VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11314, 8 March 1900, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

[by sentinel.] Captain Okey, of the Wellington Battalion, represented the Taranaki volunteers at the send-off to the Auckland Rough Riders on Monday afternoon. : ■ < It appears to be taken for granted that there will bo no volley firing in connection with tho volunteer year'that closed.' last week, as nothing further has been heard from headquarters. ■#- - • i y,Rumour has it that Mr. J. R. Reed, wellknown in legal and golfing circles, intends accepting election to qne of tho vacancies that exist in the commissioned ranks of one or other of the Battalion companies. • It is thoug'ui, probable that the members of Ihe Fifth Contingent of New Zealanders for South Africa—now in camp in various parts of the colony—will form part of the army of occupation in tho Transvaal after the cessation of hostilities. To-morrow (Friday) evening a meeting of the Auckland Mounted Rifles will be held and the two subaltern vacancies will bo filled. Mr. W. R. Bloomfield's name has been mentioned as the probable first lieutenant, while the junior lioutenancy is likely to be contested. With the Auckland Weekly News, now on issue, aro several capital illustrations of the "send-off" to the Auckland Rougli Riders on Monday last; also glimpses of lifo under canvas,: taken just a day or two prior to the men striking camp, the whole forming a splendid souvenir. Volunteer arrangements havo been .somewhat interfered with lately owing to military displays and contingent departures, but the various companies may now be exported to settle down again to routino work, and it is to bo hoped that Morris-tube shooting practice will not be discarded simply because the class firing is through. Shooting is more important to a volunteer than drill. In tho rush and hurry at the military parade in connection with the Fourth Contingent "send-off" on Monday afternoon, the Battalion colours were evidently overlooked, as it was only a few minutes before the close of the farewell ceremony that men were hastily despatched for the colours,-, which Were then unfurled and borne by the colour, party in the procession through Queen-street. The Navy and Army Illustrated of January 6 thus speaks of the New Zealanders:— "The New Zealand Contingent at'the front has now had an opportunity of shoWing its mottle. The gallantry of the men under fire has been praised in no measured terms, and although the hand of death has not been idle, the contingent lias even at this stage in the hostilities gained for itself the golden opinion of all the Empire's sons." Colonel M. Brownrigg, commanding 3047th Regimental district (Lancashire), when recently addressing tho Eaet Lancashire Regiment 2nd V.8., said that the volunteers had saved tho country from conscription once, but he doubted whether they would bo ablo to do so a second time. They should remember that they were never so near being mobilised as now. If England had to send her militia abroad, the chances were that tho volunteers would bo mobilised. As none of our officers have handed in their names as members of the Officers' Revolver Club since I mentioned the fact a week or two back that, only three or four had announced their willingness to join, the probability is that thoso who had the matter in hand will allow the club to drop out of existence. In a district where tho officers aro young fellows with little experience of the use of revolver or sword, one would have thought that such a club would have met with a hearty support.

It lias been understood for some time past that Captain Baume, of the No. 3 Native Rifles, who obtained six months' leave of absence during the recent political campaign, intended resigning the command at the expiration of that term, but I am now informed that the captain will, at least foe the timo being, continue in charge, the decision being the result of his having been "approached on the matter by members of the corps. For some time past the corps has been suffering defections from the ranks, and Captain Banmo is going to make a determined effort to again bring the company lip to the full strength, oven should he ultimately find it necessary to resign. The members of the Akarana Riflo Club fired two of the three ranges in the competition for Mr. G. Reid's medal at Avondale on Saturday, having to abandon the completion of the match owing to the waning light. The ranges fired were the 300 yds and 400 yds, Mr. Carlson heading Hie totals with 65 points of a possible 70, really splendid shooting, while Mr. Willis returned the next best score with 62. Carlson, who is a member of the Victoria Rifles, has been showing rattling good form this season, and should about win the medal when the final range is fired on Saturday next. Last Saturday was a very fair day for shooting, with about 2ft of right, wind. The Defence Department lias hit upon an excellent scheme in establishing training camps in tho various New Zealand centres for reserved men destined for South Africa (says a writer in the Canterbury Times). Up to the present the New Zealand Government has not only done its duty nobly, but is prepared to do yet more, if necossary. Putting things roughly, the country is now about to send away 100 men for every one of her sons who have met his death in South Africa. There is no sense in the bald assertion that the training will be useless because the men will not be wanted. If they are not wanted in South Africa, they will be a well-trained portion of our local defences, and the cost of teaching them will be money well spent. If, on the other band, they are wanted, they will take the field with a knowledge of their work which could not be picked up in a day or two. The Defence Department is_ to be congratulated upon its action in this respect. Tho articles in the Nineteenth Century by Sir George Clarke and Mr. Sidney Low find a significant echo (says tho Broad Arrow) in tho words of Mr. Balfour at Manchester recently. Speaking at the Conservative Club, ho says:—"My belief is that so long as you are determined that the military responsibility of this country should be borno by a voluntary army and by a voluntary army alone, you cannot expect to put into the field a much larger or a better-equipped force than as a matter of fact you have put in the field in the course of the present emergency that has arisen in South Africa. In other words, the country must ch«ose between prospective loss of Empire and conscription. This is the conviction that has long ago . forced itself on thinking military men. ' Wo have for too long beon content to live on our reputation. We have enlarged our borders and have grudged the sacrifices necessary for their protection. With a territory and responsibilities exceeding those , of any other nation, we havo an armed force of a third-rate Power. We have declined to undertake the burden of personal service, or to grant the money to raise and equip a sufficiently large voluntary army. The moment is opportune for applying tho remedy. Lot us be thankful that the need has been brought home to us before it is too late." Yet another tribute to tho usefulness of the colonial troops in South Africa comes from the Broad Arrow, and reads as under: " However keen our yeomen may. be, however good shots and good riders, yet they will find themselves, when on servico in South Africa, under absolutely novel conditions. Not to dwell on the want of experience of .camp life in a tropical country, they will find themselves confronted with an enemy accustomed to live on the veldt and ride and shoot from boyhood. How is our stout-hearted but inexperienced yeoman to compete with the ' slim' Boer on his own ground? There is only one way, and that is by putting himself under the guidance of tlioso as sharp-witted and as much at homo in the field as the Boer himself. In other words there should bo a considerable leaven of colonial mounted men in every troop or section of tho yeomanry. If this is - dono, and the regiment, is forturiato enough to come under the hands of General French, \Y3 may be sure that it will soon be in a condition to five a good account of itself."

Tho Boers have (says an English paper) undoubtedly. developed unexpected military qualities in more than one direction' since the campaign began. Whether this is due to an innate military instinct or to the introduction of a foreign element may bo doubted; if the latter, then the instructors have found apt pupils. _ A noticeable sign of improved discipline is tho manner in j which they havo frequently of late reserved their fire when themselves under a heavy shell fire, until our troops have been committed to tho assault. A triumph of fire discipline learnt in two months! _ Their entrenchments, too, are a lesson in ' themselves. Wot content with nitting behind a boulder on the top of a kopje, they now construct trenches in tho open, scientifically planned and com-

pleted with bomb-proof cover and obstacles such as abattis and barbed wire ) entangle-". ments. They oven . place wiro aerosr. the approaches connected with | olectrio J bells »to | give alarm to the pickets. The foreign ole-.\Jj| : ment is, probably dso responsible tor ; their late adoption of the offensive, and for the:| vigour with which it is carried out. These -iV are not enemies to bo lightly ' regarded. - . In last week's notes I mado brief relet* ' ' enca to the Press Association telegram from Wellington to the 'effect that Colonel PolePenton, Commandant of tho New Zealand Forces, was preparing a scheme lor tho en- • couragement of rifle clubs throughout, the colony, » stop that I have often advocated in these columns, as the knowledge of. the use of a rifle is of much moro valuo than a v lifotime of drill without shooting experience. What tho colonel's, scheme is we shall not, I presume, know until it - has passed through tho hands of the Government, but one thing that should bo done, if the Go-, vernment really intends to encourage .'an increased membership in ', the various riflo clubs throughout the colony, and tho forma- .. tion of clubs in districts where none . now exist, is to provide tho men with rifles similar to those on issue to volunteers, and offer facilities for purchase of ammunition at a reasonable price. Tho rifle club - members would, of course, bo exnectocl to provide reasonable security for the safe keeping of the weapons, which would remain the property of tho Government, and might be called upon periodically, quarterly, to produce their rifles for inspection. If not prepared to go thus far at present, the Government might meanwhile givo effect to the promise mado some time since to havo the clubmen's Martinis converted into the .305 ■weapon, charging tho men cost price of conversion, and at the samo timo reduce the price of ammunition. , Nearly every rifle club man in the colony lias a Martini, and I am sure there aro but very few of them who would not be prepared to pay the cost of . conversion. '" - :- ' . '