VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13210, 17 February 1905, Page 2

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Bv ScottT, That manceuvres will take place at Easter has now been decided on, and orders issued this week give briefly the general idea of :the operations to be earned. out. The idea is as followsA south force, consisting of tho Southland Volunteers, will drfivo and- occupy, say Henley. ' The object of tills forco is to 6fliz& a position dominating Dunedin from tho southward. The Ota"o and ISorth Otago Volunteers will occupy o, positioh to defend Diinedin aiid resist toe southern force. AH'-forts, and defence works to be manned and brought into action as circumStftfices" demand. Hostilities \vlll commence ihidefay, Good Friday and continue until lfliddav. Eastot Monday' These tnftntitntfes ate similar to those exercised on ivar game during- the winter at ,n ' fl,1( l Invercargill, an<l all officers should be nroie or less acquainted ivith tho ground, further details will bo issued later, and the 0.0. district will, during March, attend.at Duncdin, Oamaru, Invorcargiil, and afford instructions to olhcors and non-commissioned officers as to method of supplies, transport, manaJuvro' regulations, etc. _Ili viert' of, the coining manoeuvres at Jtoster corps are reminded that greatcoats can be obtained from the Defence storekeeper—for infantry 325. for mounted rifles 37s each. Terms: .Half-payment down, other half charged against next year's capitation. ■Trooper Ayson, who pulled off the Otago Riflo Association's championship, lias estabished something of a rceorf in that he has pulled off ; three of tho four chainpionships held by tho various riflo associations in the Otago district. Ayson scoured hi 3 wins at Gore, Invcronrflill, and Dmodin. Ho did not compete at Onmnnt, and so one can only speculate as .to what position ho might havo secured in tho flggrogat-G there. Clearly, however, he is one of tho best shots, if not tho best shot, in Otago at # the present time, and one \vdlt.d have liked to have seen him prove his Avorth at Ircntham. I believe, however, ho docs not intend to niako tho journey north. In future Cover Matches some stipulation should bo made by the Otago Rifle Association <is to the headgear to bo worn. Last Saturday thoso wearing the broadbrimmed, high-topped hats were at a disadvantage in ducking down, compared with those who wore caps. A lot of delay Was caused by those with hats trying to borrow caps. The position of junior lieutenant in the . Wakari Rifles has been vacant for many months, but the company lias now succeeded in filling it, and filling it satisfactorily. The company's new subaltern is" Lieutenant Mackenzie, a gentleman who hns had military experience, and experience of a good kind 1 , since he was a member of the Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth Contingents from New Zealand. Lieutenant Mackenzie is au officer who may be expected to tase a live interest in th eaffairs of tho corps, and his services should bo of much value to the Wakaris. When ono sees men in any company ready to sacrifice their own desires for the benefit of the corps as a wliolo, there one sees the true spirit of Volunteering , which must make for success. The action of Gunners Keenan and Kydd, of the Port Chalmers Navals, in this direction may bo mentioned as an example of tho spirit that ought to pervade every company. Both men were picked for the Ladies' Challenge Shield—Keenan in tho team, Kydd as emergency. P.O. W. Facer, however, had been shooting very well during the meeting, and with the object of allowing tho company's team to do its very best in tho Shield Match, both Keenan and ICydd offered to stand down and lot Facer shoot. Facer did shoot, and shot very well, being top scorer for his side, Certainly it was no fault of either of the three men mentioned' that the Port men did not carry off tho shied. Saturday was the first time that tho Duncdin Navals have secured the Ladies' Challenge Shield, although they have been competing for years with "Nil Despcrandum " as a kind of motto. Well, they have : got the shield at last, and ccrtainly it was a meritorious win. i The report of the B Battery's guns at Barewood was distinctly heard at Iclioliet Bay range on Saturday. i Tho Southland Riflo Association finds ; itself after tho recent meeting with a i credit balance of £M, ■ The "Wednesday afternoon shooting men i put in a good appearance last Wednesday at . the butts and eoneluded their first competi- ' .tion. The highest scorers on Wednesday i wero Private Lewis. Dunedm Highland 1 Rifks, 85; Private Scott, North Dunedin ' Rifles, 8t; Sergt. Diekel, Duncdin Highland j Rifles, 82; Private Baird, City Guards, 79. i The result of the competition is that Private 1 Scott, of the Duncdin City Rifles, is first; ! Private Baird, of the Guards, second: aiid ] Corporal Melville, of the Highland Rifles, < third. The Wednesday afternoon men and f the Duncdin Highland Rifles are loosing one ' of their boat sllots in Private Lewis who is t leaving for Sydney. I Next Wednesday afternoon being Cup 1 Day, Saturday shooting men will have the. 1 afternoon free, and any of those wJio care ' to have a couple of hours' sport will be I welcome at tho Pelichet Bay range at two I o'clock. i With a, view to finding out what is the < real opinion of shooting men on the question of a suitable time to hold its prise-firing, i tho Rifle Association intends issuing a 1 circular soliciting opinions on tho subject. , ' It has been decided to nay tho prizes in ' tho Cadet's Match at the Rifle Association's 3 Meeting in full. This ineans that all tho ' competitors receive a prize. The Assoeia- < tion in this and other matters have shown ] that they arc desirous of encouraging the i cadets as muoh as possible in shooting, and ) it is a pity t-lmt those most concerned have ' not shown themselves as appreciative of ' the Association's efforts as they might, s . The protest lodged by Private Frazer in •' tho Otago Riflo' Association's Last Try t Match has been upheld, and Frazor there- t fore receives fourth prize in that competi- *' tion. _ The following arc the attendances at t inspections during January, Ijy G.0.C., 3 C.O. District, or Acting Staff Officers:- c Cromwell Rifles, 30; Alexandra S. Rifles. 33; v Duncdin Bearer Corns, 39; Bruce Rifles' a 47; Kelso Mounted Rifles, 51; Tuapeka 1 Mounted Rifles, 43; Mnniototo Mounted I Rifles, 36; Popotuuoa Rifles, 52; Muriliiku o Mounted Rifles, 34; Pmiodin Division i N.Z.G.A. Volunteers, 162; 2nd Battalion r Utago. Rifle Volunteers, 173; Ist Battalion " Otago Rifle Volunteers, 353; No. 2 Coy t N.Z. Engineers, 84; Dunedin Garrison J 25. „ While in Dunedin this week, General h Babington inspected the cadets of the Ota<*o t Boys' High School and the Christian v Brothers' School. Tim inspection took place 1 at the Asylum Ground, there being prestV.t d in addition to the Commandant, the follow- 1< mg officers:—Colonel Robin. Major Hislop n and Sergt.-Afajor Fowler.' The cadets of the h High School mustored 58 and 60 for No 1 si and No. 2 Company respectively, and (here si were 49 of the Christian Brothers'.cadets g present. The officers and non-oom.'a.-in the o companies were examined and the cadets a-s d a. whole were put through several movements ii with the performance of which the General a expressed himself as well pleased. At, the It General's request the cadets wero afterwards • treated to a holiday. fi < Tho annual examination for signallers si under regulations for badges will talto placo it at Oamaru, on Thursday, February 23; w Invercargill, March 1; Dunedin, Saturday, " February 25. O.C. Corps having signallers li to arrange that they are presented for ex- tl amination. v .

A system whereby men when shooting will take aim with both eyes open is to be'

tested by tho British War Office during tho iorthc6mit)g musketry season at Home. For S. long tifne tho War Office has been Urged to adopt the practice but Lord .Wolsejoy ridiculed'the idea when,' a ftjW yoafs ago, General Tucker put botofe him an invehtiott by Mr Gilbert Russell, of Slbugll. Tho principle concerned is simplo. If you aim with a rifle at-a distant object, so long as yonr gaze is concentrated on- tho subject and both eyes are opcu you see two images on the barrel. It is through the sight-imago seen by the right evo that you aim, and you are void to close {lie left eye to avoid oonfuscd vision. But if you keep the left oye open, and by chance cover tho ofcject with the muzzlo-sight a-s seon by the left eye instead of tlie right, you will fire high and far to tho left. Curiously enough, this is just what happens in action at short rango, when the firing has to bo dono in a great hurry. Commanding officers have been mtich. puzzled by finding that whilo comparatively deliberate distant firing is doiie well, as soon as the ttoops 'oto flurtied by having to fire at a foe close to thclii muoh of'the firiilg goes high. Mr Russell's invention, to obviate this, is a lifctlo shield on tho barrel, folding'down flat when hot in use, whioh intercepts tho line between tho left eyo and the muzzle-, sight, and thus makes it impossible to aim u with til© loft oyo. Both eves can then bo kept open, giving a much clearer, clefination of the object aimed at, whilo avoiding any risk bf looking through tho sight with tho wrong oye.