VOLUNTEER ITEMS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8929, 20 October 1894, Page 4

VOLUNTEER ITEMS.

" Weekly Press.? By Bullsete. the best target. The best target which has been Bent in this week comes from Kaiapoi, and is made with the Government Snider rifle. On Saturday, 13th, Prvt. N. G. Robilliard, of the Kaiapoi Rifles, on the range of the corps, put up the excellent score of 85 at 200, 300, and 500 yards, seven shots at each distance, with a Snider service rifle and Whitney's ammunition. The light was dull, wiud fresh, and the shooting was made during the afternoon. The range is anopenoneandfiringfromN.N.W.toE.S.E. I have selected the 300 yds target for publication. At this Private Robilliard started with a bull, followed by the inners, then cornea a magpie, another two inners, and a bull finished the score. Private Robilliard is a well-known hhot at the Associatbn meetings. Private N. G. Robilliard. 300 yd 9.

Made with the Suider Service Rifle and Whitney's Ammunition. Local Notks, . . - The Southland correspondent of this journal gives on page .36 a full account of che Bands' Contest at Invercargill. TheE Battery held a first-class muster parade on Tuesday. There was a capital attendance, and the work done was fully up to the reputation of this fisie Battery. The Associated Corps , range opens on Saturday next with a match carbines v, rifles* As there are some reel good shots on both sides, the contest should be a close and interesting one.

The local companies have now all finished their muster parades, and the next order will be battalion parade*, which I trust will be attended in large numbers as there is nothing like battalion parade* for working up men to the proper enthusiasm in their duties. ' . . The military tourrmmt to be held on Show night; (November 9th) iVthe great theme of conversation in local volunteer circles, and in nearly all companies there are teams hard at work for the different competitions. I hate not up to the present heard of any of oar local companies other than the Navels working up a bayonet team, but I trust that we shall have large entries for this event, which I look upon as one of the principal items on the programme. Rifle teams have won this event in times past, and there seems no reason why they should not be successful this time if they Hke to try. DunbdinNbws. Last Monday evening the Danedin Naval Band «aye a concert in the City Hall prior tp.tlieir departure to Invercargitt to take part in the Bands' Contest there. The audience, though not a large one, was very enubuspetlc, and seemed to appreciate the efforts of the performers. The band played the four contest selections, these being "Reminiscences of Weber," the "Dunedin Navale".march (Bulch), the "Schubert" selection, and the "No Surrender" march (Bulch), and in each and all of these the band, conducted by Mr J. Coombs, did well. The programme was agreeably diversified by the inclusion in it of vocal solos by Miss Mabel Kolle and Mrß«nnet, who had kindly lent their assistance. The accompaniments were ia neatly every case played by Mr Robertebaw. Most ot the local corps have finished their class firing and some have even started their snooting programmes. The Danedin Engineers have gone to considerable expense In removing their old iron target, and in its place they have built a trench and erected two canvas targets. On Saturday the opening match of the sea-. son was fired, and a large number of members competed. Conditions of match, seven shots and a sighter at 200, 300 and 400 yards. Subjoined are the ecoree of those who made sixty points and over;— Sergt. Bryant (acr), 76; Lieut. Barclay(scr), 75; Engineer Thomson (*cr), 72; Engineer Chase, (4), 72 ; Engineer Gardner (scr), Sβ; Engineer Dunne (scr), 65; Bugler Ure (scr), 64; Sergt. Barton (acr), 62; Engineer Henry (4), 62 ; Lance Corpl. Tonkin (ser), 61.: , The City Guards fired the first of three competitions in the. Citizens' Match on Saturday. Conditions—Ten sjiots at 300 and 500 yds; highest score in any two competitions to count for aggregate. Frizes presented by the New Zealand Clothing Factory and others. Winners to have preference of prizes. The following were top scorers:—Volunteer Often (12), 73; Volunteer Sonntag (scr), 68; Volunteer F. Smith (4), 63; Corporal Dray (6), 63; Volunteer Murphy (12), 62; Volunteer Baker (L2) t 58; Lieutenant Jack (ecr), Sβ; Colour-Sergeant Kennard (scr), 55. On Labour Day the Engineers sent a team to Portobello to flre the aenaal match with the Portobello Bifle Club. The weather vu beautiful, and the visitors were well entertained by their opponents. The match was fired at the Papanui Inlet range,-the conditions being 200,300 and 400 yds ranges, and resulted Iα a victory for the Engineers by a large numberof point*. The Hussars* sport* take place on the 27 th inst., and providing the weather is good their success is assured. Southland Njbws. The Invercargill and Bluff Volunteer corps wefelnspected in the Zealandla Hall on Tuesday, October 9th, by Lieutenant Colonel Webb. The parade state was as followi:—Bluff Navale (Inverc&rgiU contingent): Lieutenant; Henderson and 44 petty officers and men. Bluff contingent: Ueatenaat MoDongali and 89 patty officers

and men. O Battery: Captain Tones, Lieutenants Hall and Hannah, and 39 non corns, and men. InvercarglH City Guards: Captain Hawkins, Lieutenants Danlop and McKay, and 60 non corns, and men. The etaff consisted of Lieutenant-Colonels Webb, Hannah and Thompson, Captain Boyne (Gore), Lieutenant P&ttiaon (Rivertoo), aud Sergeant-Major Black more. Before the corps weredlsmissed Lieuteuant Colonel Webb, on behalf of the Governmeut, presented a long service medal to Lieutenant Colonel Thomson, referring in complimentary terms to tnat officer's efficient and faithful services.during the past twenty-nine years, in the course of which he bad filled every post, from drummer boy to the office he now holds. He hoped the officer, and men present would strive to emulate their LieutenantColonel and also giin the reward of long and meritorious service. Bofore concluding Lieutenant-Colonel Webb complimented the corps on the very satisfactory turn out, aud expressed a hope that they would all meet at an early date in camp and tuns gain more knowledge of drill and field movements. Lleucenant-Colottel Thomson briefly responded, and said tbab he had srent the greater part of his life as a volunteer and found pleasure in it, and hoped to continue in the service for many years to come. The return match between teams from the G Battery and Bluff contingent of the Bluff Navals was fired at Grasmere range on Wednesday, October 3rd, the conditions being ten men aside, seven shots at 200 and 400yd9. The weather was fine and some very good scores were made. The following is the result of the match, which ended in the Battery winning by 73 points:—G. Battery.—Gunner*Bryants4' Sergeant Lenule 51, Giihner Dykes 49, Gunner Moir 43, Gunner Aspray 43. Gunner Anderson4a.Corporal O'Toole 40, Corporal Lennie 37, Bomb Wilson 29, Gunner Shirreffe 28. Total 418, Bluff N avals. Searaan-Gr Shelton 49, P.O. M'Dougall46; Seaman-Gr Kaymond 41, Seauian-Gr Nichol 37, Searaan-Gr Preston 35, Lieut. M'Dougall 32, Seaman-Gr Drake 32, Sea-man-Gr Stacker 2S£ P.O. Lee 21, Seamanfir Smith 19. Total 343. The Volunteer Conference. There ia one recommendation from the late conference which I sincerely trust the Government will reject, viz., that the ammunition grant to the New Zealand Rifle Association be withdrawn. There are few, if any, associations that have done more to foster good shooting by the Volunteers than the New Zealand Kifle Association, indeed that is its principal object, and it is solely with this object that even now there is under consideration by the Council the organisation of a series of company medal competitions. Ie i* little enough that the Government has done of late years to assist the Association, the ammunition for use at the annual meeting being all they are asked to supply, and I don't think that any reasonable person will argue there ia any great generosity in that. The Government has in the past done nothing at all to improve the shooting of the Volunteers of the colony, not even going so far as to provide thorn with usable weapons, and it must be remembered that it was the New Zealand. Association which brought about the use of the Martini amongst our marksmen, and thereby forced the Government to acknowledge the fact that the weapons at present in use are utterly obsolete and useless, and had it not been for their action there is small chance that even the 500 Martinis which have been obtained by the Government would ever have been ordered. X say the Government have done nothing in the past to improve the shooting, aud there is no reasou to suppose, even if this grant was withdrawn, that anything would be done by the Government to assist sliootiug by Volunteers in the future. All military authorities acknowledge that Kitle Clubs and lilfie Associations are necessary adjuncts to a defence force, as they form the very cream of the shooting power, and I trust that with this knowledge before them the Government will not for a moment consider the recommendation of the conference to withdraw the small aid which they now graufc the New Zealand Rifle Association. Navai. News. I hear that H.M.S. Curagoa, Which has had a long sojourn at Samoa, is to beat once relieved by '.he Wallaroo. At the last accounts the Curaooa was to make a flying visit to New Zealand ports, going straight to Auckland from Samoa. H.M.S. Pylades is to be the vessel which takes the place of the Uuragoa on the Australian station. It is not yet decided at headquarters whether the Curagoa is to go home at once or lie for a time at Sydney. A story cornea from' Samoa which does much to show the character of Capt. Gibson, of H.M.S. Curaooa. the shelling of the rebel forte a chapel was unavoidably destroyed. As soon as this became known, Capt. Gibson, with characteristic kindness, contributed handsomely towards its re-erection. The good name of the BfitfshNavy ii safe in the hands of such men as be.