VOLUNTEER NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 23, 8 December 1909, Page 9

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

(By

Rifleman.)

The Auckland Engineers go into annual Wnip of instnwt.ion on January 12th. Captain Richardson, Artillery Instructor for the Dominion, is expected in Auckland Bhortly. Corporal Paine, of the Engineers, has been awarded the Royal Humane Society's bronze medal for saving the life of a member of the corps, Sapper Hastie, from drowning at the annual camp at Fort Cautley in January last. Lieut.-Col. G. W. S. Patterson delivered a capital lecture at the Auckland Officers-’ Club last week, on the re-organisa-tion of the Chinese Army. As the Colonel w?as recently through China, and saw the great manoeuvres which took place during his visit, he made the subject very interesting. An interesting war game started at the Auckland Officers’ Club last week. The enemy is assumed to have effected a landing somewhere in the vicinity of Helensville, and is moving on Auckland. A warship with 500 men o*n- board is lying at the bj.tck of Motu-tapu, and this- force is waiting to co-operate with the enemy that is working down from Helens-vilie. The No. 1 Auckland Field Ambulance had three teams in the ambulance competition st the Auckland Show. EYich team did splendid work, and were spoken of in flattering terms by the judge, Sergt.-Captain Purdy. The results were as follows: —• Sergt. Roper's team (Privates Scaly, Bennett, Smith, Millet, and Gick) Ist; Private Lorri gan's team (Privates Boyne, Stain tons Howie, Price, and Lord), 2nd; Corporal Welling's team (Wilson, Mioor, Bellingham, Wilkinson, and Ellis), 3rd. At the divisional' parade of the Auckland Garrison Artillery on Monday week, there was a record muster, about 350 men being On parade. N'o. 1 Company was under Ideut. Greenhough, No. 2 under Chpt. PoC-

ter, ami No. 3 under Capt. Mor ran. At the I>rill Half, the Division was inspected by Ldeut.-CoLonei G. W. S. Patterson, 0.C., who expressed himself well pleased with the splendid muster and the bearing of the men. After the parade, the Division proceeded to Princes-street, where the convpanie* had some infantry drill, and subsequently there was a march out. Attention of all concerned is again drawn In a district order by Col. Wolfe, to G.R. 302, which reads as follows:—-“Special authority must be obtained from the Council of Defence for holding any parade which will entail expense, either in transport or otherwise.” Col. Wolfe says: “As much inconvenience has been caused on account of app’irations for expenditure being submitted to this office in insufficient time to admit of being obtained, officerscommanding must in future forward such applications, together with details of cost, a fortnight beforehand at least, and so enable the regulation quoted 'to be complied with.” No. 2 Company New Zealand Natives fired a match at the Company’s miniature range, at Kingsland. last wei‘k, for a trophy presented by ('apt. Richardson. The conditions were two distances. 10 yards and 25 yards, five shots at each distance. The following are the scores:— Pte. W. Danrell (handicap scratch), 25 at 10yds, 25 at 25yds—total 50 Tie. S. Bates (scratch), 25, 26 50 Sergt. Major Taylor (3), 23, 24 50 Pte. 11. Klar tin (8). 23, 19 50 Pte. Nelson (2), 25, 23 50 Pte. Harrison (3), 25, 22 50 Fte. J. Martin (9), 22, 19 50 Pte. Sullivan (11), 19, 20 50 Col.-Sergt. Phillips (scratch), 24, 35.... 49 Pte. Stock (4), 24, 21 49 Lieut. Gibb (scratch), 24. 24 48 Fte. Hogarth (7), 20, 21 48 Sergt. A. J-ilLings (4), 22, 22 48 Corporal A. Perez (G), 23, 17 4G Sergt. Geo. Cook (G), 20, 20 4G Pte. Corin (12t), 15, 18 45 The tie was to be decided later on. Sir Joseph Ward's scheme for compulsory training has had a remarkably stimulating effect on volunteering. Recruits are coming forward with an eagernes-s that is almost amusing. They don’t want to be left behind to -the tender mercies c< a rag-tag-and-

bobtail camp, and so are hastening to receive the imprimatur of a regirhir corps, where they wi-ll at least have a local habitation and a name, and escape the rnconveniei ces which would be inseparable from the big summer camps which we read about in the coming scheme. In a few months a vacancy in a volunteer company will be a rarity. The officers are experiencing the unusual privilege of weed tag out the recruits. and it is now no longer necessary to advertise in tram ears. One well known company in Auckland last week had fourteen applications, and only chose two men, and the three Garrison Artillery companies are now -nearly up to ful-I strength, and the figure is a high one—ls 7. It is an ill-wind that blows nobody good, and the standard ol efficiency will, as a result of the new scheme, be raised tu a level it has never before reached. Portable army kitchens hare arrived. The need for some method of providing troops on the march with a hot meal, which experience indicates will become greatly intensified in our next great campaign, has led to many ingenious devices being placed in front of the military authorities, but none has been of such a practical nature as that which. Lieut, ami Q.-M. A. Sykes, Royal Irirli Fusiliers, has invented. This is undoubtedly ihe most efficient, cheapest, ami most economical field kitchen existing, end its practical character has been al-

ready put to the most severe tests with the happiest results. It is in the form of a range, closed in so that no light or fl*me is visible, and burning with such intense heat that a hot meal for a thousand men can be cooked on the march in any sort of weither in a very short space of time. Oil is the fuel used. The range weighs a little more than half a ton, so that with its complement of * oil, food, and accessories, it does not make more than a very light load for two horses in a general service wagon. Its portability is a great feature, for it can be readily lifted out of the wagon and placed on the ground tp cook in camp, or placed in a regimental cookhouse for ordinary use. Only one man is needed to look after it, and so simple is Its mechanism that, a man of ordinary intelligence would learn to use it after an hour’s experience. But the great feature of the whole affair is the elever way in which the range is pivoted to ensure the contents of the boilers from being jolted out while passing over rongh country. The range is balanced on an axle longitudinally, so that it swings freely, while each of the boilers is balanced on a transverse axle, so that no matter what angle the cart may assume in passing over rough roads or ground, the contents of the boilers keep a uniform level. Its value Is obvious. In these days of extended outpost lines, where it is often impossible for fear of exposing the position to light fires, a battalion can be supplied with a hot meal at any hour of the day or uight. On the march it will cook so that at any halt on the road the troops can- be supplied with food or hot tea or coffee. There is no delicate mechanism to get out of order, the oil being supplied under air pressure to the burners, and the arrangement is so simple that failure except under gross carelessness is impossible. Rifle Shooting. The Secondary Schools shooting competition for the current year for teams of ten men, seven shots at 200 yards and 500 yards, resulted: —Nelsen Cob legp, GOG; Wellington College, 586; Wai-

taki Boys’ High School, 584; Auckland Grammar School, 568; Otago High School, 564; St. John’s Collegiate School, 549: Ashburton High School, 547; Wanganui Collegiate School, 527; Marlborough High School, 517; Southland School, 480; Palmerston High School, 453; Whangarei High School, 433.