VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 253, 23 October 1907, Page 7

VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

iBY EIFLEMAN.) Secretaries of all rolunteer corps througuont i.be Auckland district are" invited to eourrlbpte to this column. "Rifleman" will be g!ad to receive any item t>£ ppecial or Keneral interest for publication, =iot merely concerning town companies, but equally concerning the country corps. It is desired in tUese notes to keep volunteers throughout the province well informed In news of volunteer Interest, and It Iβ only by the co-oyeiatioh of country corps wittt the editor tliat tills can be accomplished satisfactorily. News intended for publication in the current week's Notes should be in this office by Tuesday at the latest. They should be signed by a responsible official, not for publication, but only aa a guarantee of good faith. Colonel Davies, Inspector-General of the Forces, will begin his inspection of the district about November 30th. The appointment of Lieut. H. Wallace to tlie Mangonui M.R. is gazetted. There was a parade of the No. 1 Batta- ■ lion Infantry last night in the Domain. The Gazette announces the approval of the appointment of Chaplain Captain Matlu Kapa to the Mangaiahia M.R. New Zealand Is entitled to nominate two condidates for commissions in the British Army each half year. The amended regulation on the subject appears in the last Gazette. Lieut. Rogers, South Island Mounted Instructor, who got his commission while Staff, has been promoted as captain in the iS.Z. Militia. The Pulcekohe M.R. hold a sports meeting nest month. There are to be committees formed to carry out the detail arrangements, and it is intended to have a thoroughly good meeting. Colonel A. W. Robin, C.8., Chief of the General Staff, was during last week confined to his home by a slight attack of malaria, which he first contracted while in Sonth Africa daring the late war. There is every likelihood that a troop of tho To Awamutu squadron will be formed at Te Kuiti. 5.51. Coleman visits Te Kuiti on the 24th to attend a meeting of those Interested in the formation ol a troop ol the No. 2 Waikato M.R. Capt. Sherson, of the "A" Battery, was at the last moment unable to get away for the Artillery camp at the Hntt. Lieut. MeGilp will probably return on this coming Sunday, and Lieut. Burgess Morton nest week. The camp has been very successful. The General Staff officer.?. Col. Tuson | and Major Robinson, who were In Auckland last week, have returned to Wellington. | They were collecting rtata while here, as well as attending to some other confidential j work, which lias not been divulged. The tactical class, which was to have been held by Col. Wolfe last month, will be begun on October 30th. One idea is to give general tactical instruction to officers, by way of preparation for a series of war games and stall rides, which will be held later on. Volunteers will sympathise deeply with Lieut. Shera. of the College Rifles, whose mother died last week. The College Rifles' dance, which was -to be held to-morrow, has been postponed indefinitely on account of Lieut. Shera's bereavement. Classes of instruction will be held at Thames. Paeroa, and Waihi simultaneously, from October 28th to November 7th, under Ihe direction of the Officer Commanding the District. Members of the District Staff will be in attendance to give instruction to both officers and non-coms. There will be a church parade of tlie Auckland 'Garrison Forces on Sunday. November 10th, !i r iray of celebrating the Kinjr's Birthday.' The parade will be held in St. Mary's Cathedral, Parnell, and the Garrison Band will be in attendance. ,

An election for the subalternship vacated by Lieut. Glasson was held by the Pukekoho M.lt, last week, Lieut. Nathan presiding, and the fiquadroo unanimously elected Mr W. Bailey, a member of the old squadron. They say he has returned to hie "old home." S.M. Schofleld, of the Pufeekohe M.R., is arranging the squadron with permanent fours, with the idea of making each four tnko a special pride in their reputation. The Graham Cup is to be fired for shortly, and as it will be a fours' competition, thte will bo good preparation. One result of the promotion of New Zealand to the dignity of a "Dominion" is to by officers to intricate their particular rank. At present, a lieutenant carries one start, and a captain two. This is one less than is worn by officers in other dominions of the Empfte. The Whangarei' Defence League challenged the Whaugarei Rifles to flre a match last night at the local miniature rnnge. but results have not yet reached mc. . It is understood that the young ladies who recently fired a match with the Rifles are .practising for Hid return match, which will come off shortly. Capt. Allan Bell has decided to resign the command of the Hamilton M.R., ou account of so much c~ his time being taken up by political work. He intends applying for six months' leave of absence, and to clear the squadron of debt before finally handing over the commana at the end of the fin.il year. Lieut. J. E. Barton takes temporary command. In reply to a Contlngenter. -who asked where was the largest gathering of New Xealanders in one place during the South African war, the Wellington "Mail" replies that this would probably be at Newcastle, Natal, when the Sth, 9th, and 10th Contingents assembled to the number of about SOOO effectives just prior to re-embarkation for New Zealand. Staff-Surgeon Captain Roberts, of the 2nd Regt.. A.M.K.. lias kindly presented the No. 3 Waikato M.R. with a handsome- silver cup as n trophy for the Mounted Scouts competition, to be hold in Cambridge, pro~bably during December. It will be conducted on similar lines to the competitions to be held X>y the A. and C. squadron of the 2nd Regt. at Hamilton on the 30th November, and at Te Awainutu on the 4th. December respectively. A Wellington paper says: "Many marksmen are now using the new sliding bar attachment for the back sight of their rifles. Permission for the use of these has been given by the Army Ordnance Department at Home. The authorised 'bar has ho screw attachment; but it seems that some mnrlssmen have bought the unauthorised article, judging by some of the bars seen at Trentharu on Saturday."—Verb. sap. A shooting match will be fired at Penrose on Satnrtjny next, between the Victoria Rifles and a team from the throe Nntive companies. The following are the Natives' teams:—No. 1 Natives: L-ieuts. Atkinson, and Melntosh, Sersts. E. and C. Smith, Corpl. Lucas, Privates Griffiths and Purchas. No. 2 Natives: Sergts. Phillips and Fricker, Corpl, MeMurtrie, Privates A. Daroll, W. J. Westray, and J. Vincent. No. 3 Natives: Lieut. Kretschmar, Col.Sergt. King. Sergt. Kretschmar, Corpl. Hogan, Pte. W. R. Williams. The Te Awamutu M.R. have decided to hold a mounted scouts competition on Decomber 4. The proposal found much favour with the men, and the lflen was tnKen up with enthusiasm, itiss Millar has presented a silver challenge cup, Mr. James Jackson a handsome gold medal for the winner, and Mr. M. Laurie, an ox-member of the corps, a gold medal for the runner-up. The ladles have undertaken to supply artcruoon tea on the occasion, and a smoke concert, nt which the trophies will be presented, will be held. The War Office has decided that claims to South African war medals from civilians employed during the late campaign will unt Applications for these decorations before that dnte should he addressed to the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, Army Headquarters, Pretoria, accompanied "by full particulars as to the nature of the duties performed, and fha corps to which the applicant was attached, with the names of any officers under whose immediate orders he served.

Tie C. squadron, 2nd Kegt., A.M.n... paraded at Te Awamutu on the 16th. for their annnal Inspection. Owing to the rivers being in flood, and the state of the roads, there was only a fair muster of the squadron, under the command of Capt. Berry, who had with him Lieuts. Black and Henderson, and Staff S.M. Colenian. In the absence of the O.C.D. the squadron was Inspected by Capt. Carpenter, A.A.G., aud was exercised under his supervision. In the evening a well-attended class of instruction for N.C.O.'s was held by S.M. Colenian. Similar classes of instruction have been arranged to be held on the 12th, 13th, 26th, and 27th, November, and on the 3rd December. Col. J. M. Babington, C.8., C.M.G., who recently vacated the post of Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, contributes a. valuable and commendatory paper on "The Mounted Men of New Zealand, Past and Present," in the July Quarterly issue of the J 'Cavalry Journal." "At a very small cost of time and money," he concludes, "a most valuable fighting force of from 0000 to 8000 mounted men would readily be forthcoming in New Zealand, and, so long as the type of man there remains as it is today, It will be found, no matter where such a force might be placed, that in their, case "the workman is worthy of his hire.' " Hβ lays stress on the desirability of adding the sword to tne mounted equipment, by the way. There is a row proceeding in Wellington between two factions in the local Volunteer Rifle Association. By a majority of one. after a great fight, It was decided to hold the annual rifle meeting on November 0 instead of January 22, the former date being that of the Palmerston military tournament. But the opposition included Lieut.-Col. Duthle, who holds the Government grant; and as no less than seven companies were competing at Palmovstou, aud only one would lie inconvenienced by the January date, he did not consider it consistent with his duty to hand over the grant. Further, the November date was too soou after the opening of the season. Another stormy meeting was held, as an outcome of which the Association has decided to go on with the meeting on November 9 without the grant. The secretary said the Association would lose as a result of this decision. A special competition for the grant money will .be held later. The "D" Squadron 2nd Regt, A.M.8., paraded at Cambridge on the 19th October for their annual inspection, and the squadron turned out numerously, under Captain Walker. Major Clifford, who was accompanied by Staff S.M. Coleman, inspected the squadron, and expressed his satisfaction at the good muster, notwithstanding the fact that the present was a busy time for farmers. The squadron was exercised in mounted drill by the officers and Stall! S.M. Coleman. In the evening a meeting of the squadron was held" in the Drill Shed, at which it was arranged to hold classes of instruction, for the N.C.O. and other members of the squadron who desired to attend. Dates of classes were fixed for the sth, 6th, and 7th November. The question of holding a mounted scouts' competition was well received by those present, and It waa decided to carry one out on sim'lar lines to that of the A and B squadrons, to be held at Cambridge at a date to t>e decided later on. There is every probability that a strong team will be sent to represent the squadron at the military sports on the oth November at Hamilton. The Army has at last discovered that the rifle is a lethal weapon aud not a stage "property," the use of which is interesting to spectator (says the "Wellington "Mail"). For instance, nowadays, when an officer desires his men to shoot the enemy or the target or anything at all, he doesn't mention the word ''volleys" at all. Neither floes he say anything about "independent," because it is all independent, and so there is no need. Men are to take any position they desire after being given the word "load," and l the position generally is prone. There is no preliminary beautiful movement. "Load" simply means that a standing soldier takes a. half-right turn, cants the rifle upwards, shoves a cartridge in, gets into what position he likes best, according to the nature of the country—and shoots the enemy. "Unload" to a standing rank means everything, from the pulling of the bolt to the "order." There is no intermediate entertainment of the British public, which has ,long believed that no , one could fight unless he could "shoulder arms" with exactness.