NOTES BY MAGPIE.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 10, 18 June 1898, Page 5

NOTES BY MAGPIE.

A meeting of the Bluff Navals was held in the Battery’s old gun room, ■Garrison Hall, after the parade at the ceremony of laying the memorial stone of the Victoria Ward of the Southland Hospital, when it was decided the designation of the company for the future be ‘ Awarua Rifles.’ I wish the corps success under their new name. It is rumoured that a hitch has occurred in the late G. Battery s arrangements for reconstructon. The cause of the trouble is said to be that the Officer Commanding the District objects to the proposed new name and uniform on the grounds that the former is unsuitable (reason not given) and the latter causes a breach in the uniformity of the battalion. What a pity this is ! It was generally supposed, and rightly too, that this corps was about to mark a great improvement in volunteering habiliments in the adoption of the Karki, and there is no doubt that even the talk of their choice of this uniform made the company rise some degrees in public favour. Why then demur to sanctioning an innovation that is calculated to prove so favourable to the volunteering movement? Let us hope that wiser counsels may yet prevail, for surely the authorities will acknowledge the fact that a uniform that is good enough for the Imperial troops in action is surely good enough for the New Zealand Volunteers. Now that volunteer officers are supplied with revolvers, they are exercising themselves as to what they are going to do with them. Are they (the revolvers) to be laid carefully away or committed to some receptacle worthy of such venerable curios and there allowed to t rust in peace,’ or is the gloss to be kept on them by periodical cleaning and oiling ? Something mast be done to keep them in working order, and, of course, it won’t do to go into the back yard and pot promiscuously at Thomas-cats and the like. The Christchurch officers have found a way out of the difficulty in the formation of a Revolver Club, a committee having been appointed to secure a range and make the necessary arrangements. ‘ Bullseye ’ of Weekly Press fame agitates for the raising of the strength of volunteer corps to 100 men. This is to avoid the necessity of forming new companies to strengthen the defences of the colony, great difficulty being found to procure officers for them. Some surprise was occasioned by the appearance of the High School Cadets in their new uniforms in the procession last week at the laying of the memorial stone of Victoria Ward by His Excellency the Governor. Expressions of approval at the smart appearance presented by them was general, and the proficiency displayed in the drill of this young corps reflects great credit on their officers, Captain Vernon and Lieut. George. Had they adopted, or been supplied with white instead of dark belts, their uniforms would have shown to much better advantage, but, as it is, their rig-out gives a very soldier-like bearing to their movements. I am told that the shooting of the High School Cadets is of a high order of merit, and am well aware that they have a painstaking and efficient coach in Lieut. George. Cadet corps are at the present time under the control of the Education Department, so that being without the benefit of capitation and free ammunition, these juvenile companies are considerably handicapped, and their duties being entirely under the supervision of and prescribed by their ■officers, they have not the advantage

i of participating in a regular course of volunteer duties and receiving the benefits to be derived from such. As the volunteer corps will probably have to draw on these cadet corps in the future for their recruits, it would be a good plan if the Defence Department were to assume control of them and by laying down a regular course of duties qualify the cadets for the work that will in time be expected of them. Three members of the Awarua Rifles were on the range on Wednesday afternoon, and had a practice at 200 yards. Volunteers were startled last night upon entering the Volunteer Hall for the Battalion parade to observe a large poster in glaring colours placed in a conspicuous place on the wall. “War declared ” was whispered, and some Tommy Atkins’ at the door were noticed to shift uneasily toward the street. The cause of this mild sensation, however, proved to be only a notice exhorting all and sundry to attend the Fusiliers’ social on Wednesday to celebrate the opening of their orderly room, reference to which I have made elsewhere. The turn-out of the local corps at the late demonstration when His Excellency the Governor laid the memorial stone at the hospital was not all that could have been desired, the Fusiliers and Guards in particular being conspicuous by their absence in numbers. The Navals and High School Cadets had a creditable muster, and redeemed to a certain extent the other companies’ apparent indifferense to the dignity they were expected to lend on this auspicious occasion. Volunteers are verily strange beings. On ceremonial parades we, as a rule, get a big muster and on this occasion when they were expected to rally in force, it was astonishing to find that most of them preferred to look on. On the afternoon of the Governor’s demonstration a young enthusiast from the Bluff Navals, desirous of trying his hand at rifle shooting, betook himself to the Rifle Club’s range, and after waiting patiently till the club men had had their innings, fished out a few spare cartridges from his breast pocket, took his place on the mound, and after cautiously and carefully taking sight, pulled the trigger. Bang ! “ Hit it, Charlie,” said a voice from behind. “ Yes,” said Charlie, “and it hit me, too,” This young gentleman is now quite satisfied that the recoil of a Martini-Henri rifle is 931bs,