SERVICE NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 136, 9 June 1906, Page 14

SERVICE NOTES.

(By "ScoTJT."i

Secretaries of volunteer corps and of rifle clubs are invited to forward any items of iuterest regarding parades, shooting, or general company news. The parade of the Wellington Garrison Forces, summoned for 16th June, to enable the Officer Commanding the New Zealand Defence Forces (Major-General Babington) to make a daylight inspection of tho local companies, has been cancelled. The G.O.C recognises th.it the season is now too far advanced to enable the men to be got into position on a Saturday afternoon in time to manoeuvre before dark, and therefore it has been thought best to set the parade forward until next spring>tide. Maxim-gun detachments of the several infantry corps in the city have for some time pust been receiving instruction. A return of all mpa who have been thus drilled is being sought by the adjutant of the Wellington Uifle Battalion for information ot the G.O.C. Examinations in theory for officers of the Wellington garrison are now in progress. One was held on Wednesday of this week. Examinations in practical work will take place as opportunities offer. Weekly classes for instruction of noncommissioned officers are to be held every Monday evening until 16th July next. The following rota has been drawn up by Staff-Strgeant-Major Colclough, who is instructor to the classes: — 4th and 11th June, musketry ; 18th June, company drill and skiimishing j 25fch June, outpost ; 2nd July, guard mounting; 9th July, duties and discipline; 16th July, theoretical examination. Ihe monthly inspection parades of the companies of the Wellington Kiiie Battalion were held this week uy Lieut. -Colonel Collins. "** I'rogiununes of the military tournament to be held at Cnnskhurch on Wednesday and I'huisduy, 26tii and 2/th .December, have been received in Wellington. It is txplainecl that the pioyauniie is only a dmlt one, and notice is given that the secretary of the Militiuy Affairs Committee (Captain S. al. M'Gee) will be pleased to receire sugg.ated alterations Events for field artiUeiy, garrison artillery engineering eorupn.nn.6, infantry companies, and evenVs opan to all branches of tho military service comprise the progiummc. Amongst . the local iniantry wompunics theie is complaint that the number of events allotted to infantry is unduly small, and some of the events included are not considered to be military. Complaint is also made that bayonet fighting has not received the attention that so important a branch of lighting deserves to receive. A personal acquaintancb with the Turkish r army and with its ww material, whose training 1 have had the opportu- j nity of witneseing, has convinced me that I it is formed of tlio ilnest material in the world, and second to none in the day of battle (comments a writer ii> the Military -Mail). In spite of the decline of Turkish pi>wcr in Europe during the last century, the race has exhibited no symptoms of decadence. 'J he lurks are still a strong, hardy, high-spirited pvople, used to hard labour, and easily moulded into a splendid and formidable soldiery. The long term of service leqnired of the Turk adds very greatly to his efficiency, and gives him an undoubted advantage in this respect over tho much shoiter service rank and file of all other European Powers, except Great Britain. Every military p.njandrum who comes here says the training the school youngsters get will fit them to become citizen I soldiers'. Just twaddle, every word of it The boys don't learn anything military, because anything military without arms is as übcf ul as anything marine without water. — New Plymouth News'. A Geim..n military paper recently contained tome remarks od the efforts which many of the Powers are making to lighten the weight carried by their soldier?, and states that the majority are i» favour of the reduced field-kit being carried by tho man in a Rucksack — something, no doubt, like that pictured by Captain A. F. V. Green, H.A,, in the current number of tho United Service Magazine. The Swiss, however, who are always well up-to-date in military matters, are said to have already decided against the Rucksack on the grounds that it cannot be made to sit securely enough and is awkward when shooting lying down. The French have been experimenting with two patterns of valife; one much the same as that in present use but lighter, the other made \n two divisable parts, of which on occasion one can be carried for the soldier in the battalion carts. During the last manoeuvres a Rucksack was also under trial, which, however, contained only h eery few necessaries. In Germany the military authorities have apparently decided that under no circumstances can any lightening- of the soldier's kit be recognised or legalised for, which entaiL any corresponding increase in the transport. It is declared that the addition of even only one baggage-waggon to every infanI try battalion would unduly lengthen the baggage columns of a division. The Germans seem, however, to have quite decided to do awny with their knapsack or i valise, and to introduce a Rucksack, in regard to which satisfactory trials have been carried out in a number of infantry units. If, however, nothing more is to be carried for the German soldier tho only means of satisfactorily reducing the weight he carries in the field upon his back appears to be to largely make' uso of aluminium for all the metal parts of his accoutrements and to compress still further the bulk of his emergency and other rations.