VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13701, 18 March 1908, Page 4

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

BY SENTINEL.

Tire Garrison Artillery Division will parade at the Drill Hall on Friday evening. The Franklin 'Mounted Rifles continue to increase in numbers, the latest- additions being a troop of 10 men from Alfriston. The annual meeting of the Non-commis-sioned Officers' Club will bo held on Friday next in the club room at the Drill Hall. The Auckland Mounted Rifles and Sed<loij Horse will go into camp at Onchunga on April 16 for their annual six days' training.

On Mondav Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe, Captain Carpenter, and Captain Bosworth visited the locality where the Easter manoeuvres arc to take place.

Tho Victoria Rifles will fire the second match for the company's champion belt at, Penrose on .Saturday week. Privates T. .lack and (i. Parley are at present leading for the trophy.

At a special meeting of the No. 3 Cornparry Waikato Mounted Rifles, Mr. S. Lewis wis elected a lieutenant. Several new members have recently joined the company, an J future prospects are bright.

Captain W. K. Bloomfield has been appointed to the vacancy caused by the resignation of Major Wyuyard from the First Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles, but ho will still retain command of the Seddon Horse?.

It i- not often that bayonet exercises are indulged in by mounted men, but the newlyformed Papakura troop are diligently practising this branch of drill under the able tuition of Sergeant Boate, who hails from Wales.

At the parade last Saturday afternoon Lieutenant Ralph Wyman was elected captain of the Pukekohc Mountain Rifles, and it was also decided to apply for permission for the holding of a private camp locally early in May.

The Franklin Mounted Rifles will hold a mounted scouts' competition at Clevedon on Saturday week for the challenge cup presented by the honorary members and residents of that place. A skirmishing competition will also take place, and in the evening the corps will hold their annual dinner.

Private A. Patrick, of the Victoria Rifle?, was the most successful Auckland competitor at the Trentham meeting. Ho secured £12 in prize money, while Lieutenant White, of the Franklin Mounted Rifles, and Private Carlson, of the Victoria Rifles, secured about £3. Members of the Victoria Rifles won about £35 altogether.

The annual meeting of the Franklin Mounted Rifles will be held on Saturday at Clevedon. The annual report states that the past year lias been the most successful in the annals of the squadron, no fewer than 53 recruits having been enrsJJed. The financial position is sound, and 80 men have capitated, while each man has been supplied with the military bridle and .'.addlecloth.

On Saturday the Waihi Volunteers fired for Lieut. Dawson's trophy, given for competition among the second-class shots. Three rounds were fired and the trophy went to Corporal Roy croft, with a total of 174 points, including a handicap of 15 points. The chief scores were as follows: — Corporal Roycrofl, 174; Private Carter, 161; Sergeant Laing, 144; Bugler Penncll, 142; Private Brooks. 140.

The District Cup will be fired for at Penrose on .Saturday, the ranges being 200yd>, 500 yds, and 600 yds. All volunteers inthc Auckland district who capitated during the year just passed may shoot for this trophy, which was presented some time ago by Airs. McCosh Clark. On the last four occasions it has ben won by Private Carlson, Lieut. R. G. Cox, Captain Skinner, and Private Yeo (the present holder), all of the Victoria Rifles. Judging by the talent engaged on Saturday the man who wins it will have to put up a score- bordering on 100. Entries close with Captain Dormer at the Drill Hall this evening.

The usual quarterly competition for the District Belt took place at the Totara Range on Saturday afternoon (writes our Thames correspondent), and after a hard fight victory rested with Private Joe Senior, of the Thames Rifles, Sergeant W. Thomson, of the Hauraki Rifles, taking second, and Colour-Sergeant Keller third. Owing to so many competing for the bolt several member who were leading after the first two ranges had been fired had to fire in the dark, with the result that they were not given a fair chance of success, The conditions were six shots at 200 yds and seven shots each at 500 yds and 600 yds, one sighter at each range. 'The following were some of the principal scores:—Private Senior, Thames Rifles, 89: Sergeant W. Thompson, Hauraki Rifles, 87; Colour-Sergeant Keller, Hauraki Pines, 82; Private P. Senior. Thames Rifles, 82: Private A. Brown, Thames Rifles, 82:' Private J. Gibson, Hauraki Rifles, 76; Privato 11. Trethowen, Hauraki Rifles, 76; Lame-Corporal Clime, Hauraki Rifles, 74; Sergeant Ann-, Thames Rifles, 72; Sergeant Daldy. Hauraki Rifles, 72; Lieutenant Sprajfgon, Thames Rifles, 72 ; Privato Dongall, Hauraki Rifles, 71.; Corporal Gollop, Hauraki Rifles, 71; Private Morrison Thames Rifle;, 70.

It. is not often that fathers and their sons are in the same volunteer corps at the same time, and in this respect No. 1 Company Garrison Artillery have established a record which has seldom been beaten in -New Zealand, no fewer than three such eases occurring in that company. The first is that of Corpora! C. Reed and hi-- son. Sergeant Reed. Corporal Reed joined the corps'3s years ago, and lie is still an active member, l*>inyr one of tho best men in (he Gin gun detachment. He has represented his company in rowing races, and has also been a member of several prize gun detachments. His son has been in the company For eight years, and was previously a. member of Xo. 3 Native Rifles. Sergeant W'ilsot' and his son next come under notice. The former assisted greatly in keeping the company together during its time of trouble 3. few years ago. Ho has been associated with it for (he oast eight years. His /-on is the second senior bugler in the corps. Tho third instance is that of Corporal Rallantyno and his son, Bugler Rallatityne. Corporal Ballantyno has been eight years in the company, and is gun-cap-tain of the 6in detachment, while last, but by no means least in (ho eyes of those who know how keenly a prize for competition is appreciated by volunteers, it was largely owing to his efforts that his company hail a handsome trophy awarded to (hem. " Bugler Ballantyno represented (ho company at the International Exhibition at Christelvurch arid is senior bugler.

TUB TRRNTHAM MEETING

AN AUOKLAXDER'S IMPRESSIONS. Nearly all (he local shots whfc«"visited Tren(ham have, returned to their homes, the majority of them l>oing considerably out of pocket. Nevertheless they all appeared to have enjoyed their visit to Wellington, and are by no means discouraged. On Monday I had an interview with one of our representatives who competed villi fair success.

"Patrick, Carlson, and While shot best for us," he said. " but a chap hud to have. plenty of luck if he wished to get into the first fifty. For example, a man would go down at the 1000 yds range in the morning. when the shooting conditions were well-nigh perfect, and make a score of 40, but tiio shootist who had his 'blib' in (ho afternoon and only put on 25 in tho gale of wind, which hud sprung up in the meanwhile, registered an equally good performance. Hyde, (he champion, could not complain on his scoro of luck. He is a line fellow, and his win was a popular one." "One complaint at (he meeting," stated the Auciklander, "was that, (he number of prizes offered was out of all proportion with were 500 competitors in almost every match, •yet only 80 prizes were given, in each, ami 15 of those wero for tyros. Every time, a man went down to shoot he had to beat 440 men if he desired to get, £.1. A competitor who got in the prize list three or four times did wonders.

"As regards the 'cover matches,' they were us big a farce as over on account of the amount of money distributed in prizes. The entrance (ss) was compulsory, and 7s 6d was paid out for seven hits, with 6s 6d for six hits. A man might spread his seven shots all over the target yet he would fake as much money as the man who grouped' his hits. At Auckland, of course, wo now have a, bull's-eyo on this target, and a hit may either count one. or two. The Trentham Council might consider the advisabloness of copying from us in this respect, as the present 'cover matches' are ouly a. wajto of ammunition. Next year I think there- will bo a change."