SERVICE NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 18

SERVICE NOTES.

(By "ScovT.") Secretaries, of volunteer corps arid of riflo , flubs are invited to forward any items of interest regarding parades. shooting, or general company news. On Saturday, sth October, the rifle shooting season for volunteers will De opened at Trentham range, which has been greatly improved, since the- close of last season in respect to trenches and mounds. A.t a meeting of theßange Committee- this week it was decided to appoint Staff-Sergh. -Major Colclough as permanent trench officer for the season, and to make a levy of £1 per company to provide a fund for recompense of the Sorgt. -Major for his timo and trouble. This anointment will result in a considerable saving of time formerly spent in preliminaries, and will ensure that marksmen will be able to do 'their shooting without hurry: On the" opening day shoptinjf, will be - carried on at 200 and ■500 i yards', both bn>-th"e 'SomWe'fvill&->aild! Collins ranges! On the 9th October (Labour Day) shooting tfill be -at 200, 500) and 600 yards, while on "the Saturday succeeding there will be shooting at 200 an^d 500 yards on the Collins range, and at bOO and 700 yards on the Sommerville. Saturday, the 19th, will be aa off-day, on account of the railway carriage accommodation being all required for racecourse traffic; but on the 25th October the opening match for the- Wellington Garrison Officers' Shield (teams of ten) will be fired at 200, 500,- and 600 yards. The gatherings this season of the Wellington Garrison Officers' Club have been the most uniformly successful of any held by the club, a result for which the assiduous secretary (Captain Mabin) is in great measure responsible. Colonel Bobin, first military member of the Council of Defence, is a frequent attendant at the meetings, and it is" worth special notice that this season's papers on military matters have all bee,n marked by original thought and keen reasoning. At ksc Tuesday's gathering of the club there was a number of visiting officers from other districts present. All were agreeably surprised at the magnitude of tne meetings. The recent fight between British, troops and the Tibuk cave dwellers was remarkable in many ways. The British constructed a •blockhouse of cowhides • and skins, and the savages fired arrows at it for a considerable period without doing any damage. The enemy took refuge in caves, and some very hard fighting took place. It does, not appear that the British were able to clear ihese natives out of their caves, but one regiment in the Zulu war found a way out of a similar difficulty. This* was .at Luneberg, during the operations against Chief Manyanyoba.'' The officer commanding the force sent messengers to the mouths of the Zulu caves to summon the enemy to come out and surrender. But the Zulus only replied by shooting a sergeant-major and a corporal • dead, and very nearly killing an officer. This induced the British commander to change his tactics, and he gave the Zulus a warning that if they did noo come out of their caves within a certain timo they would be blown out. The dusky warriors were not to bs shifted by a mere threat, so they waited until a volunteer placed a powder bag . in- the mouth' of one of their caves, lighted the 'fuse, and gavo them such a shock that the survivors were glad to come out and surrender. Of course & certain number of faddists i? England mad 6 a certain amount of outcry against this method of dealing with savages; and wehave no doubt that the same people would fizzle again if the experiment was repeated. B.ut it would be far better if they would kindly go out to Tibuk and see what iney could do when it is necessary to tackle these cave dwellers again. Possibly th's best programme over put forward by a rifle club in New Zealand is that' prepared by the Karori Rifle Club this season. It is exceptionally attractive both from the viewpoint of "the seasoned marksman and the lyio. Tho idea has been to spread tho interest in as many directions as possible during tho competitions. Tho programme is cs follows : — No. 1 series. — Five matches, four to count; four prizes ; first £2 2e, second £1 10s t third £1, fourth £1. No. 2 series.— Five matches, four to count ; four prizes ; first £2 2s, second £1 10s, third £1, fourth £1. No. 3 series. — Five matches, four to count ; four prizes ; first £2 2s, second £1 10s, -third 451, fourth 431. Scores made in these matches will count for tho weekly trophies of half guinen for highest scorer in every match, and also an ammunition prize for second highest scorer in each match. Club Championship. — This will be made up from the eleven best scores of each man m the fifteen matches abovo tnor.ifiarl PrizAK will be:— First. £3

3s, gold medal, and hold U'earce challenge shield for the year ; second £2_2s, third £1 Is. Kolapore Aggregate. — All shooting at 200, 500, and 600 yards in above matches, dropping one 'score at each . range. Prizes : First, £2 2s, and hold Johnston Cup for year, two wins to make it winner's personal property ; second £1 Is. Handicap Aggregate, open to handicap men only (fifteen matches, drop four).— First ,£2 2s. second £1 Is. There will also be single range aggregate prizes, as follows:— 200 yards, £1 Is; 500 yards, £1 Is; 600 yards, £1 Is; 700 yards, £1 Is. These will be compiled of all shooting at these ranges in tha fifteen matches. £2 2s will be allotted to 800, 900, and 1000 yards shooting. "Possible" prizes, under . N.Z.R.A. conditions, are to bo awarded to all possibles made in club competitions, and in teams representing the club. The " thanks of the club are due to 1 1.0 ■ following gentlemen for donations to the, prize list:— Messrs. W. E.~ Jackson, A._C. Pearce, J. F. Mills, W. C. Gas- • • coigne, F. J. Lissington, A". Collins, C> Stewart, J. E. Connor, F. Wickeris, H. Johnson, G. Gapes, J. Keir, W. Blundell, Judd, and Randoll, W. H. Field, M.H.R., Captain F. Johnston, Judge Rawson. With Ihis programme, if a man in the middle of the season were firing at, say, 500 and 600 yards, ho would consider his position for the trophy of the day, the serial .aggregate, the club championship, tho Kolapore aggregate, the 500 yards aggregate, the 600 yards nggv'egate, and in the case of tho handicap man for the handicap aggregate) also.

"The hopeless nnarcby which prevails m Morocco, almost within sight of Gibraltar, and the Sulteu's evident incapacity to protect Europeans fiom outrage and even assassination, must 'once more raise the question whether it' ii possible for civilised Europe longer W tolerate such a state of affairs," WTote the Daily Mail last, month. "It is a thousand pities that France was prevented two years ago by international jealousy/ from carrying her policy of peaceful penetration, wffich would have prevented such scandals as Raisuli's raids. But unless drastic action is taken, Baisuli will only repeat his present misconduct when rest he -runs short of funds. The conceit "of Europe has 50 far spelt apathy and inac'tioa in Morocco."