VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11060, 11 May 1899, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

[by sentinel.] Dr.. Natlob ha? accented the position of surgeon-captain of the Field Engineers. The officers of the Auckland Field Engineers entertain the members of the company to a dinner at the Albion Hotel on Friday evening. When are the much-talked of adjutants, arranged for some time back, to arrive from Homo, and when thoy do come how is tho distribution to be arranged '! Tho Auckland Mounted Rifles intend lidding a military concert about three or four weeks hence in aid of the company's funds, and will wind up the evening with a dance. Lieutenant-Commander Clemens, of tho Auckland Navals, left for the South on a business trip during the week, and Lieutenant Salmon will bo in command of the company during his superior officer's absence. Nothing further lias been hoard of the proposed rifle association in connection with the No. 2 (country) Battalion. As the winter is rapidly closing in, the matter will 110 doubt now be held in abeyance until next season. Mr. Jensen, Yietnria-street, has offered a gold medal to tho Auckland Navals, to bo presented to tho member attending the greatest number of parades during the next 12 months.

The result of the Onoliuiiga Rifles prizo firing was announced by tin: captain on Tuesday evening, ami lie stated that Mr?. Kr.son would lio requested to present the prizes on parade on the return of Dr. W. *!. C'l -e J'J'-oil from Sydney. Tlio following are the names t of the prize-winners: , ' Corporal Browne, Ist prize 33 I Volunteer White, 2ml prize 33 ' Volunteer McnUcmerie, 3rd prize 31 Volunteer A. l'errin, 4th prize 30 Volunteer Strong, sth prize 30 Sergeant J!idiiird°on, till prize 3(J Voiunteer Alien, 7tU prize 2') Volunteer Mcintosh, Blh prize 23 Lance-Corporal Ollccntt, 9th prize ... 28 Volunteer Prior, 10th prize 27

It is to ho hoped that with the erection of the new shod for the storage of the field battery provision will be made for a silo lor Morris tube shooting. Experience has taught us that mil- numerous recruits requiro somo rudimentary instruction in the use of the rifle before being allowed to attend for practice at the Mount Kden range, and a course of instruction in Morris tube shooting, under a competent man, would be invaluable.

Tito Victoria Rifles parade for church servjco at All Saints' on Sunday week. Canon Cnlder, though never gazetted (through some ofiicia! oversight), has been the company's clvplain for some 12 or 14- years, prior io which he was chaplain to the Thames Navals. The Garrison Hand will bo in attendance, and no doubt there will be a full muster. I understand that a new regulation has been issued from the Defence Department providing that naval and torpedo companies shall drill morning and night during eight of the sixteen days in which they are in camp, and shall during thai time sleep at the forts. As many members cf these corps go to work very early in the morning the wisdom cf such a regulation seems open to iiucstiou, but of this more anon.

As the Government lias not yet moved in the matter of the erection of the shed for lite store ge of the new field i/iitery, now en route from England, it seems likely that although liie steamer will fir-! touch at Auckland, it : ll be necessary to ..cut the battery on to Wellington for slorag" on its arrival, until such lime as the necessary accommodation is provided for at Auckland. There is certainly no room for it here now. and unless the shed is proceeded with at once it will certainly have to be sent on to Wellington. As tlio outcome of a suggestion thrown out at the Auckland Navals' dinner last woes a rifie shooting match has been arranged for between members of that company and the No. 2 Natives, and will be fired as soon as the ammunititon is served out for the .303 weapon. The conditions will probably provide that each corps shall fire a certain number of shots with their own weapons— carbines and rifles respectively—and then exchange, in order that neither side may hold an advantage, an arrangement that will also givo a fair test of the shooting qualities of the two arms.

The usual weekly parade of the Oncbunga Rifles wns held in the Drill Hall on Tuesday evening at half-past seven. There was a Rood muster, and Hid company was put through the musketry ami manual exercises by the sectional commanders. After parade, Captain Mcintosh addressed the company, and told them that Colonel Banks had asked the company to take part in the unveiling of tho Queen's statue and tho presentation of colours to No. 1 Battalion on the 24th inst. Classes will now be hold every Wednesday evening by the sectional commanders for the purpose of making the men proficient in the manual, musketry, and physical drill. Recruits will attend these classes. It is customary in Auckland with our volunteers to receive His Excellency the Governor with a Royal salute, and the officer commanding the district with the general salute. Having been asked if it is correct to pay theso honours, 1 have submitted the question to an officer, who gives it as his opinion that the officer commanding the district is certainly not entitled to a general salute, and that tho Quson's regulations do not authorise a Royal salute to the Governor, except on State occasions and when opening or closing the House of Representatives. What liavo my volunteer readers to say on this subject?

Tho canvas collapsible boat is very much ' to the front just now, and tho War Oflico ' and Admiralty are still concerned in the matter (says tho Field). Tho Wat Office ' has contracted for three of the James' : Quadripartite boats, 24ft by sft by 2|ft. to : weigh 6001b, and to carry 90001b. Tho boat was tested against a Berthon 2ft longer, but tho same beam and depth. The .lames' boat, , with 6in freeboard, carried 90441b, and tho i Berthon 57981b. At Ift freeboard, the ' James' boat- carried 59921b, and tho Berthon ! 2829ib. It is said that tho Berthon Company are endeavouring to reduce tho weight of their boats to (he weight of the James' boats, but we imagino this can only bo dono i by dispensing with tho double skin and cellular bottom. What the cost of a European war would be in men and money is very carefully calculated in a book by a Polish publicist, M. Bliobb, which Dr. Dillon, in a recent review article, says influenced the Czar to issue his Eirenicon. It is estimated that Europe pays yearly for tho maintenance of its fleets and | armies the sum of £225,000,000, and nearly j

as much again in the guise of interest on debts contracted for tho prosecution of foreign wars. The daily expenditure needed for a conflict in which the five Continental Great Powers were engaged would amount to £4,195,000. Over and above this sum it would be necessary to expend on the families of the soldiers about £198,000. In othor words, the annual cost of this European war, exclusive of indirect losses, would, according to the calculations of M. Bliokh and others, reach tho fantastic total of £1,747,120,000 I The No. 2 Infantry Battalion are out with an attractive programme for their grand military carnival and sports, to be held on tho Pseroa racecourse on Queen's Birthday. In addition to the military events, bayonot and physical drill for four and 12 men a-side, attack drill, etc., there will he foot races, tugs-of-war, and other items for volunteers and civilians, all of which carry valuable prizes, both in cash and trophies. With fine weather, the function should be attended with a large measure of success, though it is to be regretted that owing to the presentation of colours and the unveiling of the Queen's statue the majority of tho Auckland com-' panics will be prevented from taking part i in the contests, which would, had the day been clear, no doubt have attracted seven! I squads and individual competitors from Auck-. land. However, it is more than prohablo 1 that some of our cadet corps will send dotachments to Paeroa. A deadly modern weapon of warfare (says the Graphic) was in action for the first time ' —doing good work— the Battle of Oindur- ' man. Yet, owing to the fact that muzzle- I loading howitzers weighing from four to ten ! tons were used in a former generation, the ordinary British civilian has scarcely comprehended the true meaning of a "5m breechloading howitzer," whose "bore" when parallel is 3ft Tin from the ground. Unless all "stand clear" when this gun is fired, the recoil, in spite of the " drag shoes," will impolitely knock the loaders over. So abomi-' nably does the howitzer kick that it positively jumps on its own account backwards a distance of five yards, even with "drag shoes" —a. brake like those used on waggons— without "drag shoes".it runs back from 25 to 30 yards. When firing at a ranee of 1500 yards, 50 per cent, of the rounds drop within a space of 23' yards. At this distance a Lyddite shell last June ground a sham fort to powder,:though'the walls were 3ft thick. i

Tlvo Engineer Corps, under Lieutenants Walker anil D'Aroy, paraded for church ser- [ vice at St. Sspulchro's on Sunday last, there being an excellent muster. The Rev. Joseph ( Campbell, who has accepted the position of [ chaplain to the company, proached an hppropriate and impressive sermon, during tho course of which lie rather startled his congregation by saying that lie saw present that morning three companies, the Engineers, tho Regulars, and the Casuals. The hint as to regular attendance at the house of worship was appreciated by all but the last-named, who moved uneasily in their seats. I A writer in the Echo de Paris, dealing with i the question of the Dttm Dum bullet, holds i that that of the Lebel rifle renders all tho service required, and docs not stand in need of improvement or modification. At 3000 j metres the Lebel bullet traverses the flashy j portions of the umr.» ho i" and slitters tho bones of tho limbs. The penetrating powr of the bullet is said to be enormous:—" Durinr tho Dahomey campaign a bullet was . found to have passed through a tree and i through the five natives who had taken shelter behind it. The French officers who had been i able to observe the effects of the bullet in Dahomey, lonkin, and Madagascar, declare that the men struck by tho Lebel bullet in full trajectory fall at once after a convulsive I lean. When the camp of General Dodik during his march to Abomey, was the object of a surprise attf-k. (he ;e:rib'e effectiveness of the Lcbc-l bullets was proved in the most signal fash on." '*]' c writer concludes Insaying that the French have no reason to feel . ! alarmed at the complaints made of ihe effec- I I tiveness under cert »in conditions of the Brit -! ! i-'h magazine rifie bullet of small calibre. "If the LeeMetford n't!p." lie says, "has given unsatisfactory results, the blnme does not rest • with the small calibre bullet."

Howitzers can fire behind cover hotter than any other srnn. because being short, they j ran set a be'ier anile of descent. Their 1 shells weigh 501b, and are constructed extcr i nally of steel and filled with I.yddile— nuid 1 the colour of which seems to indicate the presence of picric acid. As soon as an object is ' hit terrific backward and forward flashes take ! place. Those who are unfortunate enoueh to ' bo within 300vds of tlio forward explosion ' lira nearly certain to be killed, and whoever: are within range of the backward flash up to WOyds. may be conei'stiilMed *f thev escape. ' The "bore." 49in in length and Sin in dia- , meter, has three coverings the "inner tube," ■ "co"ire tube" and "jacket." In nnler to ' obtain a faint idea how a modern howitzer is charKß''. 'tnairi a large dranirb ■ -can made of cordite 'breaded onto a pencil. This pencil technic?,'ly v.mdd be termed the "core." j When three more explosives shaped like draughtsmen are placed on tho top this is ! a " full charge." Each howitzer is drawn j by six horses, and Ihe same number are bar- ! nessetl to the ammunition waggon, jus' as in ! the cn»e of the arti'lerv, only tho latter have 1 their detachment of nine men mounted. The great objection to these ('oath-dealing howitzers in a European war would bo the likolihood of the epcmv aiming at and exploding ' the ammunition wrgro». The noma! pace of horse artillery is a gallop, of field artillery a trot, and of howitzers a walk. The lastnamed gun v.eic-hs 12ewt, whereas the other ' two are only 6cv,'t.

Some time ago the members of the Northern Wairoa Rifle Club :iu r " •. i-e.l a Iran lsi-me walking-stick, which they intended to present to Captain Grant, district adjutant, who is very popular in that district. The Minister for Defence, however, objected, and suggested that the presentation should be made to some member of Captain !(runt's family, tin I'Yid ay night last about 25 gentlemen, comprising the proposal oineers, l'tn-eommi-Monefl ofiioer- of the Nutliern V.airoa liile 'Jorps (whose c-lfet of service is under the consideration of the Government). and the i fitrials ami prominent members of the rifle club formed a "-urprise party," and roiled on Captain (Irani at the Aratapu Hotel. The gallant adjutant was evidently taken completely by surprise. Mr. X. A. MoLeod. on ex-sei'reiin of the club and captain-elect of the new corps, was voted to the dia'.r. Addressing Cintaiii Grant, the Chairman said that the club was disappointed by ".he Minister's refusal to permit the intended presentation. Captain Grant had served Hie country for considerably more than a i,u,irter of a century, and during that tc'od his undoubted capacity, unfailing courtesy, red whole-hearted devotion to his work had gained golden opinions from all who 1 ink an interest in military affairs. They wiro not. permitted tn make any presentation, bu; acting on the Minister's suggestion >!ie club ad forwarded Ihe intended present to Mrs. Grant. In reply, Captain Grant asked the gentlemen present to thank the club and proposed cirps for their expressions of goodwill, and to wish the new corps a prosperous future. During the evening songs were rendered by Messrs. Webster, Phillips, Edmonds, Davis, and other gentlemen, and a pleasant couple of hours were spent.