TERRITORIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 72, 25 March 1915, Page 8

TERRITORIAL NOTES.

» . .(By "RIFLEMAN.") PARADE DATES, TV 'To-night-— A Battery; Xos. 1 and 2 Platoons; A Co., Coast Defence Infantry; So. 5 Platoon, B Oo_, Coast Defence Infantry; No. 8 Platoon B Co., Coast Defence Infantry. Saturday, March 27.—Nos. 3 and 4 Platoons (Onebnnga), Coast Defence Infantry. Monday, March 29.—Engineers, Post and Telegraph Corps. Tuesday, March 30.—Nos. 3 and 4 Platoons (Onehunga), A Co., Coast Defence In•fantry; No. 6 Platoon <Devonport), Xo. 7 Platoon (Birkenhead), B Co., Coast Defence Infantry. Saturday, April 24.—Webster Cup Competition. TRAINING CAMPS. March 5 to 25.—15 th ©forth Auckland) Regiment, at .Ruatangata; D and E 'Squadrons, 4th (Waikato) M.R., at Tauranga. March 18 to 30.—Third (Auckland) Regiment and No. 1 Field Ambulance, at Otahuhu. April 6 to 18.—Field Engineers and Divisional Signal Company, at Ngaruawahia; (Sixth (Hauraki) Regiment, at Paeroa; C Battery {Hamilton), at Hamilton. April 0 to 27. —16th (Waikato) Regiment, at Hamilton. April 10 to 27.—A Battery (Auckland), at •Fort Takapuna. j April 19 to May I.—A, B, and C Squadrons Fourth (Waikato) M.R. and No. 5 Mounted Field Ambulance <less Dargaville section), at MorrinsvHle. May 3 to 15.—Mounted Signal Troop, at iHautapu; Third (Auckland) M.R., at Te Papapa. The extended period (April 9 to 27) set down for the Waikato Infantry includes eight days' company concentration camp. Group commanders have been reminded of the wisdom of making immediate arrangements with the medical i officers of their groups to ensure all i senior cadets about to be transferred to the Territorial Force at the forthcoming .June postings are medically examined 'between now and 31st May next. This procedure will prevent an accumulation of medical examinations at the last minute. POST AND TELEGRAPH CORPS. Future parades of the Auckland Post and Telegraph Corps fwill be held in the company orderly-room on the top floor of the G.P.0., unless instructions are given otherwise. The signallers of the corps will parade .with the 3rd Regiment as usual. The O.C. arranging for a series of interesting and instructive lectures to be held pending the arrival of material for more active work. Mr. Clement Wxagge (who is at present on tour) has consented to give on his return to Auckland some instruction in "Steering a course at night by the aid of the 6tars." On Monday and Tuesday nights next the O.C. Company will give instruction in "night operations." The instruction on Tuesday nvill -be a repetition of work given on Monday. Members of the company .who go abroad with the Expeditionary Forces will find the lectures given here of practical benefit on thq.) field, as many peculiarly instructive epi- ] sodes are dealt with. CARE OF THE RTFLE. Instances having recently occurred in which much damage has been caused to gun sights, range-findere, and other instruments, by unauthorised tampering on the part of unqualified men, officers who may have such instrumenta in their charge have been expressly notified that such practices are prohibited, and that repair of injury to material from this i cause will, in all cases, be charged to the unit concerned, and all men detected in infringing these orders will be severely punished. THE MONEY COST OF WAR. Another phase of the cost of living, the expression comes strangely in its application to preparations for war, has affected the administrative arrangements of the Defence Department. Owing to the increase in cost of material it has been found necessary to increase the price of sundry articles of clothing and equipment. Boots have risen from 14/ to 16/ a pair; ground sheets from 7/6 to fy each (this is what they will, cost anyone who loses the sheet supplied to him); and Sam Browne belts from 12/ •to 25/ each (if available at all). IMPERIAL CHALLENGE SHIELD. Under the auspices of the National Rifle Association, the annual competition (senior and junior) for the Imperial Challenge Shield will be held again this year throughout the Empire. A silver challenge shield (valued at. £100), a bronze replica, as well as silver and bronze commemorative , medals, ' and a minimum of £100 in money, are again offered by Lieutenant-Colonel R, W. Schumacher.

The object of these competitions is to encourage every boy throughout the British Empire to learn how to use a rifle. It is the intention of the donor that the prize-moneys should be utilised to help progress in rifle shooting of the units concerned, and not be given to the individual members of the winning teams. This match may be fired on any day (except Sunday) between May Ist and June 30th (inclusive), on any in any part of the British Empire. °It is open to any number of teams' from •the following units:— (a) Any Company of an Officers Training Corps; (b) any Cadet Company; (c) any School (not having an Officers' Training Corps or Cadet Company); (d) any Troop of Boy Scouts; (c) any Company of the Boys' Brigade; (f) any Company of the Church Lads' Brigade: is) any Company of the London Diocesan Church Lads' Brigade; (h) any Company of the Catholic Boys' Brigade; (i) Any Company of the Jewish Lad's Brigade; (J) any organisation of boys with objects similar to those of the above, and subject to the approval of the National Rifle Association. Strength of team: Not leas than eijrht. 20 yards. Open or covfred range. Entrance forms and pampWeta i^r 0 !- cond * tfa «» may be obtained from officers in charge of groups.

MFLE TRAINING FOR WAR. ??** " mc fining for by P"*" «d Co.fand 2?? i '!T "ybooksellerjis recommS*Ss?'i^ ho ?W* t « that it would %££L 7 l ?^f ,ul lB ihß training of nSS * Defence Rifle Clubs and°the National Reserve, It isn't quite fair to «e*l? "*"*!& Part ' and the lowing excerpte are given with the warning that tterahould not be made the subject of fulj knowledge of yiQejlaT Twlter'a -views, on, the to™T tSf* and aasrleawed - ** ller **» *» wonderful

source of weakness for war thatfW>fe J»'«,' f "f* of distal - by the individual is almost aa imnossi bility; if the error is not mon than in per cent of the correct range, taß judeini! is good. Let us suppose that Whave ! section, 16 men, all excellent t*rtettg- Sttoand capable of hitting a 50in circle with every shot at 1,000 yards. A target ia indicated to them, and the Mnge esti mated at 1,100 yards. It it actually 1,000 —a 10 per cent error. As all the men are precise shots, it is certainffijgpf with the error, all the shots will. p^J over the indicated point of aim at',. height between 6ft and 14ft. In nzasketrv language, these good shots make a veir concentrated gone of fire, a.id the effect' is much the same as with a machuiß gun—very deadly if the sighting.isrigat : but absolutely useless if it is ivrong. Lefci accurate shots would make a more'dis.? persed cone of fire, and some at least of the bullets might be depended undn ♦« find a billet. *™ ,;° "It is for this reason that men shouM not be encouraged to perfect themse3j|aj-7 in deliberate target shooting at the;?*, pense of such important parts of-fla7 soldier's education as distance judging rapid loading and aiming, sure aimTijt moving targets, rapid adjustment -? 0 f sight, etc." -. -.._ ■ The author would not have'it thourfrt for a moment, that he deprecates tSell value of target shooting as aimort,. particularly as a means of keeping ahV a . amongst the citizens of onr: Empire-j' love of marksmanship, but, he sayß:-£y "It really is important that the .maw thousands of men who are now maknw- | acquaintance'with the rifle for thefcjt S time should not be lured into the befirf'' that a good target shot is of' necesshWa " good war shot A good target shot mar have the makings of a first class war shot, but it should be realised that a£a time like this, when every man 7 of holding a rifle may be needed, shoi. ing at the ordinary after the most elementary lessongiintcf? been learned, is a waste of timewhii is not to be tolerated." —« ■-.:'*. " . .. !■■.:■ "■* " -v. -