VOLUNTEER NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3957, 24 January 1900, Page 7

VOLUNTEER NEWS.

At a- meeting of -officers ■of the Wcl-; iiiigtoii'Rifle Battalion last night. Lien-. tcnaut-Cololiel Collins announced 1 he! had recommended for the approval all tho Commander of the Forces /thatCaptain A. dc B. Brandon, cf the' College Rifles, be appointed to the posi-j tiou of major of tiie .battalion. Very keen interest hCbelng taken -n volunteering .in V.-ellingtOiV afpvesent, aiid it is probable that before many days are over a new rifle company, will be formed. All the companies, in Wellington are at. present' over • thbii; establishment. and the desire “is ' to* put the Rifle Battalion on a war looting,' with eight companies of rifles, a • cycle! corps and hearer corps. The Coinmnn-i de;- of, the Forces has intimated to the’ battalion . that . a Battalion Band oft twenty men, for , whom capitation', will be granted, ma*y bo formed. . ■ ! < >. , The defence authorities have decided to institute a series of parades ,I’or the Horetaimga Mounted Rifles for the pur-! pose of instructing the men ih sue]: useful and necessary duties as rccon-! noitring; eossack post work and - such like, over the stretch of country extending from flip heads to Porirua. This is the area over which the Herctaungas have charge, and the object of the parades is not only to give tho men 1 a better acquaintance with the work of mounted rifles in the) field, hut: toi enable them to obtain a. thorough know-: ledge of the country over which their operations- have to bo conducted. The, practical benefit to ho* 6btained__frpm; such work is obvious. Tfi«'step decided* on by the authorities cannot: fail tb in-; crease tho efficiency and usefulness- oh the company.’ Lieutenant - Colonel No wall will have charge of the opera-: tioiis, sutl.-.for cacti of tint' series” df-ifife. parades, each man will receive the sunt of 2s (3d. The first of These paradeswill' be held fit 3.30 on Saturday afternoon. ' | Final arrangements for file week’s cncnnipmciit at Newtown Park of tjie. Wel- : liugton Rifle Battalion were made, at a! meeting of officers last night. - ’ ITui various companies will parade jft -Mptinii Cook at three o’clock oh Saturday afternoon and march to the Park Lieu-tenant-Colonel Collins will be; in command. . ■ . ,