A TERRITORIALS.

Evening Star, Issue 17086, 3 July 1919, Page 8

A TERRITORIALS.

■:,.:;•£ [By Skirmisher.]. _^ i ?'---'.. Items of interest concerning Corps (Town and Country), shooting and Territorial notes generally will be accepted. Copy, addressed to "Skirmisher," shoitld be in hand not later than Monday morn"iff- \Jtti#fi -: ri~*^%y,ssi»^,>H{#-*' The following courses, classes of instruc'tiefn, exercises, etc, are to be carried out in the-ofego military district during the year 1919-20:—(1) Ten-day district rsfrealier course in drill a<na musketry instruction for Acting Staff Corps and Permanent ;StafT. (2) Fourteen days' voluntary course of instruction in necessary drill, etc.. for officers and n.e.o.s o! Territorial Force and Senior Cadets. (3) A voluntary (six days') covrsc of instructionfor officers (Territorial and Senior Cadets), preparatory to the August examination for promotion No pay, travelling allowance for days going and returning; rations and lodging to be provided out of the grant. (4) A voluntary (six- days') 1 course (including examination)" for Territorial and examination in August. Pay and- travelling allowances as laid down in financial Cadet n.e.o.s sitting for first appointment instrootions. Rations audi lodging to bo provided out of the grant. (5) District <?xoroiSra (Ofcagjo district) on the .ground without troops (three days), under the direction of the Director of Military Training. No pay. Travelling allowances admissible for" days going and rations and lodging to bo furnished' out of grant provided. (6) Voluntary (six days) course of instruction for officers and 1 n.e.o.s (Territorial and Senior Cadet*), preparatory to the- February examination for promotion. No pay. 'Travelling allowances, etc., as in 5. (7) Barracks at secondary schools. (8) A voluntary (six days') course, including tho examination, for Territorial and Senior C'adot n.e.o.s going np fox first appointment to commissions examination in February. Pay, etc., as in previous course 4. (9) A voluntary district refresher course for Acting Staff "Corps and Permanent Staff, and selected regimental officers' and n.e.o.s of Territorial Force. Units going into annual seven days' camps. No pav for Territorial Force officer". Allowances in accordance with financial instructions. (10) Voluntary (six days') course of instruction for officers and n.e.o.s of secondary school Cadet unite. No pay. Allowances as in f>. Ail the above courses will b<s held at the meat convenient date suitable to district .concerned. Motor ears can onily bo used' at the district exercise on the 'ground without, troops- for sewor Territorial officers, and ithese must be limited to four cars. Local classes of instruction are to be ca-nied out at .outlying centres by :uva and o-roup commanders and District Stalf. to enable officers and n.e.o.s of the Territorial and Cadet Forces to work for their promotion examinations. The fortnights musketry course. wh»eh has boon carried out under Lieutenant Davis land a tail from Trentham, _ was brought to a conclusion on the Pehchet Bav lange on Saturday last. The morning was ooeupied by .the permanent staff, who received instruction Ln range discipline and organisation. The. afternoon, from 1.30, was devoted to Territorial and Cadet officers and n.c.0.8. Abo-.it 65 n.e.o.s were foi-med into a company, and used as a means of demonstration by the district musketry instructor (Lieutenant Stevenson) in "range, discipline and organisation. Between 20' and 30 Territorial and Cadet officers were present, all of whom took the keenest interest in the proceedings, arid learned some very valuable lessons m the quickest and best methods of putting a company through the 'annual musketry course. " In the courses of his remarks Lieutenant Stevenson pointed out that musketry in the past had not boen earned out as thoroughly -as it should have been, and it was the 'intention of the Defence Department to see that musketry was to receive the attention which its import nice merited. Owing to the extreme cold and lack of good light it m* impossible to carry out a demonstration in the first two practices—viz., grouping und application—and it was forcibly shown how much a recruit's future efficiency depends on the grouping practice. This practice, in the past, has "in most cases been looked upon as tlio tea-st important, and the tendency has been to hurry it through. Major lumpen G 5.0., was present, and addressed the' parade.' During the .afternoon the D.M.I, gave a practical demonstration in rapid loading and tiring, and, though workiii" under difficulties, succeeded m geting "20 out of 25 shots on to 'his target in 60 ac-onda—a. good performance, though not his best. There is little doubt that every officer 'left the range imbued with tho deaire to see to if, that every possible effort is to bo put into the training oi their units to be good shots, and it may be contidenlv expected that the musketry returns for'l9l9-20 will show a marked advance on past work. Tho D.M.I, announced that all -Territorial and Cadet officers and n.e.o.s are to be called together, formed into a company, and put through the entire musketry course, .so that tlwy will be free to devote their attention to the shooting of their units. This will assuredly be a distinct step in the direction of gaining the high .standard of efficiency to bs aimed at in the tutu lie. The Divisional Signal C-mipany < lomence training on Motichy night lj.xt with a strength of about 40 alter {he new posting:-'. This company are noWj in p'oesession °ol" a large- 'quantity of uho latest pattern- up-to-date signalling equipment, including a, four-horse cable wag-n-on, all direct from France. In ordar that the host and mo*t efficient nso may be made of the iw gear, some alterations were found noc'Sftry in tho company'.-; storeroom, wnd once .everything is completed some good work will be dviie Members of the Signal Company are indeed fortunate in having -such nr*t-cfew equipment to train on, and nothing .should. now stop them from becoming a thoroughly efficient company, trained' to- the very latest lessons learned from the war. Scp-wiit major Colbert (W. 0.), attached to the company, is well saUimed with the prospects for the future, and is xecu to make a start. , Captain P. P. Henderson. MX., who .'lis ivst completed a fortnight's- .maehinc-guri instruction in Christ-church, opened a. similar course at the Kensington ]>ill Hall yosterd'iv. Captain Henderson hns with, him Staff Sergeants-major Tustuiu. and OT.earv both of whom were attached to H,he imlachine-giui •jii.vtrucUonal stall at Trentham. The daytime as with the , musketry course just closed, is devoted to | tho imputing of the I'ennaiunt Stall j and the evening :,re given to lemtonal and Cadet ctrk-er* and: n.e.o.s bast vidit's class opened with an attendance ot between 50 and 35, must of whom were Senior Cadets. The Territorials were once more conspicuous by their absence. Captain Henderson and staff are at present doling with the Vickors and Maxims machine guns, while Lieutenant Stevensonis takimr a class on the Lewm gun._ the war ha* taught, as the value ot these weapons, and- it is understood that it w intended to bring New Zealand lerntowals into line with the latest British ideas by fowning machine gun tedious. in view of this, 1 would urge all Territorials who oossiblv can to taktf advantage oi tlucoutm Wv feeing hold It cannot be expected- that, in 12 lessons a thorough knowledge of the machine gun can le obtained, but even in thai time enough enn be done to give students sufficient insight as to induce them to pei-sue the study ol this important weapon. ■ The Defence .Department announces tnat members of rifle clubs, on discharge from ' the Expeditionary Force, will b« classified as efficient members of their clubs for tho year 1918-19. This order will enable- tho dubs to secure full privileges for their returned members for the year, and will also preserve the status of tho members concorned. , General G. S. Richardson hss ordered Defence officers to .reduce the u.-e of telegrams to,a niinimi'm. and has.announced that those who disobey will have to pay the cost themselves. 'The New Zealand military police y.-ill he demobilised as from 30th June, with the exception of the detachments employed at the Trentham, Fcather.-t.un, and Narrow Xeck camps. Members of .provost corps may apply to be transferred to the employment section, which is to be formed from returned soldiers.

A cost accounting examination and statistical section has been established in the Dvefe-nce Department, under the control of the Director of Financial Service*. Captain T. H. Jones, Army Pay Corps, is the cxaminei', and will be assisted by two accountants with the rank of warrant ofticera. The section will deal with the following matters: (a) Establishments, elftssihctation-, assignment of duties, scales of pay, and increments; (b) office (routine, furniture, equipment, printing, and ete-'tdon-ery; (c) statistical returns, labor-sav-ing devices, examination of ordnance store and A.S.C. supplies' branch; (e) cost of hospital administration ; (f) inspection of engineer works aocounts and stores, and examination of actual expenditure on services hi relation to amounts authorised; (g) oxamination of payments- in connection with building contracts: (hj) cost per capita of departments of General Headquarters and dieteiet administration; (i) cost of lionising; (j) economical administmfcion of .supplies and transport, rationing of troops, engineer woa-kghoiw, and utilising of military labor in connection with military works atid cost of upkeep of rifle ranges, drill halls, bam-acks, etc.