VOLUNTEER NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 15, 13 April 1910, Page 9

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Reorganising; the Forces. The Defence Department is not standing still in regard to the question < reorgauiaing the forces and introducing the new scheme. The transition of volunteers into territorials, and the introduction of compulsory service wilt necessarily take months to complete, and the work is being gone on with systematically and quietly. For the present the territorial force may be recruited only up to the establishment of the old volunteer force. Training will be as hitherto, with the exception that infantry and cycle companies will train in camp for a period of seven days, night and morning only, unless volunteering to remain in camp during the day, when personal allowance will be granted. It. has been deckled to subdivide the Wellington military district into four areas for the present. The same will be done at Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago and Southland, thus creating eight subdivisions in each island. These are being so arrange (hat each area will, in its turn, be capable of subdivision. In regard to the future organisation, it has been decided that tin* territorial Held force in each district shall !•<* organised into brigades, regiments, and Ixit tai ions, as far as local conditions admit, as follows: —Ono mounted rille brigade of two or three regiments, and headquarters, one mounted signalling company, one mounted supply column, one mounted field ambulance, one field artillery brigade, and ammunition column, one field engineer company, one infantry brigade of three or four battalions, and headquarters, one infantry supply column (mixed), one infantry ‘-ignalling conqMinv, mu* field ambulance. It is mon* than likely that each subdivision will lx* placed in command of

au area adjutant, who will have charge of the instructional department and of the general training section 'Die latter will be drawn from the four areas, the same as the territorial force, but the details have not yet been decided upon.

burgeon-Major Caroian, Acting Las just been down to the Thames for th<« annual examination of the Hauraki Baud, in ix>uuectioi> with their efficiency tests in ain balance work.

Ihe A Battalion of Defence ('adets. comprising the E<i. n. J »ero<ip l ., t. aud Punsonby Corps, have just had a successful camp at Point <'hcvalier. Captain bhepberd being in command.

As last year the No. 2 Company. G.A.V , was again this year the first company to receive ite bonus in uouneution with the annual camp. The money was paid over at the parade on Monday night, and needless to say there was a good muster. I’he Auckland Engineers tire for the land and O’Brien trophy on the 3Uth of the present month. I-unee-t’orporal Chilcott is the present holder. The final of the Company Championship Belt (now held by Mr Iteardqn) will be decided on the 16th. An interesting district competition, the b-hootmg for the Campbell Belt, takes place at Penrose on the 23rd of this month. Entries. accompanied by 1/6, will be received up to the 19th by the secretary of the Range Committee, Captain Donner. The ranges are 200 yards, 500 yards, and 600 yards. It is to be hoped the event will provide a keen fight. In connection with the new system of defence, all officers commanding districts have received orders that all lads between 14 and IS attending schools or colleges, who are liable for service, ami are not at present being trained as senior cadets, are to be enrolled either in existing companies or new companies are to be formed, to ensure that all undergo the requisite train-

Nominally the Commonwealth has 22,326 men in her military forces, made up of 1448 permanent force. 16,819 militia, and ~voluulcers, to wliich must be addev 55,947 men in the Ritie Clubs. This is on paper. A Sydney writer sums the real position up as follows: With a territory to defend 2,974,551 square niihv in area, having a coast line of 8000 miles, quite half of which is not protected by nature or art, and is easily vulnerable, we have*: (1) The north bare of people, ami in the south a mere handful of lighting inm; (2) the Nortfr rrn 'l’erritory and Western Australia isolated from one another ami the rest of Australia; (3) unsatisfactory commimlent ions where they exist at all; (li a mobile lighting force which, when it was got together, would consist only of 2i»,000 men some untrained; i.">) such a meagre possession of arms ami ammunition that if all the manhood were called out for service we cou J d only arm 85,W0 of them; (6» at most GOO cartridges per rifle for th<* small arms we possess; (7) a lamentable deficiency in field guns ami ammunition; ami (8) the only source of possible supply 12,000 miles distant. It is to remedy this sort of thing that the onergior of the Common wealth are now being directed towards the perfect* ing of the comprehensive scheme that Lx>rd Kitrhen<*r has drawn up. The return match between the M&rerehf Rifle Club ami the Otamatea Mounted which took place on the latter squadron’s range at I’aparoa, result. <1 in a victory the Mareretu Rille Chib by 46 points. Th'> conditions were 10 men a-side, ranges 20t> g 300 and 500 yards; 7 shots at each range*, and one sighter. The weather was no< very favour.ible for good shooting, the being very dull and occasional misty sliovrers swept across the range. MARERETU RIELE CLUB. Total Th<»s. Nutsford. 33 200yds, <lO 300yds, 26 500 yds .. , 89 If. Cross, 33, 2 », 29 88 R. McCarroll, 26,22- 1 , 21 78 W. McCarroll, 30, 26. 22 78 W. Nntsford, 28, 23. 2’» 76 J. Sykes, 29, 25, 21 77b Job Sykes, 2', 26, 22 . e T2 Win. Gibbs, 22, 21. 27 * 70 Ben. Birt, 26, 21, 15 65 gtamatea moi xti:i> riei.es. T. V. Nihsford, 3 28. 26 « F. Siir.ing, 29. 27. 25 hl J ’ Smith,’ 29,’ 23.’ 25 .. ..’.’. . . ’ .. .. . 77 C. Qmiife, 28. 27, 20 75 H. Tibhots. 23 17, 30 70 A. Ariell, 21. 24 24 GO 1). McCarroll, 21, 18. 26 65 W. Wilkins. 18. 25, 22 f<R. Smith, 26, 16, 15 57 Total 710