THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2978, 12 April 1911, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

By Sentry

Lieutenant R. Fraser, officer in charge of Area Group 13, assume© the duties of adjutant of the Fourth Regiment, New Zealand Rifles (late First Battalion Ofcago Rifle "Volunteers). Sergeant.-major D. W. Healy, also of the Permanent Staff Corps, has been appointed regimental sergeant-major. Although recruiting has ceased, and in future corps will receive only such men as are poeted to them, it is still possible foxyoung men to get into the particular branch, of the* service, or even into the particular company, thqy may fancy, providing there are vacancies. As far as it is possible, men will be posted to the corps which they may prefer Or for which they may appear best adapted, and there seems no reason why men should not state on their registration papers their preference. These farms will be dealt with, -by a board of adjutants, whose duty it will be to consider all the circumstances and post the men to the units for which they seem best adapted. To that eiid provision for the recording of a man's occupation is included cm the registration form. : Other things being equal, the board of adjutants would probably post a farmer's eon to the mounted branch, a medical man to the field ambulance, an engineer to the Engineers, and a butcher or a baker possibly to the transport and supply branch. All recruits will be posted to units, leaving the officers commanding regiments, .etc., to post them to the various companies. In future the R.N.Z.A. will comprise both field and garrison artillery instructors. In Otago, where there are two field batteries and only one garrison artillery company, the field artillery instructor will presumably preponderate. It is probable that a number of the members of the R.N.Z.A*. will in future have their headquarters at Inveroargill. It ie to be presumed also that a number of permanent horses will be kept for the use of J Battery in Inveroargill. This would necessitate arrangements for stabling, and, as it is quite certain some provision other than the present small hall, with its wooden floor and steps, will have to be made for the ■ accommodation of the field guns and equipment, the department will have to face the erection of a suitable drill hall in Inveroargill. The fairly large number of troopS which the operation of the new act will_ provide in Inveroargill renders this imperative. Captan Gard'ner has recently gone into the matter, and will in due course furnish a report with recommendations. Prior to the issue of the proclamation recruiting in Inveroargill was proceeding merrily, _ whilst already a" fair number of registration forme have been returned duly filled in.

The work of organising the Senior Cadets locally is progressing. The strength of each company is three officers and 120 Cadets. The Catholic community proposes to raise one or more companies in addition to the Hibernian Cadets; the Anglican fraternity is taking steps to raise companies; the Council of Churches and the Y.M.C.A. are doing likewise. The group and area officers and noncommissioned officers having now been established at the various headquarters, . Colonel Smyth, officer commanding the district, will probably shortly visit each district. As many matters of detail have yet to be explained' this personal visit should obviate a great deal of correspondence, affording as it will opportunity for the discussion of all points in doubt. The Easter training camp for officers and non-commissioned officers is being cordially supported. Already the promised attendance is 130 (outside the members of the Permanent Staff), showing that a fair number of officers and non-commissioned officers are -willing to sacrifice their leisure days in the endeavour to equip themselves for the important duty of training the rank and file of the New Zealand army. The wording of_ the proclamation baa raised false hopes in the breasts of many unwilling soldiers-in-embryo who have passed their 20th, but. not their 21st, birthday. According to the proclamation, the obligation to register is placed upon all male British subjects in the Dominion " between the ages of 14 and 20 years (inclusive)." Read literally, this meant that the man who had attained his 20th birthday was exempted, for his 20th birthday marks the completion of 20 years of life. The point has been referred' to headquarters, and it is authoritatively stated that, as formerly understood, none are exempted unless they have attained the 21st birthday^ Anxious to make a good start in their liew work, the members of J Battery, Infercargfll, have been devoting unlimited

time to training. During the first 18 days after the arrival of Bombardier Jones only one evening was not utilised for training purposes, one section attending one evening, another the next, and so on. The battery is over 150 strong. 80 keen are the officers and men that many of them intend to spend their Easter vacation in training. There will be no camp, but the members of the battery will assemble each day and drill on the reserve convenient to the hall. The organisation of so many strong companies suggests the urgency of proceeding with the drill hall. And it is difficult to see ho\v one hall will suffice as'headquarters of so many companies of adults and cadets. Under the new regime it is likely that orderly rooms will be less in the nature of social halls than storerooms. The fact that 20 out of 30 evening parades are to be out of doors indicates that the intention is to have as little- indoor work as possible. The practice favoured at Home is for the officers in charge of the parade to give a 10 minutes' lecture in the open, and then set the company to carry out the ideas conveyed in the lecture. The Garrison Hall trustees are inquiring concerning the type of hall which the department desires erected. It is probable that the plans will reveal a hall not specially large, but compact. A very closely-contested rifle match was fired recently at Riversdale between Gore Rifles and the Riversdale Rifle Club. The ranges were 200, 500, and 600 yards, a.nd favourable weather oonditioYis assisted in the direction of good scoring. Riversdale won by 6 points. The shooting all round was exceptionally good. On the Riversdale side M'Math deserves special mention f or his 101, which is a record, for teams shooting for the district; while France and Henderson, with 99 each, did good service for their team. Currie (98) is also worthy of notice. The visitors were hospitably entertained by the local men. The scores Were as follows : Riversdale. 200 500 600

The members of the Bisley team are ordered to parade in Wellington at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 27. A sum of £125 has been allotted to each man to cover his expenses. Out of this amount he will have to provide his passage —£60 return, — uniform, and the incidentals for the meeting. Each member of the team will be specially enrolled, and will be under strict military discipline, under the orders of the offioer-in-chargo of the team till the conclusion of the Bislev meeting, when they will be allowed to disperse In the near future miniature rifle shooting will form a prominent feature in our musketry instruction. From present appearances (says " Bull's-eye" in the Press) the recruit will be almost entirely instructed in his musketry course by moans of the miniature rifle, and under proper supervision this should certainly make for greater accuracy in the mass than we have at present. At the Hythe School of Musketry, upon which our system of instruction will be largely based, miniature rifle shooting forms one of the principal methods. Tho Solano targets which will bo used have a sporting 1 element in them which is sure to appeal to the youthful colonial. " When the new defence scheme is in operation," says tho Wellington Post, "it will be interesting to watch the results of the medical examinations. Only tho medically fit from a military point of view will be required to undergo training, and the question, * What is to bo done with the lejecbs?' has been discussed in some, quarters. One authority of high standing suggested to a reporter that it would Oo of unquestionable beEf&t to the country if the unfit were sub(j4ced to some system of physical training. Military unfitness

does not mean that a man is a physical weakling; he may have bad teeth, a email chest, or some other disability which comes under the ban of the regulation, and it was with the idea of remedying such defects as are capable of successful treatment that the gentleman in question urged that a couple of weeks' physical training on tho half-day principle would be a very good thing for the nation and the men themselves. 'No doubt,' he added, 'the importance of this matter will be more apparent when the results of the examinations are known.' " In the course of a chat with a Press representative on the Trentham meeting, I Colonel Collins said that all future ineet- ; ings would be based on the Army Rifle Association programme -at Aldershot. The J meetings would be strictly military ones, and would be primarily used as a finishing ! ground in musketry by the Territorials. ! So far as he oould see at present future . meetings would be divided into two parts. j The first four days at least would be doI voted to service matches, individual and j team, under service conditions so far as i possible. These would be open to Terri- ■ torials, but at present it was doubtful whether the rifle clubs, as the second reserve, would be allowed to compete. Tho I second part of the programme would proj bably consist of standing target shooting, with coloured figure targets and khaki | fkrures, probably with three figures. This, of course, would carry tho Champion Belt ' and gold medal, but there would also be I gold, silver, and bronze medals, as in j the Army Rifle Association. In any case, tho bull's-eye as at present shown would havo to go. The present range would probably be used as a school of musketry, on the same system as the Hythe School, and thus the permanent buildings could be made uso of. The present association would cease to exist on March 31, and all future meetings would be under the military authorities, who would utilise , tho area and range officers, thus giving them practice. RE-DESIGNATION OF UNITS. (Fbom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 6. The following re-designations are announced in the Otago military district : Ist Regiment Otago Mounted Rifles to be the sth Mounted Rifles (Otago Hussars), with headquarters at Dunedin. 2nd Regiment Otago Mounted Rifles to be the 7th (Southland) Mounted Rifles, with headquarters at Invercargill. Ist Battalion Otago Rifles to be the 4th Regiment (Otago Rifles), with headquarters at Dunedin. 2nd Battalion Otago Rifles to be the Bth Regiment (Southland Rifles), with headquarters at Invercargill. 3rd Battalion Otago Rifles to be the 10th Regiment (North Otago Rifles), with headquarters at Oamaru. 4th Battalion Otago Rifles to be the 14th Regiment (South Otago Rifles), with headquarters at Milton. The Defence Department has decided upon the formation of one additional regiment of mounted rifles in the Otago military district, to be designated the 12th (Otago) Mounted Rifles, with headquarters at Balclutha. His Excellency the Governor has been appointed honorary colonel of the 9th (Wellington East Coast) Mounted Rifles, and the Right, Hon. Sir J. G. Ward hon. colonel of the Winton Rifles and Bluff Guards. CHARGES OF INSUBORDINATION. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 6. A Military Court of Inquiry, the second of its kind in the Dominion, sat at New Plymouth to-day to investigate charges oi insubordination preferred against Captain Charles Thomas Mills, of the Taranaki Guards, an officer of the New Zealand Defence Forces. The insubordination alleged was that he instigated a communication headed "New Plymouth's Knyvett" in the Taranaki Daily News of March 11 last. Further charges were that he instigated the said communication (a) calling in question the action of the Defence Department in the matter of the court of inquiry lately held to try the charges then preferred against the said Captain Mills; (b) reflecting on the said department in the matter of the inquiry; (c) reflecting on the conduct of his superior officer, Lieut. -

colonel Nelson Okey, as president ol that court of inquiry. The editor of the Daily News was subpoenaed to produce the original copy of the letter. He objected to produce the document unless the court could produce its authority for demanding a document which was the property of a civilian. He further asked if Colonel Chaytor had a legal right to "command "the presence of a civilian or to order the production of a private document. The President explained that tbs court had the necessary power. Ex-Lieut. Davies, a veteran, admitted writing the letter, which was published over his signature, and admitted that he obtained the information contained therein ironi Captan Mills, in whose handwriting parts of the letter appeared. The court ruled that it had no power to investigate any grievance Captain Mills might have, but offered to attach to its report any letter he might wish to submit.

yds. vds. yds. Tl. Rifleman M'Math ... 35 33 33 — 101 Rifleman Currie 32 34 32 — 98 Rifleman Wright 33 34 29 — 96 Rifleman M'Dougall 35 33 , 28 — 96 Captain Stevenson ... 34 31 30 — 95 Rifleman M'Cartney 32 30 32 — 94 Rifleman M'Kenzio 32 31 31 — 94 Rifleman Groves 32 31 30 — 95 Rifleman Sanderson 32 34 27 — 93 Rifleman Black 34 28 26 — 85

331 319 298 — 943 Gore Rifles Sergeant France 31 " 34 34 — 99 Bugler Henderson ... 33 35 31 — 99 Lieutenant Shanks 33 31 33 — 97 Corporal Cox ... ... 33 29 34 — 96 Corporal M'Kenzic 32 32 32 — 96 Lieutenant Kelly 34 32 28 — 94 Private Crawford ... 30 32 31 — 93 Sergeant Preeoe 31 33 27 — SI Se-rgiean t M 'Dowell 30 32 27 — 89 Private C. Murray 31 28 29 — 38 318 318 306 — 942