DEFENCE FORCES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 6

DEFENCE FORCES.

A complete return prepared by the Defence .Department shows the total strength of- the • Defence • forces in the Wellington Military District, on November 30, to-be made up as follows:—Royal' New' Zealand Artillery, ,115; Royal New Zealand Engineers, 38; Field Artillery, 87; Garrison Artillery Division, 211; Engineers (S.M.M. and Field), 111; Mounted Rifles, 837; Infantry, 1833; various corps, 3191. Total strength, 6434.

Surgeon-Captain' John Guthrie, New Zealand Medical Corps, h attached to No. 1 Company, Canterbury Division of Garrison Artillery Volunteers (Lyttelton Naval Artil-lery-Volunteers), for medical duties, ivith effect from July 31, 1907.-' An official announcement appears in Genoral Orders by, the Council of Dofonce, to the effect that the Government steamer, Lady Roberts,' has been definitely transferred for duty from Auckland to' Port Chalmers.

General Orders by the Council of Dofonco confirm the appointment of Acting Staff-Serge'ant-Major. John Bishop, as Staff'Ser-geant-Major Instructor (infantry duties), in the Otago, Military District, with effect from July 1,: 1907. ' - ■'■■ -, ' - , • Tentative proposals, for tho> establishment of new quarters for the Wellington garrison of Royal-New Zealand Artillery, have, it is understood; been discussed by' the Defence Council. Inquiries on the subject elicit that nothing definite has ' been, decided upom There is no doubt that the'present quarters of the garrison are too-far from the forts, and the construction of new quarters', near, the forts,- and- having.' adequate provision! both for the married and single men,' will be a step in the right direction.