THE TERRITORIALS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 2 August 1913, Page 9

THE TERRITORIALS.

(By "Vedette.")

The local infantry and cadet companies have commenced their work for the new year in real earnest. All the parades are being well attended, while the men and lads are showing a good deal of enthusiasm in their drills. Since the training was first commenced there has been a noticeable improvement in the work. The Territorials and cadets while on parade present a smart soldierly appearance. During the present year attention will be devoted to musketry instruction—an important part of the Territorial's training. The machine gun section of F Company (Hawera) is making satisfactory progress and in a short while the detachment should f.rm a valuable adjunct to the main body. It will be good news that the n after of a rifle range is being put in trim by Captain Stevens, of the Defence Department. The site suggested for the range will be well known to people of the district as a most suitable and satisfactory location from every point of view. It consists of an almost flat piece of land bounded by the Waingongor. on three sides and ending in a high bluff at its southern boundary. The butts, it is suggested, will be at that end, and the marksmen will fire from below the Electric Company's power-house. From a practical point ot view the conditions could hardly be better, while' from a scenic standpoint the spot lends itself admirably. An interesting feature will be the remains of an old Maori tribal pa just across the river. The spot is easily and quickly reached from all the drill centres of the district. A conference of officers of the 11th Taranaki Regiment was recently held at New Plymouth, when matters relating to the detail work of the regiment were discussed. It was decided to hold similar conferences quarterly. The idea is ! an admirable one, as by such gatherings the officers of the different corps are able to keep in touch with each other and of the work being carried out in their respective districts. Regret that the cadet system has been practically abolished in the schools of New Zealand was expressed by a clause of a report read at the nnnual meeting of the Auckland District Educational Institute. "The cadet system had many advantages," the report read. "It fostered a spirit of esprit de corps and leadership among both teachers and pupils alike, and it prepared the way for the work of the . Senior Cadets and the Territorials." A depot company of the Army Ser- • vice Corps is to be raised in four sec- I tions, one each in Palmerston North, I Napier, Masterton, and Hawera, while Nos. 1 and 2 Divisional Train Com- I panics are to be raised in Wellington City, with headquarters at Buckle street Drillshed. It is intended that special attention j shall be given to making the defence rifle clubs more fitted by drill as well '■ as rifle practice for their functions as the second line of defence. The regulations provide that members of defence rifle clubs shall do 18 drills and fire the musketry course. By many of the rifle clubs, however, very little attention was paid to drills, and as the number of young lads who for various reasons were posted to defence rifle clubs did not get the length of practising rifle shooting they were a somewhat neglected branch of the service. In future the group officer is charged with the training of rifle clubs, and the intention is that their training shall be, next to that given to the Territorials, the very best military training to be got. The capitation of 2s 6d per head will in future be paid to the group officer, and presidents will be relieved of the responsibility of drilling club members. The refresher camp at Palmerston North for officers and N.C.O.'s is being largely attended. A batch of permanent stalf officers and area sergeantmajors went through to Palmerston North from Hawera and neighboring centres on Saturday, where they will remain for some few weeks. An officer, who has completed his term in the camp, "speaking to a Christchurch Press reporter, stated that the officers and N.C.O.'s were receiving a very thorough training from the base upwards. On three nights a "week lectures were given by the officers of the general staff, and the officers of the mounted branch were going through the new manual, page by page, working it out theoretically and practically, with the object of securing unanimity in the mounted work throughout the Dominion. Mr W. Campbell, late of the Black Watch, who recently completed a tour of the world in the interests of Imperial Federation, writing in the London Daily Mail, said he had marched, drilled, and camped with the citizen army of Australia and New Zealand. Referring to the cadet system in New Zealand Mr Campbell says: "Physique is almost amazing, and certainly excels similar units of Eton and Harrow. Drill was perfect, discipline excellent, and shooting of a very high standard. The fact that twenty New Zealand cadets swept nearly all trophies off the board at the Toronto Exhibition is proof that their zeal and shooting are remarkable." ! The same writer also states: "New Zealand's field artillery (Territorials) is, with the exception of the Honorable Artillery Company of London, the most dashing and efficient I have seen in'imy auxiliary force. It is considered an honor to be even a driver or gunner, and to err in drill or discipline is almost unpardonable. The Mounted Rifles of the New Zealand Citizen Forces will yield tt? the Imperila Army of the future squadrons of dashing scouts and horsemen."