ORINGI CAMP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1363, 14 February 1912, Page 4

ORINGI CAMP.

"TIIE TIME OF THEIR LIVES.''

SCIENCE OF THE GUN

HOW TIIE "ROOKIES" FACE IT.

IBf Tclesraph-Speeial Iteporler.l Oringi Camp, February 13. Fine weather continues at Oringi, and tho territorial gunners and engineers are —to quote the remarks of some of them— having "the time of their lives." Each day marks an advance in tho comparative efficiency of the recruits, a readied acceptance of the conditions of camp life under military discipline, and a growing interest in the day's work. Tho men of J Battery—recruited from Palmerston Nqrth—have now gained an insight into the possibilities of their new work, and liavo realised how very interesting field artillery work really is, with the result that they will return to Palmerstou itching to have guns of their own. Ono of their officers was heard to say, when D Battery paraded for a practice ride, "as soon as they see us turned out like that, we'll be rushed." The Piano ArrivM. Last night tho long-expected piano camo into camp, and a large and enthusiastic fatigue party manoeuvred the instrument into an o]>en space clear of the liiius, and "started her up" as tho saying is, and very soon a largo crowd collected about tho pianist—a Territorial with artistic talent—and joined in the various choruses which the musician led off with Iheso included items from the "Chocolato Soldier," "Our Miss Gibbs," "What's the Matter w.ith Father," "Onward, Christian Soldiers," "I Wouldn't Leave my Little Wooden Hut for You," "I've Got Kings on My Fingers," and so on. Pretty Sight at Night. The camp at night is rather a pretty Bight. With candles for illuminants the tents look like so mam- bell-shaped Chinese lanterns until the bugle calls "Lights Out," and then, as if a niagic wand had waved, tho camp is plunged in darkness savo for the fires in tho camp kitchens and sundry lanterns, which wander like will-o'-the-wisps. By these owo may mark the ordered prowlings of the pickets. different guard is posted each night at 7 o'clock, and is released at I! next morning. Tho guard divides up into sections, each having two-hour spells on duty. On emergency—such as, for' example, a stampede in the horse lines— tho whole guard may bo turned out till order is restored. How Hungry Men are Fed. Having in mind certain protests by forlorn recruits who had said something (o the effect that they were "living on the smell of an oil rag," I went along this morning to the headquarters of the camp commissariat, which, for reasons both politic and practical, is isolated from the main camp, and witnessed the day's rations being served out. The scale is approximately what is prescribed in the Army Regulations for troops iu the field, any difference in quantity being in favour of the Territorial soldier. Each man is entitled to daily rations as follows, tho actual valtio working out at is. per individual:—Bread, ljlb.; meat, lslb.; coffee, loz.; tea, Joz.; sugar, 30z.; salt, Joz.; pepper, l-3(ioz.; vegetables, lib.; jam, {lb,; wood, 21b. (or coal lib.). Of course this is not sorved out piecemeal, and, obviously, this is where the company's quarter-master-sergeant comes in.

The headquarters of. the brigade commissariat is the rallying ground for nil the company quartermaster-sergeants, who come along with a borvico wagon every morning. Each quartermaster-sergeant requisitions for so many men, and receives and signs for goods in bulk equal to tho aggregate of the daily rations for the men in his company. If his arithmetic is at fault, then there is cither a feast or a famine, according to which way his additions are out. Ho is not likely to provide many feasts, for there is a check on his figures elsewhere, but he may mako mistakes during the first day or so—the very days when his men are apt to bo most critical. This morning the service wagon pulled out of the commissariat yard with 300 loaves, 4301b. of meat, and b'Jlb. of sausages for the hungry men a mile and a half away. Tho commanding officer of tho company also signs the rations requisition) so* (hat, on paper, it is difficult to conceive how men can go short if everything is carried out properly. There is also a liability of error to be reckoned upon when the cooks send out tho rations. Kach tent details orderlies at meal times to receive from tho cooks the allowance of rations in bulk for tho number of men therein, and there is a further process of subdivision when the orderlies return to their hungry mates with "tho spoil."

It is possible to conceive a cook starling out with a generous ladle, and finishing up in u piusimoniiius mood as his ladle scrapes the. bottom of tho boiler of an unfair division in the teut itself, but these possibilities aro remote—if not beyond consideration—so that, with a reasonable margin of care and attention, no Territorial soldier should over have to tighten his belt to stay tho pangs of an unjust hunger, and, as a last precaution, tho company lines are inspected by the officer of tlie day, who, accompanied by (he quartermaster-sergeant, visits each lent during meal times and inquires for complaints. Making a Swimming Pool. All ranks have had a busy day of it today in order lo provide a safe swimming place for bathers. A section of the engineers was detained to make a dam across tho stream, just_at the end of a long reach, thus affording facilities for aquatic sports during; the period of the camp. Just below this part of the .stream is a tempting pool, but very dangerous, and the damming of the stream further up will remove all uneasiness in the minds of the officers. Another section of the corps was sent down to the Mnnawatu River to construct what is known as a flying bridge, with piers at either bank. A flying bridge is an ingenious co-operation of (lie force of tho current in transferring the bridge from ono side of tho river to the other, and is peculiarly suitable for strong currents—a characteristic of New Zealand rivers. A large raft, ol> long-shapod, is ' anchored in mid-stream, and bo fixed that it can bo turned at such an angle to the current that tho onrush of the latter forces it to the rivor-bnnk. 13y turning at a different angle it can be forced to tho opposito bulk. • By this simple means bodies of men and guns can be quickly ferried across deep rivers, at very short notice. This Hying bridge, when finished, is to bo used as n factor in a practical scheme which is to form the basis of the shell practice to be carried out by tho gunners at a later stage.

Mystery of the Mckomcter. Battery drill was commenced this morniiijf, when the mysteries of rangefinding, the use of tho mckomcter—« mechanical range-finder which (like all range-finders) is (he application in practice of the familiar trigonometrical problem of solving triangles, wore revealed to the recruits. Several rounds of "blank" were fired, and some of the equine recruits suffered a temporary relapse. It is hoped 10 make a start with shell practice to-mor-row, and (ho recruits are looking forward to their "baptism of fire" with genuine interest.

Tim general conduct of the men in camp is exemplary. The interest and variety of (he work makes the camp term attractive, iaiid the quantity of useful information which is being handed out by the staff instructors on such points' as the care of horses, must indirectly be of benefit to the community, for nobody is anything the wovse of a little knowledge about tho handling of horses. R.N.Z.A. Man Hurt. One of the men of tho Royal Now Zealand Artillery (Hurley) got a had spill from a bolting horse this afternoon, and had his arm broken. lie was riding bareback, and had no bridle, only using a halter. Voder the circumstance? n spill mis'a foregone conclusion, and Ihe injured man was lucky to get oil' as he dill. A broken arm is, nevertheless, a somewhat severe injury.