THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 498, 4 May 1909, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

GENERAL ORDERS. THE CLASS-FIRING RESULTS.- . A number of general orders by the Ooun-1 oil of Defence are to hand. "Under instructions from the Right Hon. the Minister for Defence, the payment of the annual allowance for horse allowance of £50 per annum to officers is to be discontinued after June 30. . When officers require to be mounted for parades or other duties, tho hire of horse will bo defrayed out of defence vote." Garrison Artillery Class-firing. The following are the results of the annual class-firing carried out by the New Tiealand Garrison Artillery Volunteers:— Aucklandoft Q.F. ■ Guns Total r.. . . ■ Figures of Merit. 6-pr. Figure Division and Bin. G-in. and of Company. B.L. B.L. 12-pr. Merit Auckland No. 1 ... — i.ui 1.738 1.319 Auckland No. 2 ... 0.877 -v 0.085 0.946 W™ No. 3 ... - 1.381 1.490 1.417 Wellington No. 1... 0.G17 1.208 0.774 0.8G6 Wellington No. 2... — 1.170 — 1170 Canterbury No. 1... 0.544, 0.54S 0.389 0.493 Canterbury No. 2... 0.918 1.070 0.678 0.888 nJn g ° v- I - ~ 3 - 396 0.643 1.011 w«Vo.i- = Z,,t%l® xL^l* 6 aDOTe companies were classified in the first class except Canterbury No. 1. which was not classed. Auckland, No. 1, was awarded the Hudson Oup for Q.F. shooting. Auckland, No. 3, was awarded the Coast Artillery Cup for B.L. shooting. Westport, No. 1, fired under special conditions from 6-pr. Q.K. guns on field inountmSf: , < ■ ' The order of merit is as follows :— Bin BL.-No. 2 Company, Canterbury, 1; No. 2 Company, Auckland, 2; No. 1 Company, Wellington, 3. 6in B.L. T No. 3 Company, Auckland, si; No. 1 Company, Wellington, 2; No. 1 Company, Otago, 3. • Light Q.J>\—No. 1 Company, Auckland, 1; No. 3 Company, Auckland, 2; No. 2 Company, Auckland, 3. For All Shooting.—No. 3 Company, Auckland, I; No. 1 Company, Auckland, 2: No. 2 Company, Wellington, 3. Electric Light Company. The following return shows the standard of eihciency of Now Zealand Company, Wellington Division, N.Z.QiA.V. (Electric Light Company) :—Staff 80, electric lighting 51.1, engino driving 50.53, signalling 93.5, trumpeters 10, attendance 99, total 38413 percentage 75.4. ,' : Tho average percentage of marks awarded to Jilectnc Light Sections is as follows :— 2°- ] Company, G.A.V.,, Otago Division, /, . A Eecllon °f 11 men); No. 1 Company, ™ V li A^ ok] and Division, 77.3 (section of L 0 merf); No. 2 Company, G.A.V.. Canterbury Dmsion, not examined. It is impossible to compare No. 3 Company, G.A.V., .Wellington, with the other'sections, as with I he latter the average .marks are based on the works of the whole company. It is the pniy Electrio Light Company in New Zealand. / . . Carrlson Artillery Volunteers, The following arc the principal features of a. return showing standard of efficiency of le New Zealand Garrison Artillery Volunteers for 190&.9:— f v / . '• . ■ Percentage of In- ■:'■■■■.■'.-■ _~■ crease m Effl- Order •xi" • r. Efficiency ciency since of Dmsion. Coy. ■ grade. 1907-8. Merit Auckland 1 "A" 15.14 4th AucHand 2 "A" 2.7 : Bth Auckland ,3 "A" ,: 11.05 7th Wellington 1 "A" 6.2 2nd Wellington »2 - "A" , 1.02 Ist Canterbury 1 "B» 2 .5 10th Canterbury 2 "A" 3.56 sth Jtago 1 "A" 3.7 i 3rd Otago 2 "A" 0.7 6th Westport .. "A" ; 9.5 % 9th \ Field Artniery Volunteers. res^ ts of efficiency examinations of jhe New Zealand Field Artillery Volunteers for the year 1908-9 are atown in another return: ■ • "."■ ■ 10 :-.■ ' ■ . ■ ■ . ■ 11 ■■ ■ ■ : ■■- '.■ -- ; ■■■■■■ ■■■■■ !a J-- , VV-^ Battery. Station. •'•'• £ 'g| ■.° g. _A • Auckland 80.2 Ist A *B 5??, e . dill 95 ' 6G lot . A D., Wellington. 95.61 Ist A E Chnstchureh / 84.6 2nd A H Nelson 76.36 2nd A >;*Awarded Challenge Shield for 1908-9. Cycle and Slgnalllng v Companies. . By a revocation of Eegulation 3 (f) with its amendments, and tho substitution of a new-regulation, the establishment of a cycle and signalling company is fixed as follows: Maximum.—l captain, 2 lieutenants, 1 cblonr-sergeant, i sergeants, 4 corporals, 50 't l^ll^'- 1 , bn gler. Totals: 3 officers, 60 N.C.O.'s and men, total 63. > Minimuni.—2 officers, 40 N.C.O "s and men, total 42. .