VOLUNTEER NOTES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 14, 30 September 1908, Page 12

VOLUNTEER NOTES

(By

Mr Castleton, of tho Brigade Office, Is awuy on twelve days' well-earued leave. Capt. F. Stuckey's appointment to No. 1 Co., Klug's College Cadet Battalion, Is gazetted. The appointment of Capt. ,T. Howarth to the command of the Mangokahla M.R. has been confirmed. The appointment of Lieut. J. J. Raynes to the command of the No. 1 Wuikato M.R. has been gazetted. Tho appointment of Lieut. D. R. F. Campbell and W. T. Rowe to commissions In the Plako M.R. has been approved. It Is said that the Illkurangl Rifles are about to be disbanded, on account of their Inability to keep up their strength. Lieut. Mclntosh, of the No. 1 Natives, becomes eligible for bls 16 years' service medal next month, and within a few years afterwards will be able to claim the V.D. Lieut. C. Cooper has been gazetted to a commission in the Victoria Rifles, and the appointment of Lieut. W. E. Cairn to Ills position In the Gordon Rifles is also confirmed. The Officers' Club lias decided to bold the annual ball on October Sth, and a strong series of committees, of which Captain Plugge and Lieutenant Cumming are secretaries, Las been formed. A miniature range is being put up in the Mangakahta M.R. largo drill ball, and It will probably be opened early next mouth, when it is hoped the local corps will meet a team from the Marsden M.R. Eight members of the Opaki Rifle Club in the “Daily Mail" Empire Day Cup match in May last, whose score (776) was the largest in New Zealand, are to receive silver spoons iu commemoration thereof. Garrison Artlleryincn will be pleased to hear that there is a prospect that at aa early date mechanical range Indicators will be fitted at the forts. This will put the Division more on an even footing with the Southern Division, for the electric indicators are unreliable aud treacherous. At a Mounted Scouts competition held at Cambridge last week, the cup presented by Surgeon Capt. Roberts was won by Sergt. Peake, who also received a rug presented by the Kaiapol Woollen Co., aud Corporal Wallis got a medal for second prize. The Engineers have been added to the special school which is being held at Wellington next month for the Field Artillery, and about 8 officers and non-coms will be attending. This will afford the first chnneo the Auckland company has had of meeting the other officers of the Domluiou in their branch of the service. The friends of ex-Sergeant Goldenstcd, lately of the A Battery, will be glad to hear that be has by no means given up volunteering, though he has left the battery. He has been transferred to the Duuefiiu Lands Office, and has already been offered, aud has accepted, a commission as subaltern iu the Caversham Rifles. An artillery officer is telling the joke against himself. He was coming down the rOad On his way to the church parade in the striking full dress of the company, when bls attention was attracted by a commotion on a verandah of a house he was passing. And as he passed he heard a child's voice call out in shrill excitement: “Willy! Willy! Lome and see the Drum-Major!” The following N.C.O.'s of the Auckland Division N.Z.G.A. have received certificates for the respective ranks:—A. V. Little, for sergeant. No. 8 Co. (85 per cent); G. Kernot, for sergeant. No. 2 Co. (SO); 11. w. Bickerton, for sergeant. No. 3 Co. (70); 11. J. Taylor (75), Malcolm Ferguson (75). W. G. Thompson (80), W. F. Bell (70), for corporals, No. 2 Co.: B. N. Reid (70). K. Urquhart (63), P. S. Flanagan (70), M. Mclntyre (52) for corporals. No. 3 Co. Certificates have been issued to the following members of the Franklin M.R. as follows:—Sergt. H. Orum. sergeant's certificate (75), Sergt. 11. Jameson, sergeant's (53) Sergt. J. Bloomfield, sergeant's (70J), Corp. T. E. Paton, sergeant's (73J), Corp. C. V. White, sergeant's (86). Similarly to the Pukekohe M.R., thus:—S.M. S. C, Schofield, sergeant's (82 per cent), Q.M.S. M. Wright, sergeant’s (81), Sergt. Patterson, corporal's (55), Sergt. J. Reynolds, sergeant's (861, Sergt. D. K. Clark, corporal's (GO), Sergt. 11. T. Evans, corporal's (58J), Sergt. IT. E. Wilkinson, sergeant's (35), Corp. A. Burns, sergeant's (87). The formation of the South African Scouts has been pushed forward another step. The application for acceptance has been forwarded to Wellington from the Auckland Office, with, I understand, a recommendsilon In Its favour. Captain Colbeck’s letter

RIFLEMAN.)

accepting nomination was attached to the application, aud much aatlsfactloa la fait amongst members that he has accepted the position. The members are looking forward to meeting Captain Colbeck at an early date, when ho is expected to be coming down to Auckland. The next step must be taken by headquarters, and It Is understood that a promise to hasten the matter has been given from Wellington. I understand a satisfactory arrangement has been made for the supply of horses for parades, and a great difficulty anticipated has thus been got Over. The sum of £250 was voted by Parliament for the special encouragement of shooting at the atinual class firing tests, and of this sum £l4 12/10 was allocated to the Auckland district on a pro rata basis. Only Infantry, mounted rifles, and defence cadets aro eligible, and the classification Is on the basis of first-class, 50 per cent and over; second, 80 to 50 per cent; recruits, 20 per Cent. The prizes will be allocated to the best shots In each class, as under:—Adults, first-class: 1 at 80/, 1 at 25/, 12 at 10/, 20 at 5/> 22 at 2/6—total, £2O 5/1 secoml-class: 2 at 10/, 8 at 7/8, 14 at B/, 86 at 2/fl—total, £l2; recruits: 2 nt 15/, 1 at 12/8, 1 at 10/, 10 at 5/. 26 at 2/6—total, £8 7/6. Cadets — First-class: 1 at 10/4, 2 at 7/6, 4 at .5/, 10 at 2/6, 10 at 2/ —total £4 10/4; second-class: 1 at 6/, 5 nt 4/, 10 Ot 2/—total, £2 6/; recruits: 1 at 8/, 2 at 6/, 8 at 3/, 10 at 2/ — total, £3 4/. For many weary years Auckland has been hungering for some permanent habitations at the forts, where the nomadic volunteer in his sporadic visitations thereto during the summer rains might find comfortable lodgment, it seems likely that this consummation, so devoutly to be wished, will be brought about before the summer camps. Representations at headquarters have been favourably received, and It is believed inexpensive barracks will be erected at Cautley, Tnkapuna, nnd the Bastion within a few mouths. Not before they are wanted, either. If it should rain, as it generally does, the camps become a quagmire, and the men live iu a steaming, clammy atmosphere. most depressing to the spirits. Everywhere else In the South they have these barracks—large, roomy, comfortable lodgments—nnd poor old Auckland has had to do without. They expect too much of our climate.