VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12240, 8 April 1903, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

[15V SENTINEL.] Easter volunteer camp commences at Cas» tor Oil Bay, Takapuua, to-morrow (Thursday) evening. The Thames, Hauraki. Waihi, and Ohinemuri Rifles will join the Te Aroha volunteers at the Easter camp of instruction at To Aroha. The- Maxim gun detachment of the Auckland Mounted Rifles have been busily engaged every Saturday in learning their drill, and will have charge of one of tho Maxim guns whilst in cams at Easter. Sergeant Menzies is the non-com. in charge. The Devonport Coastguards will fire at Avoudale on Saturday next, arrangements having been made with the Akarana Rifle Club for the use of targets. Members are. requested to catch the twenty minutes past one p.m. train from Auckland. Captain Plugge, officer commanding the Newton Rifles, will be acting-pay and quartermaster to the Auckland Infantry Battalion, and Lieutenant P. Salmon will occupy a similar position with the Mounted Battalion, during "the Easter camp of tho Auckland volunteers at Takapuna. j-'he Auckland Garrison Volunteers. goin£ into camp to-morrow evening, at Casto. Oil Ray, Takapuna. will bo on the ration system, each corps putting in particulars of tho rations required, which will be provided by a contractor, just as would bo done with soldiers on active service. The Opotiki Rifles team deserve every credit for their performance in filling third place in the competition for the Gordon Shield, beating, among others, the Akarana Rifle Club's No. 2 team. With a littL more practice, and the use of the vernier, straight bar, etc., they would bo a very hard lot to beat. The Auckland Mounted Rifles expect to have a full muster in camp at Easter. The left and Maori divisions assemble at Quaystreet for embarkation at four p.m., and the remainder at half-past eigth p.m. on Thursday. This corps has lately added several smart recruits to its ranks, and there are several more in view. Lieutenant Atkinson was responsible fop the highest individual score in the competition for the Gordon Shield at Avondale on Saturday last with 93, of a possible 105 points, a capital score under the somewhat unfavourable conditions that prevailed. Mr. Atkinson, who is an officer of the Eden Cadet Corps, was shooting for tho Akarana Rifle Club's team. A subject for the debating contest in connection with the inter-Varsity tournament, commencing here on Saturday next v will be:' " That a system of compulsory military training tor home defence should be enforced throughout the Empire." The Victoria College representatives (Wellington) will take the affirmative, and the Otago University debaters the negative. The Auckland Engineers team had to withdraw from the final stage of the Gordon Shield competition last Saturday owing to their inability to find room on the shooting mound until too late to allow of their getting off the necessary shots within the time limit fixed. This was decidedly discouraging to young shots, who enter freely for competitions, with a view to improving their shooting. The Defence Department has received a copy of the conditions for the international rifle match to be fired at Bisley on Julv 11 next for the Palma trophy, and a cordial invitation has been sent to Now Zealand to enter a team of eight men born in the colony. Th» ranges will be 800 yds, 900 yds. and 1000 yds, and 15 shots will' be allowed at each distance. Each team will be allowed to fire with the national military arm of the country it represents. For some reason or other the Government have extended the time for class firing for Auckland volunteers two months beyond the usual period, which terminates with the close of the volunteer year at the end of February. This means that if the firing for the marksmen's medals (Government) is postponed till after the class-firing Auckland competitors will be at a disadvantage compared with shootists in other parts, many < f whom have already fired for the medals. Auckland marksmen have gonevally shot well in the rnedal competitions, but will probably be low down on the list this year if they have no opportunity of shooting until well into the winter month?. A report on the condition of New Zealand's military forces has been received by the War Office from General Babingtoji. commandant in New Zealand. Re states that good progress has been made in the mattor of reorganisation, more especially as regards the scheme that volunteer corps should in time of peace have the full complement of officers and non-commissioned officers reouired for tho war establishment. General Babington lays stress upon the value of the cadet movement, and says he would like to see it made compulsory for every lad in the Empire to be taught the elementary part of military education. His report is being quoted with interes* by some of the London papers.

The Victoria Rifles No. 1 team carried off the Gordon Shield at lost Saturday's competition, making the second time this crack corps' representatives have won the event in the last three yp?rs. A had light and a gusty " two o'clock" head wind interfered to an extent with the shooting. The entries for the competition were iar.< as numerous as might have been expected, and this may in a measure he attributed to the fact that tho Akarana Rifle Club's teams are made up largely _of volunteers, thus robbing some companies, that might otherwise enter teams, of their leading marksmen. The Akarana Club claim that they are perfectly entitled to include these marksmen in then teams, and probably such is the case, but it would bo as well if those who are responsible fop th» drawing up of the conditions of shooting for the Gordon Shield were to take this point into consideration. „ A rifle match between the right and left divisions of the Auckland Mounted Rifles was fired at the company's range at Papakura on Saturday last, resulting in a win for the left division by 25 joints. The right division went out to Papakura by the ten minutes past one train, returning in the evening. The afterEoon's sport was enjoyed by all present, and the outing closed with afternoon tea. kindly provided by the lady friends of the loft division. The ranges wore 300 yds and s(7Dyds, seven shots at each, with one siglitor (not to count), and the scores are as fellows:—Left Division: Captain Harrowell', 55; Lieutenant Rollet, 24 (one range only); 1 Sergeant White. 42; Corporal Walters, 43;' Lance-Corporal Harrowell, 44 ; Bugler Seales, 55: total, 265. Right Division: Captain Wynyard, 2+ (one range only); Quarter-master-Sergeant Howden, 40; Sergeant Finl'ayson, 32; Sergeant Meyers, 54; Corporal Jenkins, 35; Trooper Todd, 55: total, 240. A rifle match took place on Saturday last at the Saddoa Horse Company's range, Lake Takapuna, between teams representing the Gordon Rifles and the Seddon Horse. _ The conditions were seven shots and one sighter at 200 yds and 300 yds. The wind interfered with the shooting, and the light got very bad towards the close of the match. The Seddon Horse team won the match by 38 points, the scores being as follows:—Seddon Horse:' Lieutenant Warn, 22 at 2Coyds, 21 at 300 yds. total 43; Hon. Member Morrin, 23, 21, total 44; Hon. Member J. Collins. 21, 23, total 44: Quartermaster-Sergeant- Lisle, 26, 15, total 41: Volunteer C. Roper. 20, 18, total 38; Volunteer J. Lisk, 21. 19. total 40; Volunteer W. Roper, 22, 19, total 41; Volunteer H. McKay. 25. 25, total 50: totals, 180, 161—341. Gordon Rifles: Corporal Woods, 18 at 200 yds, 19 at 300 yds, total 37; Corporal Moroy, 2.1, 13, total 39; Volunteer Gillingham, 25, 2.3, total 48: Lieutenant Pullen, 20, J9, total 39; Sergeant Graham, 17, 14, total 31; Sergeant Saunders, 19, 19. total 38; Lieutenant Kay, 19, 13, total 32; Volunteer Ellingham, 18, 21, total 39: totals, 157, 146-303. j '\ Tho competition for the Gordon Shield, was completed on the Akarana range on Monday afternoon, when the team from the Opotiki Mounted Rifles fired. The light while at the 300 yds and 500 yds range was very uncertain, but improved somewhat at the 600 yds mound. The score compiled by til© Opotiki team placed them m th third position, they beating the Akaravu No. 2 team by two points. Sergeant Me Farlane (91) made tho second highest individual score in the nine competing teams, being only beaten by Mr. Atkinson, of the Akaran- No. 1 team, by two points. Tin following are the scores: —

OPOTIKI MOUNTED BIFLES. 300 500. 600 Yards. Tl. Rergt. .McFarlano ... 26 32 33 91 Lieutenant Tabb ... 27 ; 31 27 85 Private Butler ... 23 22 27 72 Cor. Warrington ... 21 25 23 69 Sergeant Short ... 21 25 19 65 Totals ... ... 118 135 129 'isi