VOLUNTEER NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13180, 13 January 1905, Page 2

VOLUNTEER NOTES

By Scoot. To-morrow (Saturday) should be a busy day. in local Volunteering circles, as nearly all tho adult troops in the cily are ordered to parado for inspection by the Commandant. The troops engaged will be tho Duncdin Engineers, the No. 1 Battalion 0.8. Y. and Cycle Corns, tho Duncdin Bearer Corps, and the Garrison Band. Tho Duncdin Navals, being in camp at Eorbury Park, may also bo inspected at tho same place ami time. To-morrow'■ (Saturday) afternoon tho Dunedin Navals will carry out the first of Ihoii' competitive practices, the shooting taking place at the Central Battery, Ocean Beach. Tho Express has been engaged to tow the targets, and unless the weather is very rough the practice should eventuate and an interesting exhibition of shooting bo given.

Programmes for til® New Zealand Rifle Association's meeting at. Trentham, tocommcnco on March 2, have been issued. From all accounts, it would seem that tlio attendance at tlio forthcoming meeting is likely to be a record one. The Duncdin Bearer Corps will hold their camp in conjunction with the B Battery, tlio time arranged for the camp being from January 21 to January 28. Lieutenant E. B. Mickle, N.Z.R.A., who for some time past has been acting as District Staff OfHcer in the Duncdin office, and who lias been re-transferred to Wellington, loft for the Umpire City on Saturtiny. Lieutenant Mioklo is a painstaking and courteous officer, and I am sure lie has tlio good wishes of all who camo in contact Willi him for success in the future. Shooting lias been' resumed at Pelichet Bay on Wednesday afternoons, and members of corns getting their half-holiday on that day of tlio week have the opportunity of putting in a few hours ©very week profitabiy and plensurably. On* Wednesday afternoon last the attendance was very encouraging to those who have hi ken the matter up, and the improvement shown by young members was also gratifying. Tlio first competition of tlio No. 2 match was Jired, this being seven shots at 200 yds, 500 yds, and 600 yds. ' The highest scorers )o?f° y° ,untefir Haird (86), Sergeant Dickol (84), Sergeant Melville (81), and Corporal .Scott (80). Though tho Duncdin Naval Artillery was not blessed with very fine weather at the outset of ito camp, there seems reason to believe that after all it will not have bean so very unfortunate in this .respect when the two weeks or so of the camp are up. The company has so far put in a great deal of useful work, though owing to the large increase* ui membership and the non-increase of the size of the batteries where the practices are held, it is now much more difficult to exercise the company to the same advantage as it was a few years ago. This coming Saturday the first of the competitive practices will be held at St. Olnr, the second practcee takug place at the Heads oil the following Saturday. On Sunday next the company, together with the Port Chalniers Navals, will lie inspected at Forbury Park. The Port men will snond the afternoon at the camp, which will be thrown open to visitors.

Tils Dunedin Highland Rifles were favoured with a lecture by Surgeon-captain Church on Tuesday evening. Th-e surgeoncaptain hits the I;naclc of imparting knowedge in an interesting manner, and, needloss to say, liis remarks ware followed very closely The company sent a team to iimnru at New Year time, and although each member had to pay his own fare some. 20 made the trip. Fast and present, members of the Highlanders can tell of many pleasant hours stent in Timaru at New xcar time, and by all accounts the last holiday brought to those visiting the city a full measure of good treatment by their northern friends.

The following promotions have bcen'mado m the Dunedin Engineers:—No. 3 Section: Corporal Voifcli to be sergeant, L.-Corporal Harvey to bo co'poial, L.-Sapncr Latta to bo lance-corporal; No. 4 Section: L.-Cor-poral Milligan to be corporal, L.-Sapper Stewart to be lance-corporal. Corporal Harvey, Lance-corporal Steele, and Lance-corporal Macdonald", all of tho Dnnedin Engineers Company, have gained sergeants' certificates as the outcome of the recent non-com. examinations. In connection with the ambulance work none by the D'tnedin Engineers, tho following members have passed:—MedallionsLieuteuant Midgloy, Lance-sapper Johnston, and Sapper Andrews; advanced aid— Lance-corporal Macdonald, Sappers Keilan, lielni, Ross, and l Bugler M'Kenzie. Referring to the paper used for covering targets, the Mataura Ensign says, regarding the annual meeting of the Gore .Association held at i\cw Year time:—"lt is worthy of notico that the targets supplied by the association stood the test of the weather remarkably well, and although the water row literally streaming off them at intervals during both days, not ono of them was rendered unserviceable, and they were used throughout the meeting without any rcpapeiing, and are still fit for service. They aie covcred with hosiery cartridge ' paper from the Mataura mills, which is put on in one piece, and will stand any amount, of wet.

rhc School of Instruction seems to have taken on in Christchnrch amongst the local non-commissioned officers. There have been aljout twice., as many applications as could be accommodated' in tho school during HF. 05 ?"!'. session. Even,- "non-com." in the Uiristchurch hnguioers {says the Press) applied for admission.

1 lie Penrose rifle range', opened at Auckland, is said to bo tlio largest in the colony. It is-over 100 yards long, and the protection is Bft of bluestono. The taiset-house is in the centre, and 20 targets can be put up, 10 on each side of the house. With the improved shooting facilities now afforded it is expected that marksmanship in Auckland will manifest a bit; improvement, ; 1

At tho meeting of the Auckland Rifle Association Private TP. Cox, of the Bisley team, mado tlio possible in tho Rapidity Match, the distance of which was 500 yards, seven "bulls" were put on in the minute". An Oamaru correspondent sends tho following Summary of the association meeting "-In. 'v« 9 c '' strict at Christmas time:— Ihe A.O.R.A. held its annual prize-firing on tho 26th and 27th December, when tliere was a record number of entries oxtending from Kaitangata to Christohureh.' Ihe meeting was a. great success, and although tliere was firing for nearly 13 hours each day without a stop everything went off without a hitch or a singlo complaint. Considering the committee had only three targets and, could„only place two men on eaoh,- and had 76 Inen to put through, this fact says a great deal for tho management of tlie meeting. The marking was excellent, being clean and quick, and gaining tho praise of all competitors. . Out of a large number of challenges only wero sustained. A pleasing feature of tlio meeting was tho friendliness and good-fellowship that existed, between everyone, competitors and officials alike. The scoring throughout was not heavy, but considering the vile triekiness of the wind on the range it was very good. The aggregate was won by tho veteran AV. Niraino, who, though ho has not fired a shot for 12 months, teat several Bisley and Trentliam cracks out of sight. Prize-winners wero paid at tha conclusion of each match, rather to their surprise, in view of the delay which took place 'last year. The winners in tho last match were paid within !0 minutes of the Past shot being fired Which, I think.: is a record for-the colony so far as paying out goes, especially at rifle meetings. A first-ilass luncheon was provided on the range, and visiting .competitors'were. unanimously agreed that the'

1901- N.O.R,A, meeting was the best-con-ducted and. most enjoyablo they had ever attended. The' subcommittee of this association,is determined to make this meeting tho premier meeting of the South' Island, sinoe Oamaru is c-entrally-situnt-cd and has onoof the best ranges'in .tho Australasian colonies. It has plenty of push and energy, and should achicvo the success it deserves. Volunteer. affairs have been vc;r quiet hero on account of tho' holidays, but tnora is- a big teams' match' coming off on the 19th, and the various companies aro busy practising. It is For a handsome oup presented by Mr Y. Buckley, open to all the companies in the battalion. Conditions: Tehms of 10 moh ; ranges; 300 yards and 500 yards; 10 allots and one sighter;' service conditions. It is expected that nine teams will compete, and it is hoped that the competition will be better conducted than that for the now famous Ladies' Cup."