VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11280, 25 January 1900, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

[BY SENTINEL.]

The Ponsonby Navale had two cutters in the yachting demonstration last Saturday in aid of tho war relief fund.

A" dotachment of tho Auckland Navals under Lieut. Salmon attended at tho Ak»rana Riflo Club's rtuitre at Avoudale on Saturday last for class and volley firing.

Tho two handsome silver cups presented bv Mr. W. Thorne to the Akarana Ritlo Club for competition are. on exhibition nt Messrs. Reid Brothera' jewollery establishment in Karangahape Road.

Seaman Langley, of tho Devonport Tor pedo Corps, has won tho company belt fur a second time in succession, and had tho trophy ogain handed back to him at the presentation of shooting prizes on Sunday afternoon last.

The Auckland Cycling Club have arranged for a oouplo of military events in connection with their epor;« gathering of February 10, including a bayonet v. bayonet competition, which should bo full of inter&st to visitors to the meeting.

A pamdo of No. i division of the Auckland Mounted Rifles will be held at the outerDomain Ground on Saturday, when Captain Holgiite invites men to 1» present who do r.ot belong to any volunteer corps, but havo had previous tnuninij, and who are demrous of joining a third -New Zealand contingent for South Africa.

An officer, writing from the Capo, eays that on the many nights when our bravo soldiers havo to sleep on the hard, damp ground of the veldt, the greatest comfort is a tam-o'-shanter rap. The , English people are therWo/p sending out tam-o'-fhantera through tho recipient of thft letter, Mrs I'ostlethwait), 36, .South-street, Mayfuir.

The summer is rapidly coming on in South Africa, and by December the he*t on thn plains of the. Karoo imd Orange Free State will bo very TV thunderstorms in thexo plains are trying at the time, especially to men clad in khaki. Wet khaki is a Unit as unpleasant, naA whiln it remains wet as unhealthy, as anything I know.—British Medical Journal

It ie anticipated in volunteer circles that Major White will succeed to the command of till! Ist Battalion Auckland Infantry, and that Adjutant Major will lie appointed major. .Should this be dune, the. ipiejtion arises a.i to who will fill the position vacated by tho adjulant, who is admittedly 'inp iif the smartest infantry ofiicCTS in Ihn district, and a man wry hard to replace?

Tho Auckland Weekly Xkws, now on issue, contains several pictuiw of the. Ist New Zealand contingent now in Smith Africa, including a pplendid vii-w of the Mitrainiiig of Ilio troops at Capetown, en route to tho front, and a group of our volunteers, in which the late Trooper Connel forms a prominent figure. These, and several other excellent illustrations of the South African war, commend the issue to volunteers

The military display in aid of the war relief fund ha.< been positioned from tho original date, February 3, until some time, early in March, tho brief time at the di.-p<waJ of those, at the head of affair*, hctweoti this and Saturday we<>k, not liein<( considered siifliciont to complete airamjomenta for a display of the magnitude proposed. I shall ndvivo my volunteer readers a.i to tho progress made mil tho programme of events, in the eourse of a fow days,

Lioutonant Ranks, of the second New Zealand contingent, sent me a farewell telegram on Saturday forenoon, and on behalf of lummlf and member* of the Auckland detachment, asked me, through these columns, to bid "(Jood-byo to all friends." This I do with pleasure, and nt the same lime tnko the opportunity, on behalf of "all friends," of wishing our gallant little, band am! their comrades of tho second contingent good luck, a.id a safe, return.

Lieutenant T. Todd, who secured a commission with tho No. 2 New Zealand contingent, is well known in local athletic circles-, he having been an enthusiastic "socker " footballer and cricketer. Though not having !.«f! n K ro..t dcnl of cxiiorionw in miliMty matters, his first association w'lh the, volunteering movement b"ing his appointment as subaltern of the Newton Hides, Todd was an '■iithu-ia.4, and showed considerable promise. The South African campaign should make a soldier of him.

In the event of the Xew Zealand Rifle Association meeting being abandoned this year, it is to bo. hoped that the Government will 6till hold to the. promise made to send Home all Martini-Henry rifles in the possession of rifle clubmen for conversion into thn .303 arm, the. improved weapons to bo returned to club members nt cost price of conversion. It is desirable that all shootists should ho armed with the same, weapon, as no difficulty would then arise- with regard to ammunition, etc., should ho men ever bo called out for active service in the defence of the. colony.

Tho talkod-nf appointment of Captain Reid as successor to Major Colcman, as instructor of mounted riflo companies, does not to meet with the approval of nt least noma of tho uvsn of that branch with whom I hnve spoken on tho matter. They seem to fear that Captain Reid does not possess thn patience nnd good temper for which tho lnte instructor was noted, nnd further consider that they arc entitled to the beet instructor that can bo got—one who has qualified v.t Aldershot camp lecently, and who would be thoroughly up-to-date in all matters pertaining to mounted work.

The Auckland Riflo Association's annual phooting meeting will he oommeneed on Saturday afternoon, when the Nursery, Tyro, and Teams matches will he fired off, leaving tho aggregate competitors for Monday (January 29). As fur as I enn see the Akarami Rifle Club should have a big say in tho Teams' Match, as it is understood that tho club will have the assistance of Hend and Steadman (n[ Whangarei), and Shepherd (an old Auckland marksman uho has recently returned from Taranaki) all thre,i of whom are first-class sliots, and have frequently attendee! tho meetings of thn New Zealand Rifle. Association. The committee of tho Auckland Association have wisely decided to allow l all competitors to either find their own ammunition or obtain it on the (rround at something like cost price.

A rory useful suggestion is on thn tapis of fulfilment in a Canterbury country district. The matter is not at present a public one, but the ideas involved are so eminently practieul and useful that they ought no longer to be hid under a bushol. The schemo w to form bodies of up-country men who aro already Rood riders, nnd are, or are willing to become, equally good shots. These would Iniy their own rifles, drill occasionally, nnd keep their shoofing practice up to date. Tliey would not go to thn expense, of uniforms on (he one. hand, but on the other they would cost tho country nothing, while their assistance in Kwa of actual hostilities would he invaluable. More, will doubtless lie heard of this matter within the next fow months, when its originators will receive tho credit they deserve.

Despite telegrams and letters from fhe secretary of the Auckland Rifle Association, tho Government has not yet forwarded a roply as to whether country members intending to compete at the association's meeting will lie granted free railway passes, and as a result very tittle support may be expected from outside corps. Further than this, the Government has actually refused the association the annual grant of ammunition, the refusal being accompanied with the lame exruse that no .303 ammunition is at present available for such purposes. This is absurd, as not the slightest difficulty would be experienced in obtaining the necessary ammunition if tho Government gave an order for the necessary quantity on tho Colonial Ammunition Company. What a contrast the action of the Government affords to tho generous support this year accorded the association by our merchants and business people who wore waited upon for subscriptions.

On Saturday afternoon last tho members of the Akiirana Riflo Club fired for Mr. Gco. ltoid's gold medal at tho club range at Avondale, the weather being fine with a strong left wind. The conditions were seven shots each at the 300 yds, 500 yds, and 600 yds runges, the medal to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals to become tin , property of the holder. Mi. R. G. Cox, who for t'he past two or three year? has been about the. most consistent shot in the garrison, carried off the trophy with tho rntlling Rood score ..f 92 of a po'siblo 105, his respective rnnge scores, startiiiß at tho 300 yds' point, being 31-30-31. Mr'. Thome, jun., finished second with a not score of 87, or three points over innere, which precluded his making use of tht handicap allowed, nnd left him to nil intents and purposes a scratch mm. This young shot is following worthily in the footsteps of his father (Mr. W. Thorne, president of the club), who in

hie day waa a. very good marksman, and who still maintains a lively interest in ihootina. Mr. H. Doughty finished third with a score of 86.

In view of the proposal to send a third «.ntmgont of Now Zealand volunteer, to bouth Africa and the employment of Lieut ■ Colone Somemlle (chairman of the New Zealand RIBO Association) in facilitating t i, e arrangements for the despatch of the troops at is more than probable that the annuai shooting meeting of the New Zealand Riflo Association will this year bo abandoned. All things considered, it is perhaps as well that this should bo done, as considerable dissatisfaction exists in the North Island at the decision of the authorities to adopt the Mart mi-Henry rifle-no doubt in a measure ouc- to tho desiro of the Defence Depart inent to got rid of the stock of Martini ammunition lying in the stores-it beinrr recognised that in haviny to accept weapons haphazard from (ho armoury would placo tho marinmen up hero at a disadvantage with houthcrn rnm|iotitors, who would bo using their own rifles. Probably by the time another yeiir rolls round volunteer* throughout tho South Island will be armed with tho ■Mi wrapon, and then all will bo on an equal footinsr.

Captain X. I, D. Smith, Into of 10 .I Oollo*. Rifle-, has been appointed to the HoU-hkisa Hatterv, which the Eliwick Co. have so sonorously presented to tho •New Zealand Rorenunent for use in South Afnea_ Captain Smith, nltkousrh an infantry officer, is one of the truest wldiern I know, jays " RullVeyp." As a tactician, ho has fow superiors in the colony, as has boon repeatedly shown in his answers to the toetical problem, set by the damson Library Committee, Re. is well read, and has kopt himself will abroad of the times in military knowlodsre A , a drill, ho is quite Uip equal of any vohintoor officer in tho colony. an ,l there is no _ doubt that under his command thn Hotchkiss Rattwy will jriv* a (rood accoiint of itself when facinir tho Boers. Other iillieere with whom the volunteers of this dietrict have cnmwd are Captain Hayhurst and Lieutenant Findlay, of the South Canterbury Moimtod Rifles, both office who will worthily fill thn posts to which thov nnvn l)oon appointed. Since writing the move I have noticed sevoral rritioisms on Captain Smiths ppnointment. r.minly based on Iho assumption that the HOchkiiie is an artillery weniwn. and that on]/ an artillery offioor should havo be>.n appointed to the command Thin is a frro.it mistake, as the tVNinon which is to be mod by the Now Zoa-laiulr-rs is a machine pin manufactured on the Hoichkiss principle, oarryin« a .303 cartridge, and could only properly hp used by infa.ntry or wain, certainly it could not, hv any stretch of imnguiatiou, bo termed an artillery weapon. Looked at in this liirht. I cannot son "bat the artillery ofiiearn have, any cause for complain!. With mir»rd to the nnpointmonl. I wish to sav distinctly that 1 do not think a bettor choice eould havo boon inado, rod that Captain Smith is essentially the right man in the right place.

TV nnnouncement <>f tho death of Lieutenant Colonel T. L. Murray last week was rvoivnd with the deepes' rosTot in volunteer circles tliroojrhout the. Auckland district, os tin , late commander of the No. 1 'Battalion Auckland Infantry (Cnuntow of Ranforly's Own) enjoml the respect mid confidonoo of officers and won aliko, and hie loss to tho battalion will Imvo a vacancy Hint il will be hard to fill. As an organiser thn deceased officer hud few nqunls, mid to hie untiring efforts during hin command is mainly due t!ie liiifh »ta'e of efficiency that obtains in the Auckland Infantry finttalion, and its complete orwniMlion. Lieutenant Colonel Mm--rvr arrived in Auckland during troublous times, and like all other voims; moo possessed of iho necewary physical fifnoss, was called upon to take up arms for his pountrv. After the Maori war I>p settled down at the Thames, where lie occupied the ]xisitiou of local agent of the Bank if New Zealand, and almost immediately became associated with tlm volimtper movement, accepting , the position of a. lieutenant in the Tl'inno.-t Navals. A ynar or (wo later lip neropted the command of the Tk-,>nn* Rid,. Ranffers (afterwards the Nα 1 Scotitsh), then prao.tioa.lly in a moribund stale, and throwing himself heart and soul into (ho work, Fiioopeded in resnsoitalinfr interest in the volunteer movement, and as the result of his effort*, w.m rewarded by "eeinj; .1 second comnonv of Scottish broueht into existence, and wi» Liter ffiven hiu Mainritv ai"l command of tho Mtalion and Thames district, under Afajnr Withers, officer cnmniandinir tho Auckland volunteer district. M-ido un of Imrd tr'ners, men of snlendi'' nhvique and ?11 above, the average, height. Nob. 1 nnd 2 Thomos Scottish ranker] anions tho first comoaniet in the eolnnv. rind ?.-- th« rmrndwl thnHii;h tlin -iroots in their Highland costumes, -with Ilnir" C. McT.pnn (Mmsfllf n veritnMo v iant): the sitrht wns not one quickly to ho f "ienttnn: inde"d, (li« citizens of thn mininc district. ?.n<\ (tin officer commandinir. had rpfwm to be proud of the- " Old Scottish.' as they urn now often referred to. After 'ifverins' his oonnwlinn with Ilio Thames die- • rict, T.iflitpnant-Oolonp.l Afurray retired from active interest in volunteering. a"d it was only on the. formation of the. Auckland Infnntrr Battalion, some two years ago, fcliat he was persuaded to airain nrwnt office. Tho fjood wnrl;s he has done durintr that briof Finn will live loner in the memories of our vnluntw:, and pot, one, of them but will look hack to the loss of Lientenant-Colonel Murray with the keenest rpfrrot. SOUTHERN ITEMS. [NT tk7.K(;ra ,, " — imifs" \s'--"n , »Tirr\,] Wellington, Wednesday. Tliere is some- talk of forming another riflo company in Wellington, to bring the. strength of the local battalion up to oighfc companies. Captain Brandon has been recommended ns major of the battalion. Tho Commander of the Forces lias intimated that a battalion hand may be formed. The Dofence Department decided that in order to enable tho Heretaunpi Mounted Rifles to exorcise, over the whole, stretch of rough country from the Heads to Porirua, for each parade the men be paid 2s 6d. CimisTnu'RCH, Wednesday.

A movement is on foot to re-form tho Scotti?Ji Riflo Volunteer Company in Christchurch.