VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13766, 3 June 1908, Page 4

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

.'. . ■ •» — ,"-.:'..' .'-.' .- BY SESTIXEI. ... The quarterly." examination nf;C officers throughout the district will take place today. ,-j . .'".' The No. 2 Native Bines, will fire a match with No. 2 Company Garrison Artillery at Penrose on Saturday, over the 500 yds and 600yda ranges. The second of a series of monthly socials in connection with No. 2 Company Garrison Artillery will take place in the Hibernian Hall, Wellington-street, tomorrow evening. On June 13, No. 2 Company Garrison Artillery will hold a parade at Penrose, and subsequently the annual class-firing will take place, when a gold and silver medal, presented by Captain-Adjutant Forbes, will be competed for. A corps, to be' called the King's Colonial Volunteer Corps, has been established at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. All of the Rhodes scholars, and, in fact most of the Australians, have joined. Mr. Rhodes' trustees will provide horses for the Oxford corps. The unfavourable weather prevented a march-out of the First Infantry Battalion last Friday evening, but the men mustered at the Drill Hall in strong force. _ They looked exceptionally smart, and it is evident that they give their uniforms and accoutrements plenty of attention. Their drilling was also very smart. Private George Farley, of the Victoria Rifles, should go near winning the Govern-, ment's gold medal offered for competition amongst accredited marksmen in the North Island. The full returns are not yet available, but it- is understood that his score of 54 out of a possible 56 is the best put on for some time. Last year a score of 53 won the trophy. A further instance of the ignorance of. Australian affairs, even in. English official circles, is shown by the arrival at the Commonwealth Defence Department, from Woolwich, of several small boxes labelled "Glass with care," and addressed separately to a- Minister for Defence in each State. The Defence Department has been federalised for some years. • Colonel Davies. C.8., Inspector-General to the New Zealand Forces, is expected to arrive in Auckland from New Plymouth this morning, proceeding the- same evening to Whangarei, where the Third Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles is in camp. Lieutenant-Colonel G. C. B. Wolfe and Captain Carpenter arc at present on a- visit to the same camp, where 'a class of instruction is being held. After returning from her unique cruise .of almost six months, the training-ship Amokura has now quietly settled down iu the winter routine, in Kaiwarra Bight, Wellington Harbour. Released from the all-absorbing duty of working the ship, the boys have now turned more of their attention to the school side of their training, and are making most satisfactory progress in the rudiments of navigation. Captain Hooper, R.N.R., has now the full complement of 60 boys aboard. It is expected that the Amokura will put to sea again in September. A staff ride will take place next Wednesday, and the officers will assemble at the Drill Hall at nine a.m., in plain clothes, and will use horses or bicycles, as most convenient to them. The officers commanding mounted rifles, battalion and infantry, will detail three officers to attend, including themselves, while the InspectorGeneral will also be present. Should it be more convenient to officers, and provided that the Inspector-General can be present, the date can be altered to Saturday,' the 21st, but this depends on Colonel Davies' approval.

The , following corps of ' the Auckland Garrison Field Force will parade as strong as possible for manoeuvres and inspection -by Colonel.. Davies, Inspector-General to the New Zealand Forces, \ on Saturday, the 13th prox.: — " Battery Field * Artillery, at Penrose, at 2.45 p.m. : No. 4 Company New Zealand Engineers, at the Auckland railway station, at- two p.m. ; "A" Squadron A.M.R.. at Penrose station, at 2.45 p.m. ; First Battalion Auckland Infantry, at two p.m., at the Auckland railway station. The dress will be drill order, and the troops parading affile railway station must- be ready tofeave for Penrose by the 2.10 p.m. train. Blank ammunition to the extent of 20 rounds per rifle, and five per gun. ■will he handed out.

Colonel Sommerville, in a letter to the Wanganui Herald, questions the buna-fides of the East London Rifle Club's phenomenal score of 824 in the Empire match. He says that- from long experience in rifleshooting, and knowledge 'of what, can be done with the .303 rifle, a .score of 824 under Bislev conditions is practically impossible, . lie points out, that the best scoreever made at Risley under the same, conditions was 779 in 1905, and the next best was 771, but he ivcogni.se s that these, score'< were by eight selected men. The colonel adds that in 1905, for example, about 2500 shot, in the. first, stage of the King's match at Bislev, and the. eivthfc highest, scores only made 814. The Herald." commenting on the letter, says that the atmosphere in fcouth Alrica being very dry. : ,nd singularly free from refraction, shows all. objects with remarkable clearness, and suggest.* this may account tor the truly phenomenal "scare