BOOT AND SADDLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 25, 31 January 1911, Page 2

BOOT AND SADDLE.

MOUNTED MANOEUVRES. ___ 1 TERRITORIES AT HUTT PARK. AN ALUJBAY ENCAMPMENT. j _ I More an ordinary interest attaches i m mili^ ir y c i rc ]es t 0 the regimental camp >a£ mounted rifles at present being held > VA Hutt Park. This is on account of t-frs f ac { — no k g enera Uy known — that 1 t X's practically the first continuous dr # training camp of Territorials to be under the new regulations. Earlier *n the month there was unbroken service I for three days by the various corps, at Karori, but for the major part of the time the men pursued their ordinary avocations during the greater portion of the day, leaving the camp in the morning for the purpose, and returning again each evening. At Hutt Park, however, no civic callings have any claim upon the^ Territorials' services during each day s full complement, of twenty-four hours. From th« sound of the. "reveille" at 5.30 a.m. to the move ominous "last poBt" at 10 p.m.— quickly followed by "lights out" at 10.15 p.m. — the men during their period of_ training — which ends on Sunday — wall be surrounded the whole time by a distinctly military atmosphere. Privates, non-coms., aid officers will not be permitted to lose sight for one moment of the fact that their daily round of lite must b© subservient to military law. Except, therefore, in cases of extreme necessity, no member of the regiment will .at any time during its stay on the park be allowed to go beyond the precincts of the camp. Life is mad© possible, however, by the fact that communication, with . the outside world is allowable to a certain extent. CAMP OFFICERS. The mounted regiment for the wholo district— which extends as far as Huntervilla on the one hand and to Eketahnna on the other side of the ranges — is und-ei tho command of Colonel Pringle. All the companies of which tho regiment la composed aro not represented at the encampment, a number of them having already been under canvas this year (the new year, in the military sense, begins in April next), prior to the coming into operation of the amended regulations. The camp is in charge of Captain A. M. Samuel^ Associated with him are Lieutenants G. D. Hamilton, Stuart Seddon, and Evcraid, of the Her^ taunga Mounteds, and Lieutenants Hastings and Mahoney, of the Dominion Scouts. Captain Jickell, the regimental quartermaster, was in camp until yesterday afternoon, whan he left for Palmerston. The men in camp have been drawn from the ranks of the Heretaungi Mounted Rifles (5% and the Dominion Scouts (45), with four each from the Fielding Mounted Rifles and the Manawatu Mounted^. The men from the lastmentioned carps, however, are only qualifying far training which they failed to get with their own respective companies. SACRIFICES. A feature* in connection with the camp has been, wemaTked an officer to a Post representative, the ready manner in which tbe employers responded to the request for seven days' leave of absence for tfas men. Very few refusals were met •with. Giving up their work, which ineayat a loss of a "week's wages, was alsio'^ continued the officer, no small act of self-sacrifice on the part of the territorials. Certainly^ they were paid by the Defence Department^ but the amount allowed could hardly be said to be commensurate with the trouble and pecuniary loss involved. Thu daily allowances areas follow :— Privates -3s, corporals 3s 6d, sergeants 4s, sergeant-majors and quartermasters ss, lieutenants 7s 6d. captains 10s-. In addition to these amounts all hands ate given a horse-teecl allowance of Is 6d per diem, with 2s extra, in the case of officers, for groomage. Members of the company are keenly enthusiastic, and there is no tendency to grumble. THE ONLY COMPLAINT. From what the pressman could gather they had only one complaint to make— and that was (it was urged) c- strong one — viz., that no alcoholic refreshment was allowed inside the encampment They did not mind the abolition of tha canteen so much, but what they objected to was thai, individually, they were pro- ! ! hibited, no private or olficer being j allowed to keep a private flask. Under the old regime, when the period of training was not continuous, the hardship was not _ pronounced, but riding about all day in the boiling sun was, they submitted, "thirsty work." The men in their complaint, were backed by ' the officers; and 'all concerned, it was stated by several of the latter, thought it a reflection on them thai; they could not be allowed to have "a little stimulant. _ Always, perhaps, of a more fascinating nature than infantry work, mounted manoeuvres are enhanced from a spectacular point of view when the horsemanship is good— such as prevailed at yesterday's exercises on the parade ground. The Heretaungas, in particular, appeared to be a fine lot, but they had the advantage of being on horses which, in nearly every case, belonged to the riders. On the other hand, many of tho territorials in the other companies had to be contentwith chargers which had seen active j service in the "ranks" of a livery-.«?table keeper, 'bus-driver, or expressman. Most of the men can keep a tolerably good seat, but others — recruited comparatively recently, are not graceful. By the way, several found the riding other than a thing of joy, and had to retire from active service for a space. The new ones, however, are in a squad of their own, and riding schools ar© being held each day for their benefit. Most of the horsemen have put in very creditable work, which fact speaks well for them and their officers. In all parades and movements, thecompanies are observing service conditions, wherever practicable. Stout hurdles have to be negotiated by all except the recruits, and there is talk of essaying an ascent of one or two of the spurs on the Wainui Hills. The officers state that while it affords ample room for squadron drill and dismounted parade, the park is, for other purposes, hardly large enough for a mounted military encampment. Next year, when all the units of the district regiment of "mounteds" will, doubtless, be under canvas simultaneously, it is anticipated that more extensive grounds will be provided. Generally speaking, the health of the camp is excellent^ the amount of exercise and open-air work that the men indulge in being doubtless largely responsible for this satisfactory state of affairs. In all probability the Commandant, Major-General Godley, will visit the camp on Thursday afternoon. * The regiment will strike camp on Sunday m»rn* ing.