VOLUNTEER AND.SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13683, 26 February 1908, Page 11

VOLUNTEER AND.SERVICE JOTTINGS.

BY BKXTUXZU The volunteer"year closes oil the 29th of this .month.'.': Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe, officer commanding the : district, returned to town by the express yesterday, after an inspection of -the .corps in the country districts. The majority of the Auckland competitors at: the forthcoming rifle meeting at Trentham will leave for the South on Monday and Tuesday next. Many of them intend making the overland trip by way of Tauinarunui, ; J Members of the Akarana Rifle Club lire for Messrs. Wingaie and Co.'s and Simpson's trophies on Saturday afternoon. The following Monday a large number of members will journey to Trentham, so that no competitions will be held on the following two Saturdays, The classes of instruction held throughout the -.Dominion last year will be repeated this year. Those for Auckland will be held" in August, and will be divided into three' classes, viz., non-corn-missioned officers,:, junior officers, and senior, oincers* Each class will extend over,six consecutive days. The First Infantry Battalion will hold another daylight- parade in the Domain on Saturday afternoon, ccanmeueing at 2.30. and will be put through outpost work in preparation for the forthcoming: Easter mano;uvr*s. This v.ill constitute the sixth and last daylight paid parade before the close of the year. No. 1 Company Garrison Artillery will hold a smoke concert in the gunroom at the Drill Hall on Friday evening. The, officers of the other G. A. companies, and also of the division, will be amongst those present. The company is-jubilant over its recent successes in camp, and trusts when it completes its target practice next week to foe graded still higher for marksmanship. The Waiuku Mounted Rifles paraded on Saturday afternoon, under Lieutenants Herrold and Makgill. Staff-Sergeant-Major Bell was present, and put the men through some useful drill. At a subsequent meeting of the company it was resolved to form the members into a reserve corps. The elass-firipg and third day's shooting for the company's champion belt was completed during the week, Lieutenant Makgill annexing the belt, with Captain Bent a good second. At a "meeting of public school cadet O.C.'s and battalion officers, held on Monday afternoon, the resignation of Major Lucas, V.0., 0.C., Thames Cadet Battalion, was announced. Regret was expressed that the major had relinquished a position which he had held from the establishment of the battalion,, with credit to himself and with great benefit to the cadets and their officers. Captain Newton, officer commanding the Waiokar&ka Public School Cadets No. 2, was elected major. '"..-'■

■v. The Franklin. Mounted Rifles are taking steps to form/i new troop in Papakura Valley. With' this end in view a meeting of residents was held in the hall at Alfriston on Wednesday, February 19, and was largely attended, quite a number of those present being wearers of the South' African" ribbon. As a result eight recruits were enrolled, and with such a start us this, and the splendid material available, there seems no reason why the remaining men required should not be secured. It is proposed to secure a shooting range in the neighbourhood, and to establish the headquarters of tha new troop, if formed, at Alfriston.

The scale of payment fixed upon . for the forthcoming Easter manoeuvres is as fol-lows:—Eieutenant-colonel, £1 Is per diem, with forage for one horse; surgeon-general, £1 6s, with forage for one horse.; P.M.O. and isenior medical officers of all battalions, £1 Is, with forage for one horse; surgeoncaptain, 18s; major commanding division or battalion, £1 Is, with forage for one horse; captain, 15s; lieutenant, lis adjutant, 3s 63 in addition to pay, and horse forage for rank; quartermaster, 13s 6d; -sergeants; . 8s; sergeants, 6s; corporals, ss; trumpeters and buglers, 4s; gunners, sappers, or privates, 4s,

The adjutancy in the Garrison, Artillery Division, rendered vacant by the promotion of Major Gardiner to the command, has now been filled. After considerable persuasion Captain Forbes, who is relinquishing the command of No. 2 Company, owing to pressure of business, has decided to accept the post, and his appointment will be gazetted shortly. Toe appointment -is one which should meet with approbation, as not only is Captain Forbes an exceedingly capable officer, but he is also very popular, and his acceptance of the post ensures his non-retirement from volunteering, ; which would have been a considerable loss to the district. ISo far no announcement has been made as to who will take over the captaincy of No. 2 Company, but I am informed that there are several likely candidates in the field.

Intending candidates for commissions m the British army will be interested to learn that, " in view of the fact that, at present, the only militia in New Zealand is the permanent militia, a candidate for a commission in the British army must have served not less than two years in the active defence forces of the Dominion, and have carried out the camp attendances, and drills prescribed in the regulations for those forces. '.["his, with two months' attachment to the permanent militia, may be accepted as equivalent to the qualifications laid down in paragraphs 3, (d) and. (e) of the regulations under which commissions in the British army may be obtained by officers of colonial local military forces.' The above information is contained in a despatch from the Colonial Office, and is published in last week's Cassette.

After all it is highly improbable that any of the mounted corps will participate in the forthcoming Easter manoeuvres at Castor Oil Bay. The reason, I understand, is that if the mounted corps took part they would receive no allowance whatever for it in their capitation, and tc qualify would still have to go through their ordinary camp of instruction, lasting seven or 10 (Jays, thus making two encampments instead of one. Such, being, the case, the mounted men object to taking part in the manoeuvres, and will therefore, probably withdraw from them altogether. Application has been made by the Auckland Mounted Rifles and the Seddon Horse to hold a separate "camp of instruction in the neighbourhood of Papatoetoe, and the matter is now under the consideration of the authorities. An announcement is expected shortly. It is also possible that the pukekohe corps will join the Auckland Mounted Rifles and the Seddon Horse in their encampment.

The To Aroha detachment of public school cadets is in process of development into a company over 60 strong. It is expected that the head-teacher (Mr, A. 1?. Burton) will act as captain, with Mr. H. Binistead (assistant), and Cadet A- Bronan as lieutenants. East year the cadets of the Te Arena, Waihou, and Morrinsville schools were combined to form a company, and in December last a rifle team selected from these schools fired for the North Island shield, getting into second place. The cadet companies from Rotorua to Waihi have been formed into a battalion, known as the Ohinemuri Battalion, and steps ate now being taken to hold a week's camp at Te Aroha. A meeting of teachers, held at Te Aroha, recommended the -promotion of Mr. D. R. Campbell, of Momnsirille, at present adjutant of the battalion, to the position of major, . in succession to Mr. Lloyd, of Waihi, removed to Dargaville, and Mr. A. E. Day, of Waihi. now quartermaster, to be adjutant., Mr. Moore, of Waihi, was nominated as Mr. Day's successor. -