VOLUNTEER FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND (REPORT ON).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1884 Session II, H-03

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Sess. 11.—1884. NEW ZEALAND.

VOLUNTEER FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND (REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the Geiieral Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Undek-Seceetaey for Defence to the Hon. the Defence Minister. Sir, — Defence Office, Wellington, Ist June, 1884. I have the honour to submit returns showing the strength and distribution of the Volunteers on the 31st March, 1884; and also of all descriptions of ordnance, small arms, and ammunition on issue and in store in the colony. The new regulations which came into force on the Ist January, 1883, the results of which could not be judged until the commencement of the present year, appear to have worked satisfactorily. The suggestions for amendments received from the staff-officers of the various districts have been slight, but will form a subject for your consideration, as well as the necessity of a few slight amendments in the Act, which, if approved by you, for submission to Parliament, would enable the regulations to work smoothly, and obviate the misunderstandings occasionally raised upon technical points. The returns show that, under the new regulations issued by you, out of a force of all arms, amounting to 4,332 members, 3,394 fulfilled the conditions and became efficients during the past year, as detailed below: —

Samples of Morris's tubes, a recent invention largely patronized at Home for assisting Volunteers to carry out a course of musketry instruction in their drill-sheds, have been forwarded to the several districts, which, if generally adopted, should be a great convenience to the Volunteers, as enabling them to carry out their practice in all weathers at convenient times, and obviating the necessity of members having to travel long distances to their several ranges, with the chance of being interrupted by bad weather. These tubes, carrying a miniature cartridge, are easily adjusted to any breach-loading arm, and only require a range of 30 feet; the usual sighting is used, and the ordinary extractors act precisely in the same manner on the tubes as on the arm without the tube. An additional advantage is that, although giving an equal result in the practice, the ammunition costs but one-fourth of the ordinary Snider ammunition. I have, &c, H. E. Eeadee, Lieut.-Colonel, The Hon. the Defence Minister, Wellington. Under-Secretary for Defence.

Strength on Dec. 31, 1883. Efficient. Non-efficient. 'Cavalry ... Naval Artillery Artillery... Garrison Eifle •Country Corps I ■ • * 379 530 634 1,621 1,168 285 419 513 1,363 814 94 111 121 258 354 4,332 3,394 938

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Return of Volunteers to the 31st March, 1884.

* Includes garrison and local bands. t Includes corps to be disbanded, but not accounted for in "strength." J One a Naval Artillery corps. § One an Artillery corps.

Return showing Distribution of Ordnance on 31st March, 1884.

Beturn of Small Arms and Ammunit lifles, dtc. —In Store and on Issue — Snider (all sizes) —On issue ,, ,, In store Enfield—In store .mmunition — Snider—In store Enfield —In store •adet Arms — *Carbines, muzzle-loaders—On issue ,, ,, In store tton. 5,019' 6,422 256 939,785 107,355 245 16 * For drill purposes only.

Cavalry. Naval Artillery. Artillery. Eifle. Country Corps. Total. Cadets. District. DO Pr g Strength. O IB Pr g Strength. U r» Pr g Strength. O m Pr g Strength. Q Pr g Strength. O IS Or g Strength* O m Pr g Strength. O .uckland Vaiuku Vaikato 'aranaki 'atea Vanganui tangitikei Vellington Vairarapa f apier 'overty Bay 'hames i 13 ta 1 63 50 47 61 2 1 "l 107 50 '63 1 i 55 61 3 i '2 "8 194 '52 141 178 2 1 i 3 3 87 36 36 158 105 132 8 2 3 1 3 i. a 8 3 2 1 2 443 99 50 52 83 252 158 407 132 125 38 104 i i 3 4 48 64 136 222 'i 1 52 38 i '73 "l '53 i 51 Total N,I. .. 221 273 206 11 689 13 554 40 1,943 470 felson larlborough Janterbury )amaru .. )unedin nvercargill jake Vestland i i l 57 03 51 1 i 2 1 47 60 126 49 1 2 1 2 1 37 336 56 98 (32 2 1 4 1 4 1 112 52 219 73 273 77 1 1 2 2 5 1 §3 1 36 34 79 87 186 40 125 54 5 2 10 4 14 5 3 3 232 86 511 216 746 279 125 175 1 2 1 3 4 51 123 58 186 367 2 121 '2 79 Total S.I. .. 171 282 349 16 927 16 641 4(3 2,370 13 864 Totals all N.Z... 10 392 3 0 555 11 555 26 1,616 20 1,195 86 4,313 3333 1,334

Armstrong. Distribution. 24-pr. 7-ton Guns. 64-pr. Guns. Mortars. Iron Guns, various. 40-pr. 12-pr. 6-pr. Cowitzers. trmed Constabulary Force, Taranaki Auckland Phames Napier.. tVellington jisborne jhristchurch Cimaru kelson.. 33>unedin Invercargill 3)amaru .. —.. .. Jueenstown .. .. i " 1 "l "2 2 4 1 "2 2 1 2 "2 3 2 2 4 1 2 2 1 "l 3 1 1 ' 1 3n issue to Volunteers .. [n store .. 1 6 10 10 'ii 'ii 4 7 13 2 Totals .. .. 10 10 11 11 11 15

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Return of Volunteers, and how armed, 31st March, 1884— continued.

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District. Corps. 3 o O 9 d to 3 a a a o p 3 -2 a 1 I t/3 E I * u a o § 6 s a o3 M a di M 1 i o to I 3 s o liders. i a 3 fc D ! to 9 1.2 II o to I 1 M fa O *n I CD a j Pi d 0 I ■S a cS ofi m ■8 I 02 Vaiuku Vaikato ]aranaki, Wanganui, Patea, andBangitikei L uckland 'ellington Staff Auckland Naval Artillery Devonport Naval Artillery A Battery Victoria Rifles City Guards Rifles Hobson Rifles Garrison Band Whangarei Rifles Coromandel Rifles Waiuku Cavalry Wairoa Rifles Stafi Te Awamutu Cavalry Cambridge „* Hamilton ,,* Stafi .. .. .. Alexandra Cavalry Wairoa Light Horse Wanganui Naval Artillery Wanganui Rifles Taranaki Rifles Wanganui City Rifles Garrison Band Patea Rifles Royal (Marton) Rifles Palmerston North Rifles Manchester Rifles .. • .. Wanganui Collegiate School Cadets New Plymouth High School Cadets Staff .. .. .. ' Wellington Naval Artillery D Battery Wellington City Rifles Guards Wellington Rifles Garrison Band Petono Naval Artillery Makara Rifles Kaiwarawara Rifles College Cadets Te Aro School Cadets Mount Cook School Cadets Staff Greytown Rifles Masterton Rifles Carterton Rifles Masterton School Cadets Greytown School Cadets Carterton School Cadets Featherston School Cadets Staff P Battery Napier Rifles Band Staff J Battery Staff Thames Naval Artillery Ranger Rifles Staff Nelson Naval Artillery H Battery City Rifles Stoke Rifles Garrison Band Waimea Rifles College Cadets Staff Blenheim Rifles Spring Creek Rifles Blenheim School Cadets Tuamarina School Cadets Staff Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry Lyttelton Naval Artillery 1 i 1 1 1 i i i i i l l l l i l l l l l l l i l l l l l l l l l l l i l l l 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1. 2 2 O 2 2 o 1 1 I) o o o g 0 1 1 1 1 Q 4 2 4 3 5 5 B 5 5 :> 5 2 4 4 4 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 :: 2 1 B 6 2 i i i i i i l 1 l l l l l l i i i l l l i l i i l 50 46 46 55 40 52 25 38 37 55 29 40 52 38 41 49 45 51 23 31 49 46 39 55 41 4 54 54 48 44 37 42 14 28 117 55 62 59 48 55 63 45 61 25 45 42 63 36 2 50 2 61 ■ 47 50 58 52 60 23 36 57 54 47 64 48 68 61 56 52 46 26 50 21 34 121 56 09 '63 50 2 4 65 61 61 58 57 *50 30 63 63 49 66 57 63 39 49 40 62 49 63 57 50 50 50 63 60 57 36 46 63 49 4 58 'co 50 6 67 61 4 50 25 20 50 Wairarapa i l l l l l l l i 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 30 45 35 65 49 37 44 40 50 50 n 1 c; 1 n 1 1 1 38 52 42 73 55 4:i 61 P Z BS 68 10 i 88 1 Go fil 0 •IT 37 ■is 52 12 86 51 1 52 31 87 2(1 4 57 60 10 10 10 10 47 40 30 38 Napier l i l i "fi 5 44 54 63 1 1 1 •60 2 Poverty Bay .. i l 2 i *84 63 Thames i i l i 2 3 5 i l 47 42 63 *68 Nelson 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 5 4 4 4 l 38 30 40 44 '58 59 l l 60 60 1 1 2 2 3 2 i 29 46 '49 1 55 Marlborough .. i 2 2 2 i 43 28 89 " 23 i i i i 5 3 r> 2 "8 8 3! Canterbury .. i 1 2 i i 1 'so 51 63 60 i 4 5 63 * About to be disbanded.

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Return of Volunteers, and how armed, 31st March, 1884 — continued.

By Authority: George Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB4.

District. Corps. fl O o 9 a a ca <D 3 09 s 3 05 d v tc <D op a 03 h 6 ft O 9> U <a % & a u H 6 fa 1 3 d 'A 03 44 d a 0 1 O g 5 O riders CD I a o O '■m 5 CD s 1.a 11 o m r^ o > « fa o" «H 3 s en a d 9 l c CD 03 CO it O '«B M 3 to .s J 6 d rn V IS 3 00 u o i 03 lanterbury— continued lamaru lunedin C Battery .. E Battery City Guards Rifles Christ's College Rifles Christohurch Rifles Sydenham Rifles Garrison Band Temuka Rifles Ashburton Rifles Christ's College Cadets Staff I Battery Oamaru Rifles Band Hampden Rifles Otepopo Rifles High School Cadets North School Cadets South School Artillery Cadets Staff Dunedin Cavalry Dunedin Naval Artillery Port Chalmers Naval Artillery B Battery .. L Battery City Guards Rifles North Dunedin Rifles Waikari Rifles South Dunedin Rifles Garrison Band Bruce Rifles Clutha Rifles East Taieri Rifles South District Rifles Waikouaiti North District School Cadets .. South District School Cadets .. Middle District School Cadets Normal School Cadets Staff Southland Hussars Bluff Naval Artillery.. G Battery Invercargill Rifles Band Riverton Rifles Staff M Battery Arrow Rifles Cromwell Rifles Queenstown School Cadets Arrow School Cadets Staff 1st Westland Rifles Kumara Rifles Greymouth Rifles 'i i 1 'j 1 1 1 1 1 1 'i 1 i 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 "2 2 "2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 i i '3 5 5 3 4 5 5 4 4 4 '5 4 2 4 3 3 4 5 5 5 4 4 5 5 4 4 1 1 1 i 1 1 i 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 43 37 38 42 45 44 32 32 51 '47 55 40 34 59 46 62 54 54 54 39 42 52 53 45 51 50 46 45 50 53 53 18 39 40 58 2 56 63 17 45 42 65 52 69 5 63 63 63 48 50 61 61 53 59 39 37 34 47 32 36 67 100 100 100 2 51 49 62 59 18 40 1 43 38 44 39 40 1 59 54 62 '03 60 61 60 64 "5 15 15 63 59 63 44 63 60 63 63 50 50 63 7 50 50 57 63 51 56 '30 1( & 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 4 4 4 2 4 'i 29 28 41 27 28 32 33 44 34 44 'i 15 6 7 7 :nvercargill .. 'i '2 2 2 2 i 3 5 5 5 45 40 53 50 66 l l l l 56 63 i<)( l l l uake 2 '32 63 15 50 i "i i i 35 31 36 33 34 40 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 3 4 3 3 1 1 1 1 50 50 tVestland 2 2 '2 1 2 2 2 "5 5 1 1 1 3 4 i 1 52 46 59 63 50 63