THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14703, 10 December 1909, Page 8

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

By Skntiw. [Items of interest concerning corps (town and country), shooting, and defence matters generally will ba accepted. Copy, addressed to " Sentry," should be in hand by noon oo Thursday.] W. J. Henry, tho Opaki Rifle Club crack, has taken up his residence near Christchurch, and has thrown in his lot with tho Christc'nurch Defence Rifle Club.

Arrangements, by which tha members of the Dunedin Navals may spend Christmas holidays together are jionding. There is every probability that this hard-working company will enjoy an outing which is lkely to provo unique.

The Scitli Island Rifle Asrcciation meeting is lo be held at Redcliffs on February 24, 25, and 26, tho first day being devoted to Cadet shooting.

An invitation to attend the concert organised by the Boy Scouts of the north end of tho city is acknowledged. Tho entertainment, which is to be held this evening in tho Early Settlers' Hall, is promoted to assist a movement that i 3 growing every day, and that is bound to have a beneficial effect upon the large number of boys who are attaching themselves enthusiastically to th-s various troops.

In connection with the suspension of Captain Knyvctt, of Auckland, it is understood that prior to his suspension lis was given ■W opportunity to withdraw the letter containing reflections upon Lieutenant-colonel Rohin, but declined to do so. In view of probable legislation concerning th-j reorganisation of the Defence Forces companies have been notified that no contracts for clothing or private equipment mb to be made. The current _ year's capitation is to be devoted to the liquidation of existing liablities. Tho practical examination, of Lieutuenant Dobscn (Wakari llifiea) and Lieutenant ■Mollcr (City Guards) will bo conducted by Lieutenant-colonel Stoneham and Captain Ilickcy in connection with tho City Guards parad'3 on Monday next. On the following evening, in connection with the parade of the Cavc-reham Rifles, tho practical examination of Lieutenants Emmerson and Goldonstedt will bo conduoted by Lieu-tenant-colonel Stoneham and Captain Gard'ner. ' When is Dunedin going to experiment in the rapid transport of troops by motor car? Christehurch has already gained soms experience in that direction, and Auckland proposes to do so very shortly. Owners of cars in and around Duncditi would, I am euro, readily co-operate in tho event of a, scheme beinij proposed. It is anticipated! that the Waimate Rifle A«osiation meeting, which is to ba held en December 16, will be an even greater success than the meeting run on Boxing Daylast year. Owing to the Timaru range being closed, it is expected that marksmen who usually attend tho Sonth Canterbury Rifle meeting in Timaru will attend the Waimate meeting. Last year compstitors attended from Dunedin, 'Oama.ru, Glcnavy, Waihao Dowjis, St. Andrew's, and Christehurch. The matches to be'fired are as follows: — Seven shots at-200 and 500 yards, prizes £11 10s; seven shote at 200 and 600 yards, prizes £7 10s (six tryo prizes to each match): Teams Match (open to team) of £5; championship' prize for highest aggregate. Entries close on December 11. In the event of the Government grant beinsr obtained, the nrisss monev will be increased. A tonic cf conversa't.ion among local Volunteers has been tho exoellotvt shooting of the Port Chalmers Navals last Friday night, when they put up a notablo v?.lormanca in ginnery. 'Whether or not tney wiiH ultimately be declared the winners of tho Hudson Oup for this year remains to be seen, but it is fairly safe to assert that no gunners, whether Regulars, Territorials, or Volunteers, could get more out of their vwspons than the Port men did on this oreasion. Firing at tho rate of 16 rounds per minute arid securing a perce.nt&;!o of hits of f6, argues a distinctly ercditablo figi.'T-e of efficiency, and demonstrates that while the Volunteer system is criticised ns defective, our garrison gunners 'have at Ifiist. justified tho money spent on them. Kvery man cf the company was allotted dui ies in tho late practice, and the success obtained was the result' of hard and hoiust work on the part of officers mwt men. Tho daily routine of work was: Drill from 5.20 a.m. to 7 «.m.. and from 6.45 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., while right through live last week extra, parades were lieM, "fall-in" sounding at 9.30 p.m., when every detachment wwit. through a series of shooting under renditions a-s near to s&rvice as possible. In order to give the gun squads training for night firing, moving targets with hiutems attached were rigged, while the officers were trained to observe by aid of miniature targets illuminated by lamp. Tho flank observers were also trained specially. It was tho strict attention to all these details that, enabled tho companv to excel itwtf as it did. As was said by an exartillery officer, "They worked hard, they trained hard, and the result of their fhoot rewarded them." Major Dodds, his officers and men are to be ecngratufaled rpon h&vin'r to their credit f'.;:h an. excellent record. Tho conimoiisense methods of instruction adopted by Captain Riohardson nre an important faetoi in the successes ati'aii'.ied by the damson Artillevy, and a fair 'share of the credit is due to Captain Gard'ner.

A pencil of t'ho lull text of the new Tkfenee Bill discloses little of importance tliot has not been touched upon in tho Rummari.""! particulars already published. To rc-npituiatc briefly, (lip proposals arc as follows:—With the exception of those physically unfit, and oilier rpccifipd exemptions, all males between 17 o;k1 55 years of n;-3 arc liable to to trained and rcrra in the Militia. All boys from 12 to 14 years of ago shall bo trained in the junior Cade's for not less lhan 52 hours in the year, All boys from 14 lo 18 years ol aire shall.bo trained in the senior Cadets, the. annual course not to exceed six whole day drill?, Yi hah' day drills, and 24 night drills or Ui<sir equivalents, and to include discipline, elementary military exorcise;) and miFfcolry or gummy. Tim senior Cadets shall l>c organised in military nails and allotted to tte defence forces in each district, the. training to be carried out to I ho sni i.*faetio:i- of the officer C3nrmar.dir.fr the district. All youth from 13 to 21 years of ass shall he trained in tho general

training section, the proscribed training for which shall bo H days in training camp awl 12 half days, except in the Artillery and Engineer branches, in whioh (ho training shall be 14 days in training camp and 20 half Jays- or the equivalent ct 20 bait days. Thero ,is no mention of night parades for this section. All arsons from 21 to 30 years of age shall, if passed as efficient, be drafted into the resorvc, the prescribed training for which shall consist of 'two muster parades in each year. In addition there is the Territorial force, "consisting of such number of men as may from tune to time be provided far by Partiam&nt," ■the provision being that if sufficient Volunteers are not forthcoming the prescribed number shall bo maintained by tho comamlsory transfer of men from the Ueneral Section.-

In broad outline, the schema has br.c-n cordially received as one that gives promise of providing trained men adequate to the possible needs of the Dominion, equitably distributing the burden cf defensive preparation, and securing tor tho youth of tho Dominion a healthy physical and disciplinary training calculated to develop manly characteristics. In view of th'w, mid tho important political factor that, (ho compulsion principle will only direoty affect nonvoting thero is overy probability of-the bill bscoming law without much ado, for tho country has, largely through the. efforts of the National Defence- League, been educated up to a belief in the necessity of a !.ch.-'ii-■: of compulsory training. § It is regrettable that the compulsory training should ceaoa at the early ago of 21, instead of being carried on up to, say, tho age of 25. But this is evidently 'a political expedient to ensure tho acceptance of the bill. If tho training is thorough from (he Cadol; stage onwards tho result should be a fairly efficient soldier at tho age of 21. Besides, the compulsory system onco having teen adopted, if it is found later that, general efficiency is not attained when tho ago of 21 lias been reached the ago limit could lx> raised.

A vast amcunk of detail as to what will bo _tlie- conditions of sorvice in the Territorial Force, is awated before any definite idea as to what proportion of the present Volunteer Force is lit'ely, upon disbandniont, to volunteer again for service in tho Territorials tan bo obtained. There will doubtless be a repetition'of tho experience in connection with the enrolment, of the Territorials at Homo, where, for a time, the members of the previously-onrolled fureos hung fire for awhile awaiting thorough knowledge of tho new' conditions. It is inevitable, of course, that a fair proportion of the Volunteers will not enroll in tho Territorial Force. Some, who have boon in the forces for a considerable time, latterly held mainly by company associations, will regard the severing of thoso company lies as a favourable opportunity to retire. In many eases they will do so with a justly comfortable cons?ifinee in the knowlcdgo that they have done scrvico long and loyal for their country. Others, who are at the best of times not particularly keen, will welcome tho opportunity to escape a sor- j vino which has proved more irksome than' they had anticipated. Inasmuch, however, ofi tho Volunteer has maintained stoutly, the necessity for the compulsory system, it behovos him now to stand by tho now scheme by enlisting in the Territorial Force, and so ensuring it getting a fair start. It is to bo romombercd that there will bo required under the hot scheme a largo number of non-commissioned officers in particular, and it is -to the noncommissioned officers and trained privates of tho present Volunteer force that the Defence Cojr.cil will have to kok to fill these positions. For the Territorials and the General Training section there will bo required a large staff of officers And it is not apparent whore these officers arc to bo found. For tho small Volunteer Force tho complement of officers is incomplete. Tho Officers' Training Corps, of course, offers a partial solution of this difficulty. It is recognised that the success of the new scheme will depend very largely upon the efficiency of the officers. Amongst the Volunteers there are officers who arc thoroughly efficient, and there are officers who arc otherwise. Whether all Volunteer officers jtiaking application to join (he Territorials will have to submit to a, qualifying examination is not quite clear from the provisions of tho now bill. In one olause it is laid down that within six months of the date of disbnndmont any Volunteer shall ho entitled, on application in tho prescribed manner, to te enrolled in the Territorial Force in the same rank as that which he hold in the Volunteer Force. But elsewhere is the- following provision :—" All commissioned officers in the Territorial Force shall be appointed by the Governor on the rocommendation of a Board of Selection appointed for each district by tho Council of Defence. Colore any jicrson so recommended is granted a commission ho shall, within tho time prescribed, pass an examination, and if he fails so to do the Board of Selection shall again consider the caee for further recommendation." Tho strong front of opposition by press and publio of all shades of opinion on the liquor problem will, it is safe to say, effectually crush the proposal to admit the canteen to military camps. Tho Volunteer Force in tho mass docs not want the canteen. Officers, who are the best judges as ■to the effect of tho canteen system, are opposed to it. Out of four to whom' I put the question three were emphatically agairat the canteen, whilst ono anticipated tho views of Colonel Foxton, of tho Commonwealth, that tho eariteon, under strict control, was preforablo to the illicit intro-' duclion of' liquor, which it was impossbio to effectively combat. One officer was of opinion that a petition protesting against the canteen would bo largely signed by Volunteer. Another, not a prohbitionist, said the canteen wao productive of incalculable trouble in connection with military training. The provision that liquor should not bo supplied to persons under the ago of 21 years k practically usokss, for it could not and would not be effectively complied with.

Tho scheme for compulsory training has had a remarkably stimulating effect on Volunteering in Auckland (says an Auckland paper). Recruits are coming forward with an eagerness that is almost amusing. They don't want to bo left behind to tho tender mercies of a rag-tag-and-bobtail camp, and eo are -hastening to receive tha imprimatur of a regular corps, where they will at least have- a local habitation and a name, and escape the inconveniences which would bo inseparable from tho big summer camps which wo road about in tho conning scheme. In u f ow months a vacancy m a Volunteer company will to a rarity. The officers arc experiencing tho unusual privilege of weeding out the recruits, and it is row no longer nccceau-y to adve-Hisa in tram cars. One well-known company in Auckland last week had four*Xh PP f*' a ! ,d chcso on 'y two men, and the three Garrison Artillery companies are now nearly up to full strength, arid tho antnH!? I*'*1 *'* °v ?, m l>™" "* reminded that they arc ehg.blo to shoot for Wedffij' 1 * throughout tho season. Last un fo? V** B -?! m,bsr o! shofs to ™ haJrW thwr *«Wy PMCtic*, and tho o->,™v WC " thei ; ,«»**««» accounted 2 nJ}* S? m "> ,lt «> to approach the onioera commanding companies for c-uppcrt in tho way of prizes. -"I'pcic, til XuX i, St. Paul's Fete he S . fi "», who already hold 5™ w Zealand record of 12 minutes Si vffl° m ,o , ltnock a fow seconds off an 7 ' Sl Vr r i W,lich is sligMy tetter than that of the Dominion.* of the r?iri-5i lil , no v sl r »»*■ institution ciatio S iXSJ°ttT ™? a tf>bee--, mil- ;T r ™'. lha tlmo "nit has