MILITARY TOURNEY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6970, 9 November 1909, Page 6

MILITARY TOURNEY

PALMERSTON’S BIG ANNUAL OUTING. A SUCCESSFUL START. PEOil OUIi SI’ECIAL ItECOIITEii. PALMERSTON, November 8. Once in every year nowadays Palmerston North Likes to itself quite the appearance cf a garrison town. Its streets become full of military persons in all descriptions of uniforms. There is drilling of squads on the very footpaths, and the call of the bugle is loud and insistent in the land. That, in a few words, is Palmerston when its annual military touraamc-nt it; on. At the prerent moment the peaceful district capital hi once again the armed camp. It has been like this three times before in its history, but this, the fourth occasion, excels all others. For one thing, th;> competitions number rather over eight hundred, a healthy advance on any previous year. N"> less than 5a um-pd from Hu: length and breadth of New Zealand, are represented by this emmll army of men, and when it is mentioned that the corps which sent detachments last year only numbered 39, proof is at once furnished of the rapidly growing popularity of this military function. NOT SPORT, BUT WORK, It may be as well bo make it clear that tlio competitors have not come for anything in the nature of a sports outing. It is far more serious than that. It is work, hard work, they have come to do. They have coiao to display their skill in tho use of arms, their amenability to discipline, and the thoroughness of their training. Many lesions are to bo learned on the Palmerston show grounds just now, and the mem know it. That is why many non-competing volunteers are here as well. The programme for the two days has been so drawn up as to give an opportunity for practically everybody. It includes no less than 31 competitions, ranging from a costume obstacle race to the spectacular Lloyd Lindsay event, so arranged as to provide almost equal interest for both days. To-day, however, hns been wholly given up to preliminaries, and no competition will he finally decided until to-morrow. The competitions which have been partly worked oil during the afternoon are as under: Sword, sword (mounted), lemon-catting, tent pegging, route marching, tent pitching and striking, Morse signalling, physical drill (cadets), semaphore signalling (class A), bugle competition, field sketchilia Excellency the Governor visited the tournament this afternoon, and was escorted to the ground by, t.ho Manawata Mounted Rifles. Ho reviewed the whole of the comoetitors, who were drawn up in the middle of the Oval for the purpose. JUDGES AND COMPETITORS. The. tournament is under the supervision of Captain H. 11. Brown, N.Z.M. The judges are as follow;—Artillery events. Captain R. O. Chesnoy. AA.., Captain W. F. G. Levin (late Ist King's Dragoon. Guards); infantry events, StafF-Sorgeants-Alajor 11. Peacock, TV. Atwell, L, F. McNair, T. McCrietell; bugle and trumpet. Major C. D. Mackintosh; field sketching, Sergeant H. Peterson, R.N.Z.A.; ambulance competitions, Lieutenant-Colonel J. 11. Purdy, SurgeonMajor J. TV. O'Brien (Commonwealth Forces) and Surgeon-Captain P. R. Cook. The following list of competing corps is of interest, as indicating the support the tournament is receiving:—Artillery —Royal New Zealand Artillery, B Battery Field Artillery (Dunedin), D Battery Field Artillery (Wellington), No, 1 Company Auckland Division New' Zealand Garrison Artillery, Auckland Navals No. 3 Company, Auckland Division New' Zealand Garrison Artillery (Devonport Coastguard Artillery), No. 1 Company Wellington Division New' Zealand Garrison Artillery (Wellington Navals), No. 2 Company Wellington Division. New' Zealand Garrison Artillery (Pctono Navals), No. 3 Company Wellington Division, New Zealand Garrison Artillery (electric light section). Engineers—No. '1 Company N.Z.E.V. (Auckland Engineers), No. 5 N.Z.D.V. (Wellington Engineers). Mounted—Manawatu Mounted Rifles, Huntervillo Mounted Rifles, Feilding Mounted Rifles, Waimarino Mounted Rfftes, ‘ Dketahuna Mounted Rifles, Heretaunga Mounted Rifles, Beddon Horse Mounted Rifles. Infantry— Gordon Rifles (Auckland), Zealandia Rifles (Wellington), Wellington Cycle Corps. College Rifles (Auckland), Wellington Post .and Telegraph Rifles. Wellington Highland Rifles, Woodville Rifles, Taranaki Guards, Palmerston North Guards, Manchester Rifles (Feilding), Canterbury Highland Rifles, Ashburton Guards, Wellington City Rifles, Hntt Valley Rifles, Napier Guards, Wellington Guards, Wellington College Rifles, Johnsonville Rifles, Greytown Rifles, Palmerston North Rifles, Wanganui Highland Rifles, Temtika Rifles, South Canterbury City Rifles, Waunate Rifles, Wanganui Gu;uds. Field Ambulance —No. 1 Company (Auckland), No. 5 Company (Wellington), No. 2 Company (Christchurch), Second Battalion W.R.V. (Band). Cadets—District High School (Petone), Boys' Institute Cadets (Wellington), Hamilton East School Cadets, Dominion Boy Scouts, Palmerston North Campbell street School, Normal School (Thorndon), Hamilton West District High School, Napier City Cadets, College street Cadets (Palmerston North).