VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11684, 20 June 1901, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

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The proposal is mooted to send an Australian contingent to participate in the coronation ceremony next year. Professor C'arrollo, the well-known gymnastic instructor, has been elected a subaltern of the Gordon Rifles. The professor should make an excellent officer. All volunteers proceeding to Christchufch to take part in the Royal reception there are requested to fall in to-day at the Drillshed, at half-past twelve p.m. sharp. Upwards of 200 Auckland volunteers leave for Christchureh to-day, to take part in the military review in connection with the Royal visit to the Southern centre. All the principal volunteer districts of the colony will be represented. The Ashburton Standard reports that Mr. E. Cookson has discovered that the date of the last letter he received, from his son., Trooper F. Cookson, is. dated some weeks subsequent to the date of the action in which he was said to have lost his life. The report possibly refers to another trooper of the same name. From the annual report of the InspectorGeneral of Recruiting for last year, it appears thai the total result of recruiting for the year amounts to 49,260 for the regular arm}- and 37,053 for the militia. The past year was an exceptional one in the largo increases made in the regular forces of the country, some of which are of a permanent nature.

As the Auckland Rifles have not paraded as a company 'or some week.- past, i suppose we may now take it for granted that the company h?s disbanded. There are one or two other companies in the No. 1 Infantry Battalion that are not going on as well as might be wished, but I trust that the dilricullies that exist will bo overcome, and that we will not hear of any more corps dropping out.

Tho Gordon Rifles had arranged to fire a return match against the Victoria Rifles next Saturday, but, owing to the Auckland volunteers being invited to Christ-church, the match had to be put off. The Gordons are hopeful of turning the tables when they again meet the " Vies.," but while quite prepared to see a closer match than the last, I am afraid that they will had the task still beyond them.

Captain Lomas Smith, of the Auckland Cyclists' Volunteer Corns, is at present in Australia, and as Lieutenant Bias intends resigning the cyclists will be ! r t without a missioned officer, It is a great pity that a corps formed after great difficulty should ho earn- in its career be left in such a position, and it is to be sincerely hoped that some gentleman will come forward and take up a commission. »

Our Paeroa correspondent sent down a long tirade about the treatment of the country volunteers while in town last week, and referred to the arrangements made by the Auckland authorities as disgraceful in many respects. So strong was the indictment, that I made inquiries from some of the officers of companies still in town on Monday, and found that thoy and their men had been thoroughly satisfied with tho arrangements.

Our Paeroa correspondent gives it out that Major Forritt, officer commanding the No. 2 Battalion, Auckland Infantry, intends, owing to dissatisfaction at his treatment, when in Auckland in connection with the Royal reception, handing in his resignation. I trust that, such is not the case, as the loss to the country battalion would be incalculable, while the volunteer service would lose one of its most capable and popular officers.

The companies of both the No. 1 and No. 2 Infantry Battalions are going in for scarlet uniforms for full dress. The Victoria Rifles have. I believe, already placed their order, and the Auckland Engineers will do" so almost immediately. This is a step in the right direction, as there is nothing like the scarlet tunic for show" purposes, and the company with a smart uniform will always continue to exist when others with a less attractive dress die out.

Captain Nuthall, one of the Imperial remount commissioners, when asked how tho horses here compared with these in Australia for army purpose-, said that double the price, had been paid by the commissioners in New Zealand. In Australia breeders had gone in very extensively for bloodstock, and horses there were better adaptor! for cavalry. New Zealand cobs were particularly good, and well suited for mounted infantry, while our medium draughts were very suitable for field artillery and the army service corps.

News has been received that none of the members of tho local field artillery corps, the A" Battery, aro to be included in tho contingent to lie sent to Christchurch, to take part in the review to bo held there in celebration of the Royal visit. Thirty of the members resigned last night on receipt the news, as a protest against this treatment of that brunch of the service. The reason assigned is that field artillery without guns are net wanted. It would be interesting to know whether the naval artillery contingent have taken their guns from Fort Cautley.

The following anecdote is sent to a London paper by an officer serving in the Transvaal, whore it has gone she round of the camps. It naturally lacks official confirmation, but happily this does not affect its merits as a. story. "They tell a story of Botha and Kitchener's meeting about terms of peace last week. At the end Botha said, ' Well, I must be going.' Kitchener replied, ' No hurry, you haven't got to catch a train.' ' But that's just what I have got to do,' said Botha, and two days afterwords a train was held up and looted on the Delagoa line, not very far from the place of meeting."

The Royal Marines were treated to a great ovation when they marched past at last week's review at Potter's Paddock, and deservedly so, as finer marching has never been seen in Auckland; it was simply clockwork. As they passed by at the trail, tho disengaged arms were swung with wonderful precision, and not a single man was out of step from the time they moved off to the time they returned to their original positions. Our local volunteers for the most part swing tho arms, but make tho mistake of swinging from the elbow, in a. jerky style, instead of from the shoulder, as was done by the marines.

What is understood to be the first stained glass memorial window in memory of one of our troopers recently arrived in the colony for All Saints' Church, Sumner (Canterbury), in memory of Trooper Wiggins, who lost his life in South Africa. A meeting of All Saints' vestry was held to go through tho necessary form of accepting the gift of the window from Mr. Wiggins, sen., and of passing a resolution asking the bishop to issue a faculty permitting the window being put in position, and also to permit a Glastonbury chair, made for the chancel by Mr. Hill, jun., to be added to the church furniture.

The Marsden Mounted Rifles arrived home on Sunday evening—after a very good trip from Auckland—with 70 horses, which were landed in half-an-hour. The men do not appear to be any the worse for the trip, with which they were very much pleased. These trips do more towards keeping up the interest in volunteering than anything else. I understand that another corps i* to be formed at Kamo. where a very good corps can be raised. The V/hangarei Hides did not return in a bod}', some, coining hack to Whangarei ou-the s.s. Wellington and the balance in the Torranora. 'The company have not had any accident to man or horse "during the trip.—[Own Correspondent.]

Surgeon-Captain Carolan, of (he Otamatea Mounted Rifles, who was in medical charge of the Potter's Paddock camp during tho stay of the country volunteers in Auckland, informed me that several cases of sickness came under Ids notice, mostly colds caused by the wet weather, the men sleeping in tents. Two or three accidents of a somewhat serious nature were attended to. One man, who fell from a verandali in Queen-street on the day of the procession, was taken by tho Rearer Company to the Strand Arcade station for treatment, and was afterwards removed to the district hospital, suffering from scalp wound and insensibility. A member of the Cambridge Company. Waikato Mounted Rifles, was also attended by Surgeon-Captain Carolan at Potter's Paddock, lie having injured his ankle and head in the leaping match.

The volunteers of the Auckland district ami tho school cadet, corps have every reason to feel proud of the manner in which they handled themselves at the Royal review last week, and various other functions in which Hie military figured during the stay of the Duke and Duchess of York. The muster on the occasion of the review was the. largest within tho recollection of most Ancklanders— there was a big review away back in the sixties—and everybody who witnessed the

movements were ioud in their praise, voting the. review quite the feature of the Auckland functions. The men could not, of course, be expected to march with such precision as the Royal Marines, who, as "professional"' soldiers, have no end of training, yet one old officer who has seen many a hi.,' review of volunteers in the Old Country, informed me after the function \«; over that the march past was a.? good as anything he had ever seen by volunteer?, and he meant it ten. The Gordon Rifles and Newton Rifles fired a team 5 ' match at the Mount Eden rantsje last Saturday aft -'.noon, when the Gordons won by better than two to one. scoring a total of 4,1 point.-, is against Newton's 220. The success was well merited, and Gordon, who thus won their firs! match, may expect to place many more matches to their credit if they go on practising as assiduously in the futuro as they have done in the past. The conditions of Saturday's match were 10 men aside, and seven shots, with two sighters, at the SOOyds and 500 yds ranges. Appended are the scores of the \\ hiring team: — 300 yd:.-. SCOyds. Tl. Colour Serjeant Mcintosh 30 53 63 Corporal Sherratt ... 23 30 53 Vo:i:!!tocr Martin 2" ' S b\ Se;-<j e!Ui: Cairns '. 25 23 53 Corporal Graham ... 21 2b 47 Volunteer Knox ... '.'.'. 29 10 45 Sergeant Camming ... 20 7.5 43 Serjeant Ci'.-.U ' 22 20 42 Volunteer Kau*cm ... IS 20 33 Corporal Saunders ... 13 10 23 237 23+ 47] The.;'" l — and theie are nol a few—who have so | persistently asserted that Lord Roberts has bean, content to accept the position of Commander -in-', .'hief without any nullification or' the terms under which Lord Wolseloy hold it, may find that there is a surprise in store for them. It is said— the inform -it ion comes from a source likely to be well informed—that the Order in-Couii cil of 1895. about which there has* been so much discussion and acrimonious writing, is to undergo certain changes, which will place Lord Roberts' position at Pall Mall much more in accordance with that formerly held by the Duke of Cambridge during his "tenure of office. ft may be remembered (says a well-informed English writer) that Mr. Brodrick, in ins note on the memorandum which the lyre Commander-in-Chief submitted to Lord Salisbury at the Premier's request. expressed his opinion that one or mure of the points contended for by Lord Wolseley might be granted without taking away from the general responsibility of the .Secretary of State for War to Parliament. if what' we hear be correct, more than a mete compromise has been arrived at. and the office of Commander-in-Chief will be restored in dignity and control to the condition in which. in all right military opinion, it should lit as the chief guardian of the interest l ;, patronage, and training of the army. ether the arrangement is a voluntary concession or not, the result is one on which Lord Roberts is to be congratulateda eotitmiiuliition in which Lord Wolseley might also be accorded a share.

My old friend " Sabretasehe" was evidently among those who were favourably impressed with the military review last week. lit* writes me as follows:"I cannot but express the unqualified pleasure to myself and other officer.-., as spectators only, at. the splendid military display made by the Auckland and country troops when msneeted by H.R.H. the Dolce of Cornwall and York, notwithstanding, or overlooking, the presence and assistance of a considerable number of the Imperial forces. Especially was this the ease with the several troops of mounted rifles on the ground. In numbers and sterling working value, both of men and horses, Auckland has good cause to be proud of her mounted corps, and, considering the very recent formation of many troops, their dressing .and distances in the inarch past at the walk reflected the highest credit boti. upon officers and men. and the fact that their horses had never received any training in the manage, shows at once the horsemanship of the riders. To single out any particular corps for praise when all did so well would almost seem invidious, but I think as to uniform and general smartness in appearance ] should be inclined to give the Auckland Mounted Rifles that credit. Passing on to the artillery, the old 'A' Battery always looks the best, and doe- the best, and as they are at Alpha it is to be hoped they will always hold their own and keep there. As to the infantry, I do not know much about them, and so do not presume to say more than that they all looked exceedingly we'd, and the navals, as a whole, had certainly no cause to feel ashamed by the side of their Imperial brethren. Rowever, in my humble estimation as a cavalry man, I think the march past of the little cadets reflects the very highest credit upon their instructors, and the marching of one school was simply perfect. I am sorry I do not know which school they belonged to. We now come to the cavalry sports. It is much to be regretted that the weather interfered with the completion of the programme on the first day, both from a military and public point of view. I shall not trouble you with an account of events, as you have them. The tournament, or gymkhana, was simply a walk over for the fine old Waiuku troop. Their horsemanship, muscular Christianity, and sound drill ensured them tho victory in almost every event. It is tc be sincerely hoped that other mounted corps who have failed on this occasion will, in a true soldierlike spirit, freely give honour where honour is due, and endeavour on a future occasion to wrest more wreaths of victory from the ham's of the gallant old 'A' Troop of the late Ist Regiment of Cavalry and their descendants. Finally, I am sure if General French were here he would regret to sec so many fine, troops of mounted men in this province thrown away upon mounted infantry, instead of being cavalry proper, trained to act in both capacities."