VOLUNTEER NOTES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 3, 20 January 1909, Page 15

VOLUNTEER NOTES

i By

RIFLEMAN.)

The Engineers- go into ramp at Fort (’uutlvy on the 23rd inst., and will remain under canvas for 16 days. Col.-Sergt. Gibson, uf the Victoria Rifles, has resigned from active service in the corps, and will go on the reserve strength. It is stated that in al! probability payment wi I be made to all volunteers who attend the Easter manoeuvres this year, irrespective of the proportion uf company strength attending. (’apt. Carpenter, A.A.G., will probably visit Cambridge on or about Friday, the 22nd inst., for the purpose of examining those officers who arc up for promotion on their practical knowledge of military duties. A meeting of the officers commanding squadrons of the 2nd Regiment A. MR. will bo held in Hamilton on Friday, February 12. when, amongst other matters, arrangements for the Easier and annual training camps will be made. The detachment of No. 3 Company A.G.A. have returned from their trip to the Hotel na and Maketu districts, after a very successful and enjoyable visit, during which they competed in several rille matches. Several promotions take effect this week in No. 1 Company Garrison Artillery. Corporal West becomes sergeant, Gunner Marshall becomes corporal, and Gunners Cockrane. and Hipkins have been raised to the rank of bombardiers. I'he examinations for the No. 2 Co. Garrison Artillery take place on the last Monday of. this month. 'l'he company is also holding paid daylight parades on Saturdays, the 16th and 23rd inst. Lieut. Vaughan is taking the company through the annual camp, which commences on February 5. Captain Richardson, artillery instructor for the Dominion, will arrive in Auck and for the second .week of the No. 1 Company’s (Garrison Artillery) camp, which commences at Fort Bastion this week. He will remain through the camps of Nos. 2 and. 3 Companies, ‘the former at Fort Cautley and the latter at Fort Takapuna, both being under canvas together. As a result of the win by the Victoria Rifles No. 3 team of the championship in the teams’ match at 'the recent rifle meeting of the Auckland Rifle Association, the first and second teams of the corps are on the move to arrange a re-trial of markmanship, the team with the lowest score to find a shooting trophy for the corps. Col. Bell, O.C. the Second Regiment A.M.R., is at present on a tour of inspection in the Waikato of the Government property in the possession of the regiment. Soiue time ago, the New Zealand Defence Council invited applications from officers of the defence forces who were desirous of proceeding to England to undergo a twelv • months! course .of military instruction, with a view to being appointed to the New Zealand instructional staff. Three applications have' already been received from local officers. It should be repeated that all such applications must be-received by the O.C.D. In such time as will insure their arrival at Wellington by February 25th. With the approach of the Garrison Artillery camps, attention is once more directed to the duty of the members to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the recent circular (dated October 24th, 1908). from Captain Richardson, artillery instructor, who has therein much to say in the way of instruction and advice with regard to the last encampment. Lieutenant-Colonel Patterson, O.C. Garrison Artillery, is desirous of all giving special attention to the study of the remarks made by Captain Richardson in this connection. Already 83 applications (Including officers) have been received by the promoters, for enrolment in the new Highland Rifle Corps, for which arrangements are under way, and, as this will be probably found to exceed considerably the required number, the nucleus of a second company is expected to remain after the first is formed. Mr P. M. Mackay-, who is actively participating in the work of formation, states that the uniform selected is that of the 42nd (Black Watch), and that the probable date for the acceptance of the new corps,.which will be known as the Auckland Highland Rifles, will be within two or three weeks. A White Paper recently issued by the War Office, gives particulars of the amounts granted by colonial Governments to their rifle associations. In it may be seen how much more thorough is the system of encouragement to shooting overseas than it is at Home. Canada gives an average of 32 million dollars annually, nearly one-half of which goes to the Canada Rifle Association, whose teams do so well al Bisley, ami who produce such a network of marksman-in-structors throughout the Dominion. This association also receives 100,000 rounds of ammunition free. New Zealand gives its chief association £6OO, and, when a team is selected for Bigley, a special grant of £1650 is usually made. Australia has spent an average of £6OOO a year during the last live seasons in grants to clubs, quite apart from ammunition and other advantages. The (‘ape of Good Hope gives £2500; the Transvaal, £1000; Ceylon, 500 rupees; East Africa keeps up a Volunteer Reserve; Fiji granted £2lOO last year; Hong-kOng, 520,000 dollars; .lanuilcp. £5*26; Nyasaland, £796; and Rhodes in, £2206. VOLUNTEER RIFLE CLUB. formed in Auckland. Some time ago Captain J. Potter, of (lie A sqiiddron/'lst Regiment. Auckland Mount cd Rifles, was approached •by members of several volunteer corps in Auckland, with a view .to (hb format lon or a Volunteer Rifle Club. Tim project took practical form at a meeting of the Shooting Committee of the A squadron, held last week.

when it was decided to furin a club, to be known as the Auckland Volunteer Rifle Club. The objects of the club are to promote shooting matches every Saturday during the season for trophies on the Penrose Range. All members of corps in Am-klamt are invited to assist in the promotion uf the chib, as, if <*arried to a successful issue, it will undoubtedly prove of immense advantage to volunteers generally throughout the district. A meeting has been fixed to take place on the second week in August, 1909. when a committee will be elected, each corps affiliated to have an equal number of representatives. The annual subscription has been suggested as £5 for each corps, amt every member of. such corps may compete free at all matches, the ent ranee fee being 10/ for each member of a votunteer corps not affiliated. All further information may be obtained from Captain Pottei\ t<r whom application should be made for affiliation. It is sincerely to be trusted that adequate support will be offered by the members of the various corps to this worthy obj<»ct. The advantages to be derived in the promotion of such a scheme can scarcely be overestimated. and th(» weekly shooting niat<’hes, open to all members of the affiliate?! elubn, and, on payment of an entrance fee, to other volunteers, will afford extensive opportunities for developing marksmanship. Trophies will. I am sure, bp soon forthcoming, and it may be regarded as certain that, with such chances offering, rifle shooting Is bound to go ahead rapidly, together with considerable individual improvement. AU interested in the work will undoubtedly join in wishing the new club every sm c<‘b*s. EASTER ENCAMPM ENT. I learn from Colonel Wolfe, 0.C.D., that, subject to the approval of the chief of the general staff, the site for the Easter Encampment was last week definitely fixed for New Lynn. 'l'he sol tiers in the vicinity have (Colonel Wolfe states), very kindly afforded all assistance', by according permission for the use of their land, and a good camping ground has been arranged for about, a mile from New. Lynn stall. ~ towards. the south. As stateiL in this column fast week, the camp will this year partake more of an instructional nature with regard to attack and defence, and it is probable that the manoeuvres may extend even as far out as Henderson. It will thus be seen that the camp will this year be much more conveniently situated for purposes of both travelling and transport than was-the case last year. The units concentrate on the Thursday, April Bth, and commence work on the Friday. A meeting of the propose<T Auckland South African Scouts was held last week in the Drill Hall. Correspondence was road by Capt. Colbeck, intimating that the services of the corps could only be accepted by the defence officer on the understanding that the corps be attached to and part of the present regiment of Auckland Mounted Rifles. There are 60 men who saw service* eluting the South African war who have sent* in their names as willing to serve in a Scouts Corps, but they are* not in favour of being attached to any other body, it is stated that there are a heady one or two independent corps in Auckland,-and these men claim that if they art? willing te) serve as scouts, they should not be compelled to attach themselves to any other corps. The meeting decided to make further effort to have what the men desired agreed ‘to, and for that purpose it was arranged that a deputation should wait upon Mr. W. B. Leyland, as president of the National Defence League, to see if he could do anything in the direction of having the services retained for the defence of the Dominion of men who had seen actual service in the field. The meeting decided that it could not serve under the conditions set forth in the correspondence, and forwarded a request that the New Zealand Defence* Council should reconsider its decision in the matter.