THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 576, 3 August 1909, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

VICTORIA COLLEOE OFFICERS' TRAININt! CORPS. ' : : CONTRACT SIGNED. •;' The approved official'contract arid'special regulations of ' service as between" the, New Zealand Council'of Defehco and the Victoria , College, Military Committee lias been signed, and will'be',read at the first parade pf.tlio newly-established Officers' Trainuig.Corp's; to be held at the college to-morrow evening, •when Lieut.-Colouel A. Bauchop, C.M.G., Officer Coniniandiiig the District, will attend to attest enrolments. The corps is formed under the Now Zealand Defence Force' Regulations' for Officers' Training Corps,, with the following special regulations applicable to the Victoria College Corps':— fj ''.':-.'", ';.' 1. All persons aro eligible for membership who are, or at any time have been, eligible for membership of 'the Victoria ■College 'Students' Association, or are graduates of the New' Zealand University. .' , 2. Each member shall-: be. enrolled for. two years, or until lawfully discharged by the Commanding Officer. The period of efficient service required for securing tho'. full privileges of the schemo is in no. case tb exceed two years. '3. The discipline shall bo that ;of a volunteer corps. ' • • ■ ■ ".' ' •.■•' •':.. ■ 4. Capitation shall be carnedl ; by attendance at not less than 30 instructional .parades or exercises during the period December 1 to July 31 in each, year. Attendance at camp for six consecutive days will count/as sixteen parades. If the camp bo extended to ten days, two parades or exercises, may bo counted during each day of'extension.-,;Tho musketry course may he carried -out during camp, or at convenient times ; during the : vear - ". • ■ ,v ''.;. i •' The' Officer Commanding the District is to bo responsible to headquarters, and to; be the medium of correspondence and-discipline in all-matters pertaining to the corps and Professorial Board. . •'■•■':'• ,■;„•-,'• ,6, TJie,Chief of the General;Staff,;in addiiiqn .tp'.,th,o District Instructional Staff, shall provide such .higher .■ general instruction and lecturers as shall from time to time be agreed upon between tho Professorial Board and the Chief of the General Staff. . ' '. ■-'The'-tender of Mr, A. Levy, 'rherohant tailor, for tho supply of uniforms'and puttees for the! Officers' Training Corps, l -has been 'accepted.'' ...:;.,'■■ :'-'::. ' ;'■:'■' '..'.■■./:■:'■ . ~, DISTRICT ORDERS.' , District 'Orders '.-by LieuteriahtrColoriel Baucliop, C.M.G., Officer Commanding }. the Wellington'; District, include., the ■-. following , ;aii!iouncements.:— .. ■;■:■::■..'. ;. ;. Quarterly, Examinations. cpn-' cerned are .reminded that, the quarterly 'pxam'iiiatioji' of officers will take place': on the first Wednesday. in" September;.. Applications, for examinations .must 'be sent in not. later than August 7, in border, that .the necessary'papers; may be, requisitioned, for. -.'. ". The undermentioned non-commissioned officers have passed for qualifying certificates.:— .; Sergeant-Major—H..iE; Greathead, .Eketahuna, Mounted : Rifles. ' '• r ;' ; ' ! ''"V "" " ■' ; ' Sergeants.—T. Brindlo'and W. R: Cowan. (Wellington Navals);. J..'M.'Ferguson, T.; Dawson, W. Holloway, G..Hill, and:J. Ryan ;(Petone'Navals), '.' "■ .' •' '. '' "'.''.■, .Corporals—J. ClaydenJ H, W. M. Roberts, E.'P. Stevens,':L. Flowers,', and 'F.G; : Turley (Wellington; Navals); T.'.-Chandler,-. and .A. ;A. Andrew (Petone.Navals). i. ...Lord '.'Robents's.Cadet'. ;Shpo,ting'.Matoh.— ■ Officers commanding-' cadet' corps at' Colleges and .high .schools- are requested, to-inform the District: Officer as early as possible : :jf. any of the'cadets in their companies wjsh, to nominate for 'trie Lord Roberts trophy'.'. All riahi'es 'should-' before .-August '31, and'to ; 'be 'accompanied by_ the' hignest scores recently made.' (The conditions for this year .'have ; already' been published; In': The Dominion.) ' •.'•'' [\ '■'''(•' ,'; '''v : V/'.-:' ! ',:'-- : ;NEWS-AND'vNOTESi.;-.-.^- : 1: -; ' ■'"Captain:Petherick, .officer.'commanding the D'; Battery,; N;Z ; F.A>'V.;;:has .befr',- appointed' acting-major'.'commahdihg : Hthe' :V •baferyi , and will probably'be'gaz'ette^'to,'fuli.rank a);, an early- datej'-.'as' he has 'noA' ; 'c6'fn'pletcd*.his &iajb'rit!y:'c"tfawn'a'tidfi's';iu thedryina'practice. ; Capfofn-Petherick's promotion: is'the'.first of '.its amended ■regulationsi. permitting*field•■ < batteries, to ■' re'cruitiup to -lOO'.were only recently. ■■& He. :has worked-,.his-' wax right: up. ■tfronv. the rank's, and is-regarded.by the!in : ■strucbional-. staff' at ;: headquarters,,as.:pno of the .soundest .-'and- most capable 'battery' commanders in. the- service.. On ;his attainment -of- 'full -rank, -Captain Petherick; will.be succeeded in .the..captaincy,-by Lieutenant sGleuidiiinirig. ~-,.;;.)..',■•-. ■,'■■',■, i-i; ( ":■'•.,'.'/. -.■',- '-•'■ ■-.- '■■. r-',The; first.battalion-parade of .the.'our'rent•volunteer year > will bo';hcld.a,t', the Garrison, Hall on Thursday. next,. .when, ;Jthe; First -| iWellington Rifle Battalion will parade, under 'Lieutenant-Colonel . W.': G. Dufchioj/.'officer '.commanding! . .'■ ;;,; (; '..-'...;. -v; : ;;',-■:.,- ■.. An 'Auckland resident .is-, understood to .be.' :in-'negotiation with r se. defence, authorities, over-the supply-to'the.,'forces..(if!,a portable; .wireless 'telegraph' equipment..'; ' .:; . ; v .-' '. ■; '; Negotiations 'are-at'present pending: be-' ; jtween.'the New. Zealand Council of. Defence ■and-the Lands.'.- Department-..-with- reference. to !the 'reservation of'a suitable ,ai:ea:'of,'.land in: the North ( Island, and centrally situated,' iwliich'.- is', designed.;for use fixed 'training .ground, for .'.the,'' forces,-: somewhat on ■" the same:;scale ,'as:,tho',:British Army '..'training ,grouncT on ..'.Salisbury' VEngJand.v .',. The installation, of the '-two big -,6m., b.1., >Mark'::.Vll:: guns, at Fort ■' Dorset, /is _ now : in iprogress; ..and' this '■ fortified :; most : seaward of-the harbour i defence .works-r-----should be ready, for .manning -at; an.'eariy date. .;. •'''• '■ > .-. : ---; ':'; ■•;. '■•■.: :■;-.-''•'.-•' : ■•■;'' - Colonel A..57. Robin, C.8., chief of the General Staff, has returned : from an official visit, to Napier. Captain J..' E. Duigan, engineer staff instructor;' leaves', for; New Plymouth this morning, to conduct classes of' instruction/.at that centre the following day/ "He will.thereafter proceed to Auckland. _;, ■■•'■'■' A Jveryi.fine specimen of stag's headj suit-' mounted,'-is' at'present on view in'the window-', of•'■' a -■ tobacconist's' shop'vihi.-Willis 1 Street..''-"It .is- a shooting trophy presented to. ■the Wellington' Highland Rifles ..by. Mr'.. Mackenzie Forbes,, of Wanganui, -last' year;: and won in a special company match by Private Thomson,'one'of the youngest; inembers of the corps;;and one of its'best marksmen;-■■•. Captain G. S. Richardson, chief instructor of' artillery services, will deliver an; addfesß. to ' the- Boy Scout' patrols of the oity this