VOLUNTEER GOSSIP.

Observer, Volume 8, Issue 435, 23 April 1887, Page 17

VOLUNTEER GOSSIP.

By Rifleman

— it is very gratifying to observe that Auckland-made ammunition is giving general satisfaction down South, and is now considered to he a long way superior to Kynoch's. Only let it be sold to volunteers on the same terms as the imported article, and its success is assured. — Volunteer matters aTo unusually quiet at the present moment, and this may fairly be attributed to the late encampment. The men seem to think they have had enough of soldiering for the time being, and are quite content to take a rest. ■ — I am sorry to see the growing apathy in volunteer matters, and think a good deal of it is due to captains of companies, who do not appear to enter into the thing with the true spirit of volunteering. To my mind, such men are slowly killing volunteering ; and the sooner they draw on one side and let better men take their positions, the better it will be all round. — On more than one occasion I have drawn attenton to volunteer requirements, and I am pleased to to say my humble suggestions have been attended to. I would now point out the advisability of dropping battalion drills for a time, and superseding it by company drill. Battalion drill is all very well for the high officers, but it does not please the men, as events of late amply prove. Just fancy, while the masher Battery were in barracks at Fort Cautley, one of the gentlemen (?) volunteers got so ' overcome ' that it required the services of several men to 'run Imn in.' Such a thing is without precedent. — The officers of the Naval Battalion are evidently a sensible lot of men, for I am told they utterly ignored the officers' mess tent at the late encampment, and instead of pretending to be something out of the common, messed very quietly by themselves. They had also the same bill of fare, with the exception that the edibles were served up without the attendance and elaborate style as that adopted by the other officers. — Lieutenant C. Dacre, of the Devonport Navals, proved himself an excellent Quartermaster at the late encampment, and the whole of the men felt highly pleased with their camp arrangements. Petty-officer Stanford, of the Ponsonby Navals, is also deserving of praise for the painstaking manner in which he performed his commissariat duties. On Saturday next the Ponsonby jSTavals are to hold their annual shooting competition for the handsome silver medal presented to the corps by Mr Peacock, M.H.R. —One of the smartest officers in the No. 2 Battalion is Lieutenant Dormer, who is unquestionably the mainstay of his company, the City Guards. Lieutenant Dormer is an old soldier, having seen active service in the Crimea, and since his connection with the Auckland volunteers he has made many friends by his quiet unassuming manner. He is also Secretary of the Range committee and is a most painstaking secretary. —It is stated on very good authority that the Taranaki is the last of the big encampments, as the Government find it is too expensive in holding such large gatherings. — Captain Jones, of the Wanganui Rifles, died during Easter week, and at the time of his death his company was in catnp. General Whit-more denies that there was any riotous behaviour at the Tarauaki encampment, and at the request of the Defence Office has drawn up a lengthy report. —Lord Wolseley has issued fresh instructions to the different Musketry Instructors throughout England for their guidance in carrying out class-firing. The full details will be found in the Army and Navy Gazette, but one of the first things that strack me was that in future all men firing at 300 and 500 yards should do so from a sitting position instead or lying down as formerly. —To ' Enquirer.' It would be very difficult to define Major Pirie's position in the volunteer force. He holds so many acting appointments. —If all I hear be true, the Veteran Rifles are about disbanding. This is the outcome of the poor musters, and it is only what could be expected, for any officer would lose all interest under such circumstances. —Several volunteers nave complained to me of the late encampment, and think Quartermaster Selfe scarcely gave satisfaction. They are of opinion he took too much, on his shoulders. After the experience gained at the Takapuna Encampment, I soon expect to see the members of the Ambulance corps all clothed alike, and the body placed on a satisfactory footing.

—A match idtlOOOdols. has been made between Th 6s, Kennedy's Belle and Homer llyder's mare, the nxce, ten miles, to take place on Washington's Birthday, at San Francisco. —Mr Davies, of the 'Exchange and Mart,' Hobson -street, opposite Waddell's, has been. appointed an agent for the sale of the OW server and Bell. Mr Davies has quite ;a little museum of curios, by the way, at^'he Marfc. I