VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12420, 1 August 1902, Page 8

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Et "Scout."'

Dunedin Engineers' ball to-night. Twenty-one men in tho Wakari Ilillcs have received marksmen's badges for last year's firing. . Maw firing begins on August 22 and ends in October. The North Uunedin Rifles attend at tho range first. Sergeant-major Martin, Into of tho Umernnia:«, has been engaged for a Verm a? instructor. At the .present, time he is Kivmg the non-com-:, instruction in musketry. Tt is to be hoped that all tho non-coms, will take advantage of the tuition t ins open for them lo receive, enabling •J 'em, as it will, to teach capably the men in •Hie companies under their control. School cacktism is commencing to boom in Untcrbury. It has been decided to cstabr'l • 1 c ? 1 '- n3 , m «im«*ti°n with the East Umtphurch, St. Albans, Kaiapoi, and Sydenham Schools. Soldiers back from tho war tell us that if, was very seldom that tho bayonet was used in (south Africa for the purpose, for which that instrument ma intended. Mo*tlv it v.-»a used for splitting wood, opening tins, and digging holes. A local veteran Volunteer the other ii:,y found an additional use tor the bayonet-one of tho old three-sided variety, which ho bail had in his possession for many years Wanting to bore a hole in a. post, lie found the bayonet mado a capital auger. The prophecy that the sword shall bo beaten into ploughshares and the spear intO ( pruning hooks may now have added to ivo a tlie ' )a . vonet into an auger." Rifleman - George Hyde, who won the championship at tho last meeting of the Mow Zealand Rifle Association, does not seem to have- bad much luck at Home; for His name is not included in those telegraphed as being included in the various •prise-lists.

There is nothing very new or startling in the report on the Defence Forces of tho colony submit ed to the Home by Genera! ££.? 011 ;. T l° Commintla »t confesses that no lit M d T td ! ° f conti »^ s he has not been able to make as extended an inspection of the corns as he would otherwise toe done, and he has contented himself imn making general suggestions ee to organisation and training, rather than enteretL „rV T* 7 »«»hing review of .the state of the forces. The improvements ho does suggest will commend tbemX to being s „ch M the late war Defence Force » to be thoroughly trained to meet the. requirements of modern wS ' 1 0rg ?" ,sa{,on > °" ulo °f work, practical dr hootmg at unknown distances, wel! trained officers and non-cona, and practice sn signalliug-tko necessity of all heee i s emphasised by the. Commandant, and ' • ™™ tl ° po< "f , IU liis mdeawm to in - Prove the standard of the forces under hi, command he, w 11 have the hearty sup port o n7"u? ,)CWl ; tl him ' G ™™\ Bifiington himself .has no fear of tho men, for ho re nmrfa on the excellent spirit which pcvmks all ranks officers and men being cqu7% anaow of. learning their duties and how fo do things in the right way : General Babingtnn, in his report, mentons that the" Volunteer Forces show ari inerease of 490 Volunteers on l„ t %$ numbers Th,a is a matter for congratulaITJ m \ 10 ' vever ' bo a "»ttw for greater congratulation if next year's numbers show the same increase, or even remain the will undoubtedly set in now.that tho wails over, and it will bo a hard matter for many of the companies to preserve -their existence. The carrying out of tho recommendations of the Commandant, which will make the work more attractive, and the cheapening of ammunition, which the Commandant regrets is so expensive, will be allimportant factors in keeping up tho force to its present strength. The new regulations for tho annual course of class firing h ave i, cen issucd| ■differ considerably from what have obtained m the past. It is.now provided that in order to earn capitation every officer, non com and men (buglers 17 years and upwards optional, below that age exempt) must fire the course of target practice detailed therein, and qualify as a second class shot. Recruits shall have 12 practices, eight being single loading independent, and four magazine independent, each . practice consisting of soven shots, all at stationary targets, making a total of 84 shots. With the exception of the four practices, magazine independent, done at 200 and' 400 yards (each practice of seven rounds having to no don; m 4Ssee). the course'for recruits docs not seem ,to present any great difficulty, provided each recruit has'previously been thoroughly instructed in position anil hn aiminir exercise. The recruit is allotted 150 rounds for his class firing; 16 rounds are allowed for preliminary practice, and •H for the above-mentioned course, living 50 to.be used by third class shote for further training or to bo used by the first and second class shots in the optional practice at moving, and disappearing? targets. Recruits making 200 or upwards with the rifle, and 180 or upwards with the carbine will Jio classified.as first class; below 200 with the nflo and 180 with the carbine spcond class. Those below 160 with rifle and 140 with the carbine third class shots. The course for trained men is decidedly different from what may lie termed bulls', .eye shooting, and will take a considerable amount of practice, esneeially at tho vanishing heads and shoulders, nod also in the p.ractices'wherc the marksman is behind cover, since all of the. shooting has to be done within the specified number of seconds. This, however, is. necessary if the firing is to be of a practical nature. It certainly is only part of what ought to be tluSproper training of a Volunteer.. The trained men start' with seven rounds independent kneeling, and seven rounds lnaeazine independent sitting, at a third cUtarget at 200 yards, then soven shots independent and soven shots magazine independent at. second class target at 500 yards, any position: seven shots independent at 600 yards second class target, any position; and seven shots at 800 yards at a first class target, any position. These six practices, or 42 shots, is all the shooting done at fixed targets. They then go back to 100 yards, and fire seven shots at a. third class vanishing heads and shoulders, the target heing exposed three seconds, and" also fire another seven rounds at heads and shoulders fixei but the fiver has to be behind cover, imd is allowed three seconds to five and completely return to cover. Two practices of tho same description are done at .200 yards.. the first kneeling and the weond crouching behind . cover, for which four seconds are allowed. At 500 yards seven shots lying behind cover arc fired at a second class vanishing target: time, six seconds. These practices are all independent. The Inst individual practice is seven shots magazine independent at a second class vanishing target at 600 yards, any position; time, -60 seconds. The above practice also taka 42 shots. Then each section fires seven shots magazine volleys and magazine independent at 50 yards at a sectional target; ■ time allowed, 45 seconds. Trained men and recruits are allowed to use. any sort of natural or artificial rest if desired. One hundred and fifty rounds are also allowed for the trained men's course: 98 rounds for actual course; 12 for preliminary practice: 40 for further training. The volley firing by sections does not count towards classification. The points required for classification are as follows:— •Marksmen, 140; below 140. second class shot; below 100, third class shot. From the above it will he gathered that class firing is to be eivcn'on more commonsense lines than hitherto. At the end of their course both recruits and trained men will have derived considerable benefit from class firing, instead of none, as.jy.as generally tho case in the past. There seems every possibility that a cadet corps will lie formed in connection with the Bruce Rifles. A meeting to consider the advisability of doing so was held last week, and 26 boys signified their willingness to join a corps if one were formed. Tho regulations provide that the minimum shall bo 40, but it is thought that tho extra 14 names required before the corps can be established will he easily obtained. The Puerua Rifle Club, whose services it was announced last week the Government had accepted, proposes to hold monthly entertainments to raise funds to assist in carrying on. It is to be hoped that tho residents will accord the members of the club the assistance they deserve. The club has some good shots in its ranks, and in the matches which will doubtless be arranged they should not bring discredit on the district which they represent. A service paper, published at Home, advocates granting the'army officer a living wage. It 6ays 6s 6d a day is not enough, and with oven 7s 6d a day an officer can barely manage with the strictest self-denial; but to get these three half-crowns a day he must have served soven years as a lieutenant. The application of tho cavalry scale to all arms is advocated, under which a second lieutenant receives 7s Bd, and a lieutenant 8s lOd.

The half-yearly inspection and mess luncheon of the Otago Hussars was held on Wednesday, 16t!i ult., 64 men attending, Captain Morris being in charge. The company was inspected by Colonel Robin,.with staff composed of Major Nicol, Captains Stronach and Price, and Lieutenants Freeman and Park. The troop divisional sergeants were examined as to their capabilities of taking charge of the various troops in the event of casualties to officers, and Colonel Kobin and Major Nicol both ex-

pressed themselves very well satisfied with the smart appearance of the men and the manner.in which the various duties were carried out. The mess luncheon, held afterward? tgok place at the Excelsior Hotel. Captain .Morris presided, and was supported ■by Colonel Kobin, Major Nicol, Captains Price and. Slronach, Lieutenants Freeman, Park, and Orboll, and ex-Sergeant Janies Hislop, one of the promoters of tho troop. During the evening the troop Challenge Belt, won by Trooper Garr for tho third time, was presented; also tho Hislop trophy to Trooper Farquharson. who also took the Hyams Handicap trophy. A number of toasts.were proposed and several gongs given, the gathering thus being made a. very enjoyable one.

At the close of the parade of B Battery, N.Z.F.A., on Wednesday last Major Ohahner presented the various badges and .certificates gained by members during the past year, the list of recipients being as follows,:—Certificates of having passed examination for rank of sergeant—Sergeants M'Lood and Hellyer, Corporals M'Cracken, Bryant, Gray, and Miller. Efficiency badges —Nine years' service, Trumpeter D. Jone.s, silver star; six years' service, Sergeants Chalmer and Williams and Gunner Williams, two silk stars: three years' service, Sergeant Hellyer, Corporal M'Cracken, and Gumier. Ingall, one silk star. Gun layers' budges-f-Corporala Bryant and Miller. Gunners Bryant, Cowie, Fyfe, Gilmour, Martin, and Thomson. Gunnery badges, certificates, and £1 personal payments—Gunners Cowie, Fyfe, Thomson, Jeffreys, Wathew,. and Seejye., In addressing the Battery when handing over, the badges, etc., Major Chalmer said he hoped every man would ;do his .bes-t to earn similar distinctions. It was 'not the intrinsic value of the badges— which Vas, a'mere trifle—that should be looked at, but the fact that the badges showed, that the wearers had distinguished .themselves'in their woik.

. It ■• seems strange that in field batteries only .'six badges are allowed for gunnery, and those: confined to gunners only, whilst in the Garrison Artillery every N.C.O. and man passing a certain standard receives one. A (thorough, knowledge of drill, ammunition; arid gunnery is as important in the one branch as the other, and the field gunners are surely entitled to Ihe same encouragement to make themselves efficient as their comrades of the garrison branch. Another brazen of work for which badges should be given in field batteries is for efficiency in\ driving. Artillery driving.especially with untrained hired not the easy matter the man who has' never tried it might be disposed to think. In the Imperial service a man is not passed as a driver 'until Jie has had a very long course of training, and though the same proficiency is not to bo expected, or looked for, 'in the Volunteer- Force, still men should bo encouraged to go in for it and do their best, and tho' giving of s>. certain number of badges for efTieioncy-kiiowledgo of harness •■harnenirig,. rare of harness in the field, and driving—would be a means of making men take in interest in the work. Eighty members of the Southland Mounted Rifles attended tho annual muster parade of the'corps held at Invoreargill last Friday. •It was the largest number that tho company has yet bad at an annual parade. The men .wore .their new full dress uniform of dark green cloth with black facings' (which is' similar to ,tliat of the Australian Horse), and looked very well indeed in thorn. The balance sheet showed the company to have a substantial sum at credit, even after paying for the new uniforms. It was decided ithat, se tho corps was now, over its full strength, all members sworn in after September 1 next should pay an entrance feeof £1 Is to the funds. During the evening 'Sergeant Norton and Trooper Keay wero presented with a gold watch and a purse ol sovereigns respectively. Captain "Hazlott mentioned that tho sergeant had worked his way .from the ranks to one of the smartest non-coms, in the corns, and had done good service as necvetary of the Shootint;' Committee. Of Trooper Keav,' the captain said that ho had been one of tho founders of the Winton Troon, and was a first-class ..shot, having taken "fourth place in tho competition for the district medal for Otago and Southland.