VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12147, 18 December 1902, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

[bv SENTINEL.] There is already some talk among the corp3 concerned of a mounted rifle battalion camp next Easter.

General Parsons, of Halifax, suggests the formation of an Imperial colonial battalion, with its headquarters in, England, the various colonies supplying companies.

Volunteering is very quiet at present, and will remain so till after the holiday vacation. In the majority of cases the ordinary parades have been suspended for a week or ", two.'''-;:', ,':-' ■ [■ ''- ' '■;'■'' ...■"..-. .::■"-■'.

':'• In addition to his duties as inspecting officer for defence cadet volunteer corps, Captain J. G. Hughes, D.5.0., has been appointed inspecting officer for defence rifle clubs.-'. ■ •■-.:• ■.".■■"■;'.' ''~■■

It is understood that a number of new features in the direction of accustoming our shooting men to service conditions will be introduced into the coming meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association.

Quite a number of recruits have joined the Ponsonby Navals during the past \ few weeks. The recruiting is no doubt in » measure due to the new uniforms, which are expected to arrive in tine for the company's annual camp of instruction. .'

The members of tho Akarana Rifle Club will fire tho following competitions at the Avondale range on Saturday next: —"A" class shots, marble clock; "B" class shots, Mr. B. 1. Buchanan's medal. The ranges will be 300 yds and 600 yds, 10 shots and one sighter at each range.

It is to dc hoped that the authorities of the New Zealand Rifle Association will issue the programmes for tho annual prise-firing meeting, to be held at Trenthara early next, year, as soon as possible. "Already intending competitors throughout tho colony ; are asking when it is to bo issued.

Canterbury volunteers are already in practice for the Trentham meeting (New Zealand Rifle Association), and \ there is every pro-, spect of ait unusually, large representation from that district at the; annual prize-firing meeting. From what I can gather, the Auckland district is also likely •■ to bo well represented.

The members of tho Auckland; Non-com-missioned Officers' Club held social in their quarters in the new Drill Hall last .evening to inaugurate the opening of tho clubroom. There was a good attendance of members, and a most enjoyable time was spent in listening to the various vocal and instrumental items and in social intercourse. '

There is friction between the Defence Department and ' the commanding officers of volunteer companies in Wellington owing to the former..' intending to make deductions from the : current year's capitation. It■ is said that both parties intend standing firmly to their guns, and are reluctant to grant the smallest concessions one way or the other.

Why all the delay in tho equipment of the new rifle. range at Penrose? . It cannot be ■'••; that Colonel Davies has not done all in his power to have the range completed, fas he has shown himself very anxious' to have the work pushed forward with ; : all possible despatch, and it is thereforo quite clear that tho Defence . Department is solely to blame in the matter.

: Excellent progress; was made •". in England in the establishment.- of : rifle -clubs during the year ending November 30. " .At the close of the previous year 217 clubs had become affiliated with the National- Rifle Associa- - tion, having a membership of 15,000, while last year no. less than 106 clubs affiliated, V making a total of 323 clubs, with a member- ffM ship of 22,000. In almost every club the service rifle is in use in some form.

Mr. . J. Berry, who some months, ago resigned his dual position of sergeant and secretary of the No. 2 Native Rifles, has again joined his old corps, this time as a - lioutcnant. He -was always a most capable non-com. ; and diligent■< and ' hard-working secretary, and we may therefore expect ,to find him rendering good service to the corps as a. lieutenant, more particularly in the direction of bringing about .a higher state of efficiency in shooting among the men, as he is a keen- enthusiastic shootist.

The Ohinemnri No. 1 Rifles held a rapidity firing -competition at " the ; Paeroa range, when Sergeant Shaw succeeded in putting on 47 points 'of a possible*so.:(Bisley target), with a time limit of lihr'4ss?' for the, 10 ,'•- shots. f The score is undoubtedly a remarkably, fine one, but hardly, as our correspon- •/ dent hints, a record, :if memory serves mo "■' '» rightly. v At the last --, association , meeting at Wnihi both :W. Cox and E. • Pollard sue- ;-'..'. coeded ''in putting on 47 of a possible SO points under similar,: conditions, and Private Carlsen would have " eclipsed ',these figures had it not been for another competitor f putting a shot -on- His target in, mistake. At ; the same time, I cannot call anything better■ to; mind : than {the ■; above-mentioned '■• scores.

_ We may expect to see a keen.competition in the teams' match at the forthcoming prizefiring _ ; meeting of the* Auckland J Rifle Association, to be held at Avondale on January I, and 3. Information is; already to hand that teams 'will be entered from the Thames, Paeroa, Waihi, and. other country districts; also, that Taranaki twill be represented by a team, including our old friend . C. P. Taylor and the brothers Okey (2), both well-known marksmen, and one of them (Captain Okey) an ex-champion ' rifle shot ; of ; the colony. .However, good though some .' • of'the visiting teams may be, they will have to put up some tall shooting if they are to beat the,representatives of the Aka-rana Rifle Club and the Victoria Rifles' No.. 1 team, particularly the latter.

RIFLE-SHOOTING COMPETITION. A rifle, match between the Paterangi Rifle Club and the No. 2 Company Waikato Mounted ■;' Rifles ■ was fired ■■ off recently. Both parties put two • teams in the field, the. A' teams meeting on the Paterangi range and ,' the B teams on the To Awamutu range. The conditions 'were 10 men a-side,' members of the.A.teams to fire five shots each at 300 yds, 400 yds, and ( ranges, : and members of S is the B teams the same number of shots at 200yds,-,3ooyds, and 400 yds.-. The volunteers' A am ; mustered three.men short, so it was agreed that their three best shots should fire again for the absentees. The B team'.' mustered one man short, so they fired only pine-"men a-side. Lunch was provided by the homo teams, and the weather being perfect a most enjoyable day, was snont. The competitions ended in wins for Paterangi, the A team' winning by 116 noints and tho ! B team by 64- points. The following are the scores: —

>■;■■■- :■■'■'■. ■■■■ A .team;'. '-.-■■' '■■■• ■■■■ 'r^x^!4t$if: PATEBAKOI. ;::; ".V - ; -' : _ ' 300 400 500 ; ':''^'S : |#;i Mr. J. T. Steel (captain) ... *$' S 2? 3 *" ' Mr. W. AUcock ... ... 25 19 17 61 Mr. D. Bruno ... ... 23 19 18 60 Mr. J McMicken .... ... 25 20 13 58 vr r - J.■Sing ... ... ...24 14 18 56 Mr. J. Hodgson 24 15 14 Mr.D. l i / bum 23 ■ 16 9 48 ". Mr. J. Munro ... ... 20 14 14 m Mr. J.:A. Fell ... ... 21 12 13 46 Mr. J. L. Macky 12 16 9 37 221 169 147 537 5 ;■■■;: MOUNTED EIPMS. '"''■''' ' ■ " '■ a 300 400 500 . '■•"■■.:'■'■ . m' -. '■''•'."■.''■'. yds. yds. yds. Tl. Trooper Cunningham ... 22 22 15 59 Trooper Holden (sub.) ... 18 24 i 17 59 Trooper Vause ... ... 19 20 33' 52 Lieutenant Laurie ... ... 19 19 11 49 Sergeant Walton (sub.) ... 12 14 15 41 ' Trooper Held ..; ... 21 14 6 41 Captain Berry ... ... 15 10 12 37 Lieutenant Clark (sub.) ... 15 11 9 35 Sergeant Henderson ... 15 8 < 4 27 Corporal ' Paull ... ... 7 7 7 21 ".""'• ""'■:■"'' "..--'' 163 149 109 421 ... v. B TEAM. PATEBANGI. v ':'~: :\-V ; 1 ,' ... •'. -■■:-, 200 300 400 ■'„" m , yds. yds. yds. Tl. " Mr. T. James , ...... 24 21 22 67 Mr. W. Eotliwell ... ... 24 22 19 65 Mr. K. James ... ... 24 18 22 64 •Mr. C. McCallum ... ... 22 17 23 62 Mr. W. Scott ... ... 21 24 17 62 Mr- A. J*-*™ 3 ... ... 25 20 17 62 Mr. A. Hall 21 17 20 58 Mr. P. Ityburn ... ...19 14 21 54Mr. P. C. Germann ... 20 19 12 51 ■ 200 .172 173 545 ..;'■•„' MOUNTED BOXES. -■,.-.'"' . -.•'-''•■■.,.: ; .;. '.■:■■-',''' .200 300 . 400. : '-#fii m_ " tt .j ' •■■ yds. yds. yds. ti. Trooper Roldert ... ... 25 23 18 66 - -"■' Trooper Laurie , .;. ... 21 25 19 65 Trooper Burton . ... ... 23 20 16 59 Trooper Cruickshank ... 22 19 16 57'"- ■?> Trooper Temple ... ... 21 16 15 52 Trooper Woodward ... 23 : 17 12 52 Sergeant-Major Bockett ... 23 17 7 Al$^u Trooper North 20 12 13 45 -Trooper Cleary 16 17 7 40 ■:.. ' 194 164 125 481