VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13494, 22 May 1907, Page 4

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

(BY SENTINEL. v^ The Franklin Mounted Rifles hold their annual ball on the 31st inst. The Rodney Mounted Rifles go into camp , at Matakana to-morrow for 10 days. The May number of Haversack, the monthly journal printed by the Officers' Club, will make its appearance on Friday next. • Captain Trash, Assistant-Adjutant-General of the Otago district, has been transferred to Wellington, to. act as staff officer to Colonel Robin. '. ' A second company of defence cadets has been formed in connection with the Auckland Grammar School, and their services have been accepted. "A," " D," and "E " Squadrons of tiio First Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles will be represented at tho Hamilton tournament on Empire fifty. The "A" Squadron is sending 12 men, and "D" and "E" Squadrons six each. None of the local company parades are being held this week, owing to the Drill Hall and adjacent buildings having been let to the Agricultural and Pastoral Association for the purpose of holding their winter show. Local volunteering circles are in consequenco very quiet at the present time. No. 9 Company Garrison Artillery Volunteers will receive instruction at Fort Takapuna this evening, instead of at tho gunroom alongside the Drill Hall as usual. The "officer commanding the corps (Captain Hazard) has .approved of Bombadiers Hobbj and James being promoted to the rank of acting-corporal * . ' Among the appointments confirmed in this week's Gazette are those of Lieutenant Vaughan, of No. 8 Company Garrison Artillery, and Lieutenant Cooke, of the College Rifles. Tho resignation of Mr. T. H. Steadman as captain of the Whangarei Rifles is also gazetted, and his name has been placed on the active list (unattached) New Zealand volunteers, with the rank of captain. The Franklin Mounted. Rifles, under Captain McKenzie, paid'a visit to Whitford on Saturday. Captain McKenzie delivered a lecture on volunteering, and was .so "weighty" in bis remarks that, he induced six residents to enrol in his squadron. Eight other residents having already joined, a separate troop has been formed' at Whit- * ford in-consequence. A splendid site, has been secured in the locality for a rifle range, which will bo fitted immediately. Captain McKenzie hopes to enrol several more recruits at Howick. ' The Kirker cup, presented to the First Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles, and won this year by the Franklin Mounted Rifles, is at present on view at Messrs. Wiseman and Sons' establishment in Queenstreet. The 10 gold medals given to the members of tho winning team are also on view. The Wiseman challenge belt, kindly presented by Messrs. Wiseman and . SonS, to bo competed for annually, is also to be seen in that firm's window. The winner of the bolt this year was Private D. K. Clark, of Pukekohe Mounted Rifles. The Volunteer Rugby Union matches will be commenced as scon as ', the present district cup competitions being "held under the auspices of the Auckland Rugby Union are completed. So far, it is anticipated that eight companies will ho represented in the Volunteer Union's -competitions, viz., I "A" Battery, Nos. 1, 8, and 9 Companies Garrison Artillery Volunteers, the College, Gordon, and Newton Rifles, and No. 3 Natives. It is to be hoped that, for tho success; of the series, the remaining city companies will also enter teams. Entries close on July 1. • The. Government prize medals were fired | for throughout the district on Saturday. At Penrose there were no less than 26 competitors, the ranges being 200 yds, 500vds, j and 700 yds. Some good, shooting was done. j The highest score was ' that of Private Monk, of the Victoria Rifles, who put on 51. Privates Cox, Farley, and Carlson, also of the Victorias, all tied for second place by putting oil 50 each. At Waihi, where there were four competitors, tho highest* scorer was Private Clark, of No. 3 Company, Ohinemuri Rifles, who registered 50. The best scorer at Paeroa, whore there were six competitors, was Sergeant Maingay, with 46. ■ There was no comnettion at Kaeo. Other returns have still to come in. , On the subject of troop riding, Lieu- • tenant ; Paget Tomlinson, of the Seventh Hussars, has something to say in the form" of a little homily that may well bo learnt; by heart. A rider should vary the pace at which he is moving, i.e., he should walk, trot, and canter in turn; it eases the horse. At a slow trot the horseman should support: the whole of the weight of his body upon the inside- of his thighs, the stoles of his \ feet resting in the stirrups. He should never allow tho body during the trot to touch the actual seat of the saddle ;> leaning forward in this manner he will relievo tho horse's back of the weight of his body, except so far as it is evenly distributed over the side-bars of the saddle resting on the ribs." ■ ._..-. ,<■ ~.■; The arrangements for the grand military tournament to bo held at Hamilton on Friday next, Empire Day, are now practically complete, and should the weather Co fine the function promises to be the most successful of its kind in Auckland for many years past. The entries received to date are' more than satisfactory, and I am informed that, with but a few exceptions, practically, every corps in the province south of the city will be represented. Such being the case, the various events should be (keenly contested, and the public should be furnished with an excellent day's sport. The Auckland competitors taking part in the tournament may leave by, the following trains: — Thursday, May 2.3, a-quarter past four p.m.; Friday, May 2A, half-past one a.m., arriving at Frankton at five minutes to nine a.m.; May 24, a-quarter to seven a.m., arriving at Kirikiriroa at twenty-five minutes to twelve a.m. rTho whole of the local volunteers and defence cadets will hold a church parade in .the Domain on Sunday afternoon, at ten minutes to three p.m., in celebration •of Empire Day. Invitations have been extended to the men of the Australasian squadron (at present in port), and to the educational cadets, to attend, and if either turn out in any force it is anticipated that the parade will be the biggest of its kind seen in Auckland since the time of the Roval visit, The various bands will also be "in attendance, and will contribute a number of selections. A collection will be taken up at the gates in aid of Sergeant-Major Morgan, the popular caretaker of the Penrose rifle range, who was shot in the leg while in the performance of his duties, sorntwo years ago. He was totally incapacitated, for many months, and, though now getting about, is still suffering from the effects of the ; injury. Tho committee, who have brought the parade about with a view to raising a benefit for Sergeant-Major Morgan, hope that their efforts will meet with a suitable response from the volunteers by turning up en masse, and from the public by\ liberal offerings. ' The military authorities in Great Britain have, according to an exchange, revolutionised the physical exercise of;the soldiers. The use of dumb-bells has been discarded as an antiquated and a stupid perversion of the ways of Nature." This particular reform . appears to have been brought about by the death of a fusilier, who had developed a heart twice its normal size by what the Coroner described as "the pernicious habit in the British army of puffing out the chest." This medical view has been adopted, it is said, by the Armv Council, and as a consequence the programme of gymnastics has been entirely revised on the lines of the svstem prevailing in Sweden. It is contended by some medical authorities that puffing out the chest by throwing the strain on the heart, weakens a man. The holding of the breath consequent on gymnastic exercises is alleged to be a fruitful source of danger, and the principle is laid down that no excrete should bo indulged in that nrcvents free breathing. After all those iconoclastic findings, one is not surprised to be further told that the soldier of the old- school, who walked with his chest out, is in danger of passing. It is said that in the Swedish system there is no place for the knotted muscles, which bind tho chest and interfere with the action of the heart. The exercises —about 150— extremely simple, and the end aimed at is to make a man lithe and active, and to develop his lung, power. :