioii at an parly date. Last week I refer ■ red to this u:attej. and used curtail J phrases which "the candidate in the mm i ority" there referred to deemed inaccurate j I sifted., on what I considered good au i thority. that neither condidate had offer led to withdrew, and leave the field clea jto the other fellow. The minority man ex ' plained to mc that he had stated to th Battery his intention not to further eon ; test the election, and accepting his state

;'■ input as rorrpct. I regret t'rat my liiforui- [ ai:rs made sn<-li an error. No otiior i-ar.i'.i----date is forthcoming so far for the va-i cant position, for Q.M.S. Doiill, whose nor- j . ' ination - had the support of the retiring . i candidate. Corp!. Spnigg. would not accept . j nominationi j The lessons of the Boer war have already j ' been forgotten. Buttons and feathers reign ' again. Monnte<l men disport themselves [ with pennons waving at the end of pointed i : sticks. They are talking again of cold steel l '. I ami charging cavalry. In plain words, in j f i spite of what we have been taught by Boers ' I aud Afridis alike, who cannot distinguish - : between plastrons and facings, but know -' a £ood rifle when th<-y see one, the Brit- ' I isharmy is being steadily allowed to fall | ■ i bnfk on the weapons and uniforms of j ? and Babylon. So says tbe Cal- ' ! ; outta "Englishman," with some cause, bnt I ■; we have no stirring war to draw recnii f s ! • into oar army, and it is so well recogn!s----i ed a cha-actcristic of the ordinary man " that he Is attracted by a bright uniform I • ! and Platler'asr. glittering accontrements. j • and equal"? repollpd by the unromanHc i dmh monotony of khaki and "service con- ! anions" generally, that, in sbort. he is so ■ vain an animal, as to lead the War Office 1 to garb its garrison forces caudily. "Cost- ' ly thy habit as thy purse affo-rds.*" is good ; human philosophy for the recruiting sergeant. I wish some of our local volun-tf-er corps would pay more attention to 4 thei : aesthetic sid? of vnluTitecring. and pur- i chase some other traiform than the hideous. I I if necessary, kharki. It's nil work and no i play in the uniform business. ! ' ■== i