VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7422, 7 June 1902, Page 6

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

(" Cantehbttry Timm.") ._; i An interesting entertainment is pro^ mised in the Canterbury Hall on the night of June 19, when the Queen's Cadets purpose holding a military concert, assault at arms and exhibition of physical training, in add of their uniform fund. The object is one of the most deserving that has been placed before volunteers and the public for some time. The excellence of the work done by the cadets cannot be over-esti-mated. The corps is the best recruiting ground which the local volunteers have at their command, as every year numbers ot members, on attaining the necessary age, pass from its ranks to those of the adlult companies, tb.ua providing a constant supply of trained material for them to work on. It is doubtful, ia fact, if the Volunteer corps sufficiently recognise the debt they owe to the Queen's Cadets. The limited capitation grant which they receive makes it difficult for the Cadets to finance as easily as the elder corps, 'hence tine present appeal to the public for assistance. Apart altogether from the object, the entertainment promises io.be an excellent one, and portion of the programme will be a decided novelty, being an exhibition by twelve persons with foils. The object of the recently formed Canterbury Rifle Association is to hold an annual champion rifle meeting.- With a view to making the Association popular, the subscription has been fixed at 5s per annum. A meeting of intending members will be held in the Christ's College Rifles ordferlyroom on July 4 to elect a Council for the ensuing year. The objects of the Association cannot, fail to commend themselves to all shooting men. The interest m rifle shooting has increased greatly of late, and it is now recognised that all else is useless in a volunteer if She cannot handle a rifle properly. The new Association promises to fill a long-felt want in this district, and it is therefore to be hoped that a good membership will be secured. A military funeral was accorded to the late (Mr Alexander Mcc, at Pleasant Point, last week. Deceased was through the Crimean war, and in the early days of settlement in New Zealand was an able and enthusiastic Volunteer officer. The officers present were Colonel Jowsey, Captain and Adjutant Foden, Lieutenants Wood (Timaru Rifles), Bowie (South. Canterbury, Mounted Rifles), and Howell (Geraldine Mounted Rifles), while 120 rank and file from the South Canterbury Infantry Battalion were dn command of Captain Ray- : mond, of the Port Guards. The Garrison. Band (twenty strong) Avas led by Drummajor Elgin. Nineteen men of the South Canterbury Mounted Rifles were the firing party, and' the .pall-bearers were four sergeants from the Mounted Rifles and) Timaru Rifles. ■ ' „. At a recent gathering in Wellington, Lieutenant-Colonel Collins referred to the want of uniformity of dress in the rifle battalion, and said he had a scheme in view which he hoped would put the matter right in that respect. He proposed that the battalion should early next year hold a military carnival in the drillshed, the proceeds of which should be devoted to obtaining a service dress for the battalion of the same material as that worn by the Commonwealth Contingent. By this means they would not have to trench on .company funds, so that" should a full dress be decided upon, the corps would have the money for the purpose. It was now recognised amongst volunteers that for full dress something brighter than kharki must be used, and should the battalion decide to have a scarlet full-dress there would be no difficulty in securing it and shaving It made in the colony. According to Colonel Robin there is too much tendency, in most companies, to bolster up a dozen or so crack shots, at the expense of the rest. What should be aimed at is a company of good average shots. Company commanders should arrange a lecture on shooting, and have it repeated by the officers under them so that men will understand how to handle the rifle. If this were regularly done before the shooting season ai great improvement, could be made in the shooting. Instead of rushing through their class firing as at present, it should be the aim of the companies to make it as profitable as possible, and if recruits were given the preliminary training he mentions, it would undoubtedly be more profitable. It is quite evidently the desire of Colonel Robin to do all he can to increase the ! efficiency of the forces under his control in Otago. With this object in view he has issued a few notes to assist company commanders in the training of their men. The firsti thing that the commanding officer endeavours to impress upon the officers is that merely extending a portion of a company and supporting it by the other portion and driving aihead at a position is only drill, useful in its way, but of little value as practice for field training. What he wants is that the men should be handled as if the operation were a reality, scouting, skirmishing, and all other works done in connection with real warfare being practised. The country close round to the towns affords facility for dozens of different useful operations for company training, and hn hopes that during the summer months is much time as possible will be spent in minor tactical operations and the practice of fire control, leaving the winter to drill and theoretical training. An interesting dispute is proceeding at present between the Otago High School and the Nelson College as to which of the two cadet corps is the Senior in formation. The "Nelsonian," the College Magazine, in an article on the late M. De Montalk, claimed that this gentleman, while a master at Nelson College, founded the first cadet corps in the colony in 1875. Lieutenant T. D. Adams, of the High School corps, wrote to the " Nelsonian " /claiming seniority, in that the High School corps were formed in 1864. The editors of the " Nelsonian," did not dispute the historical accuracy of that statement, but claimed that the existence of the High School corps we« only occasional, and was at one period subsequent to 1864 "thoroughly moribund, if not actually a thing of naught." The editors then made inquiries at the Defence Office, and a« a result announced that the High School corps was first recognised by the department on April 18, 1886, eleven years subsequent to the Nelson corps' recognition. "It is questionable," says the magazine, "whether any sporadic or ephemeral outburst of militarism, lapsing into abeyance for half a decade and. then gaining full vigour and continuous life, <san constitute a valid claim for dating the establishment of a corps from the early days prior to the temporary suspension of its