VOLUNTEER NOTES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 12, 16 September 1908, Page 10

VOLUNTEER NOTES

(By

RIFLEMAN.)

Pvt. W. Cox, of the Victoria Rifles, put Op a flue shoot recently, In the corps' first competition of the season, 10 shots at 500 and 600 yds. He made T,i at 500 and 46 at 600—95 out of 100. Owing to tiie increasing demands of business upon bls time, Captain Tapper has been obliged to resign the command of the lEngineera. 'io lias asked to lie placed upon the active unattached list. Lieut. Hewson wili take over the command of the company. At a recent meeting, the No. St lA.Q.A. elected Battalion Sergt.-Major Jackson as lieutenant of Hie company. He was the only nominee, and hie election was carried with enthusiasm. I congratulate Mr Jackson on ids promotion, which comes as a well-deserved reward for many years of energetic work in the non-commissioned racks. yir Joseph Ward announced in Parliament the other day that the volunteers would be dulled out for Dominion Day (October 26th) for a review and salute in honour of tlid occasion. It will lie a Saturday afternoon, Aud every volunteer should make it a point Of honour to be present on this our great stations! day. No Instructions have yet been receive I in Auckland for the parade. Mr. !■'. Gamble has been appointed actiugpiajor of No. 2 Battalion (Grammar School), Auckland Defence Cadets. The Rev. .T. King Davis lias been appointed as chaplain to the Battalion. Mr. J. D. Dlnncen la the fidiubant, with the rank of acting-cap-tain. Acting-captaincies have been conferred on Messrs. B. Tomlinson (A Company) -and A. Watt (B Company) In this Battalion. The appointment of Major Major, ID 8.0., to the command of No. 1 (King's College) Battalion has already been chroatcled. Mr. J. Fagan line been selected as pay and quartermaster of the Battalion, frith the rank of acting lieutenant.

The dates of the nautial artillery camps have now been fixed. The Auckland Division, Garrison Artillery, begin on January 2.3 rd, when the No. 1 Company goes to ths Bastion till the 7th of February. The No. 2 Company go in from February 6th to 2tst. The “A” Battery encamp on January 23rd, and remain till February 7th. The Wellington companies begin on October 23rd, when the No. 2 G.A. go in, Nos. 1 and 8 go In from January Bth to 23rd, and the “D” Battery from January 9th to 25th. In Canterbury the “E” Battery encamps on November 28th, the No. 1 G.A. on November 26th. and No. 2 Company on February 217th. The members of the No. 1 Company A.G.A. paid a surprise visit to Mrs Knyvett, pany, the other night, and there presented pauy, on Monday night, and there presented her with a very large oak-framed shield of photographs ns a slight recognition of her entertainment of the non-coms, at their rnoathly meetings with the “skipper" In bls home during Ihe past two years. Mrs Knyvett was taken by surprise, and was the more pleased at the unexpectedness of It. The company were entertained by Mrs Knyvett, and a very p'casant evening was spent by the visitors, who roused the welkin with their cheers for their hostess when they left. The annum meeting of the No. 1 A.G.A. At the annual meeting of the No. 1 A.G.A., which was held recently, over ninety from the gloomy meeting held about two years ago, when Seventeen men took part in what was thought to be the funeral ceremony Of the company. The company’s finances have Improved very greatly, and there Is a surplus nf £BOO In assets over liability, together with a good cash credit. The certificates of tho non coms, who passed their examinations recently were presented by Capt. Knyvett. Afterwards the company adjourned to a neighbouring

hotel, where the most enthusiastic predietlons of coming success and assertions of loyalty were made. The company now claims a roll-cnll of 127 members. Tn recent General Orders appears a notice to the effect that Capt. M. M. Gardner, 0.0. the Otago detachment of the Permanent (Force, and Capt. F. Syrnon, ef the Wellington, are appointed adjutant of the local Division of Garrison Artillery, In addition to their other duties. This seems to Indicate a new move on the part of the Defence Council In the direction of associating the Permanent officers with the volunteers, and of fusing the two forces —volunteer and permanent—lnto a homogeneous unity. It So happens that Increase of business duties is causing Capt. Forges, the present Auckland adjutant, to drop out of active volunteering, and It is anticipated that, following the Southern precedents, the Council will cause Capt. Pilkington to be appointed adjutant in his stead. It Is with much regret I hear It rumoured that Captain Forbes, the' energetic O.C. of No. 2 A.G.A., and Adjutant of the Auckland Division of Garrison Artillery, intends to resign all his positions. The reason Is the ever-increasing pressure of business. This is, in Its own way, gratifying, for it spells prosperity, but it means the Division loses a capable and popular officer. I understand the resignation will take effect from an early date. He will hand over the company as soon as Ihe annual meeting Can be held —probably ibis week —and the adjutancy as soon as be can be relieved. I hope Captain Forbes will not be quite lost to volunteering—at least he should find a place on the A.U.L., where his services could be made use of. His interest la Volunteering Is still unabated, but business, after all, Is bread and butter. With much pleasure I have to announce that tho Auckland Field Hospital and Ambulance Corps hag gained second place In the Dominion competition for the N.Z. Medical Corps' Challenge Shield. The winning company was that of Wellington, which sent up 20 men for examination, who scored 2167 marks (an average of 108.35), cut down to i 497 by deductions for in«n absent. The .ucklanderg scored 2142 for 21 men (averaging 102 marks), but were cut down to 942 by absentees. Christ church, wlt>h 23 wen, averaged 09.80, the reduced total being 844. Dunedin got an average of 122 for the 28 mon (out of ISO) on parade, but a grand reduced total of a bad 19B— a toss at 100 (or

each absentee! Nelson's lot was worse SUU, The -t nw were examined averaged 129.59, but the 32 who were away pulled the total down to 92. Thus on the men examined Nelson was easily first, and Ctiristchurch last. This method ot deducting 100 marks for each absentee is drastic, but It ehould have the good effect of driving the companies to get rid of the dummies, of whom there are too many in the average volunteer corps. In a highly specialised branch such as the ambulance, Ineompeteuey is a criminal fault, and it Is a very good sign that the Medical Corps Is freezing out the "wasters." Better far U la to have a small but efficient company than a big body of Whom half are dummies. There are 83 N.C.O.'s and men in the Auckland corps, ot wnom 12 were away—<l2oo marks clean wiped off. n the company had had 21 on the books, they would have figured far better in the lists; It must be a grateful and comforting thing to tho absentees to know that they have done their corps so much damage! Nelson and Dunedin are “horrible examples” of the absentee evil. Here are two highly successful corps, in so far as they are examined—easily first of the Dominion, and even presenting more men than any other centre —and .vet they are degraded to bottom place because of the absentees. If the companies have nay courage they will ask the unworthy members to resign or guarantee their personal efficiency. PRESENTATION TO MAJOR HAZARD. The No. 3 Company Auckland Garrison Artillery assembled in strong force ths other evening, lu their company's clubroom, for a smoke concern, given by the men In honour of their late captain, Major Hazard. There was a splendid muster, and also several guests. Supper was laid out, and, after this bad been disposed of, and the toast of “Th# King” drunk. Captain Morran made ths presentation to Major Hazard of a shield Of photographs, which the men spontaneously had subscribed and arranged. Ths shield Is of oak, about six feet long and 4ft broad. In the centre Is Major Hazard’s photograph, C'npt. Morran's being on th# right, and Lieut. Potter’s on the loft. Th# remainder of the space Is taken up with photographs ot every member of the company individually, and It Is an impressive ensemble. The Inscription reads: “Presented to Major Hazard by the members of th# No. 3 Company Garrison Artlll.iry, on bl# resigning command of the company.'* _>