SERVICE NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 79, 30 September 1905, Page 14

SERVICE NOTES.

(By "Scout.") i The lack of newspaper publicity for doings connected with the several branches of the defence force in Wellington has often been subject of regretful comment amongst volunteers in this city. It is the hope of "Scout"' to remedy this matter to somo extent, and to that end lie solicits the assistance of secretaries of volunteer companies and rifle clubs so that this column may be of interest to all. Items concerning parades, shooting feats, or other matters appealing to members of companies, will be welcomed by "Scout." All communications should reach the office of the Evening Post by Thursday midday at the latest ; but the earlier the better. The trials and (tribulations that beset D Battery for tho greater part of this year have been smoothed away, and the company is now making progress. Officers 3nd men are alike determined to make up the leeway in quick time, and in every branch of the company's doings renewed" activitiy is being shown. Squads are busily practising in preparation for the year-end Military Tournament, and the battery generally is determined to repeat its performance of last year, on which occasion it won the principle prize in the tournament held at Christchurch. It is interesting to note that tho cup won on that occasion did not "materalise," and the prospect of the batteiy ever securing the trophy is now remote. Such a risk is not likely to bo run in connection with tho coming tournament, however, for in addition to the ascertained existence of a cup for the chief event there is prospect of an. additional trophy being donated for the same event by the Government. Tho school of instruction for officers and non-coms., at present being conducted under Lieul.-Colonel Owen, is largely attended. Sessions are held on three nights in each -week, and on every Saturday afternoon. There are musters of from thirty to forty students every evening, and the instruction given is most comprehensive: drills, duties, musketry, fortifications, and "topography being all included in the curriculum. A conference of district commanders has been sitting in Wellington this week, undeV presidency of Mnjor-General Babington. The conference began on Tuesday last and finished on Thursday: Its business was to consider suggestions made by battalion commandeis throughout the colony to the end that the effectiveness of tho volunteer defence forces might be improved. Full discussion took place an tho recommendations made, and the conference finally drew up a series of recommendations for submission to the Defence Minister. I understand that these will suggest more training, and that an appeal be made to employers to facilitate the attendance of volunteers at daylight parades. It is felt that under present conditipns there is not sufficient training by daylight, and it is likely that a recommendation will be made that the number of compulsory daylight parades bo increased. ' The coming celebration of Trafalgar ■Day has brought into public view an old ,and well-founded volunteer grievance, which is that the public in tho bulk do very little to encourage volunteering, but are always ready to call upon the volunteers to grace public functions with their presence. . The desire to celebrate fittingly the centenary of Trafalgar is commandable, but local volunteers have expressed the opinion that on behalf of this movement they are being urged to inconvenience themselves by citizens whose interest in volunteering at ordinary times is not worth a blank cartridge. That this feeling is not confined to Wellington is shown by the following remarks of Colonel Davics, C.8., as reported in the Auckland Star:— "Colonel Davics, C.8., told tho meeting which discussed the proposal to celebrate Trafalgar Day that if it desired to do the best it could to help tho Empire which Trafalgar did so much to create, it wculd use all its endeavours to persuade employers to givo their men time to take an intelligent interest in volunteering. Tho men wcro willing enough ; they did their part to the best of their ability, and to the utmost limit of the time at their disposal; but they should be allowed to come out for service during the day lime. It was not the slightest good having such a force unless it was made thoroughly effective, and that could not be done unless tho men wero allowed to come out in the daytime. The shooting season opens to-day at 1 Trcntham. That interest in marksmanship amongst volunteers is well mam, , tamed may bo gauged from the fact that- , application fpr thirty 'targets was made ito the shooting executive. When the proposed alterations to the range are made there will be more than this number of targets available, but the number i nfc present is limited to twenly-seven. I There is likely to be a muster of 250 I marksmen this afternoon, striking an average through tho number of targets applied for. The greatest trouble that affects the success of the infantry branch of volunteers in Wellington is the lack of proper drillshed accommodation. The Lamb-ton-quay drillshcd is an obsolete, insanitary, and wholly unsuitable structure for drill purposes ns developed in late years. Its area is insufficient, and the lack of adequate orderly rooms does much to counteract the endeavours of non-coms, to perfect thems3lves and their men in drill duties apart from actual parades. Every city in New Zealand possesses, up-to-date, commodious drillsheds — except Wellington. Tor many years' Christchurch laboured under a similar difficulty, but when the old shed was destroyed by fire two or three years ago the order was given for a new and commodious drill-shed to be set up. Unfortunately, however, the Wellington drill-shed is built of iron, and its incombustible nature precludes any hope of remedy coming in this manner. In the urgent interests of volunteering the Defence Department should take steps to alter and improve the present condition of the building The Stratford Post states that in consequence of dissatisfaction with the management of the Taranaki Rifle Shooting Union, and differences with New Plymouth, a % proposal is 'on foot to form a union embracing the Stratford. Ell-hum, Hawcra, Inglewood, and Waitnra compnnierj. The Wellington Rifle Battalion will resume ils monthly parades next month, a parade of the whole bittaliou for inspection by Lieutenant-Colonel Collins having been ' called for 12th October. Tha officers nnd non-commissioned officers of the bitlfilion avo to muster on Tuesday next to hear a. lecture by Col. Owen on "Outpost Duty." To' illustrate his lessons, Colonel Owen emp.oys a raised map, which is constructed according to a plan entirely his own. After prolonged clheiis.« ! on and communication with cavalry officers all over the woild (a Home paper writes), the Army Council has decided that the hnccr regiments shnll retain their lances. Thus a question tho I has excited much attention during the past few years, nnd over which at times the dispute has waxed very high, is at last settled, and we remain exactly where we were at first. The general' tendency of military discussions is to follow a circle, nnd to wind up exactly where it started fiom. Tho present decision is a particularly fulilo one, inasmuch as' .it implies that the lancers will now bear three weapons— the lance, the sword, .and the shoit ritle

Recent experiments, carried op principally by Captain Scott, and also by Lieut. Vyvyan, R.N., have greatly iv- ■' creased the possibilities of naval gunnery. The light steel platform now fitted •to the • head of each lower mast is electrically connected with eveiy biggun position in the ship, no less than 2700 yards of wire being employed for the purpose. It is on the representation of Captain Percy Scott that the Admiralty, has abolished military tops in our battleship classes. These masthead fire control stations will be used only at long distances, as the thicklyarmoured conning-tower is the right place in close action for those who direct the evolutions and the gunnery of the ship.