Volunteer News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 142, 13 April 1893, Page 3

Volunteer News.

(By

Rifleman.)

The Easter Encampment at Johnsonville was a decided success. There were between 80 and 90 tents, and the total number of men in camp was upwards of 550. Some excellent woodcuts of Colonel Fox, Commandant of the Forces ; Lieut. Col. Hume, Defence Department; Lieut. Col. Newall, Officer in Command ; Major Loveday, Herataunga Mounted Infantry; Capt. Patterson, Wellington Guards ; Capt. Collins, City Rifles; Lieut. Commandy Duncan, Wellington Navals ; Dr. Grace, Surgeon General; and Surgeon Gillon, Wellington Navals, appeared in a Wellington weekiy. The Christchurch Easter Encampment was also an unqualified success, between 700 and 800 Volunteers camping out. > The Auckland Easter Encampment, I am sorry to say, was not, numerically speaking, a success. There were between 250 and 300 Volunteers at the outside present. The mounted rifles—notably the Te Awamutu Mounted Infantry, the South Franklin Mounted Infantry and the Waiuku Cavalry mustered very well, and their movements and soldierly appearance were greatly admired by everyone who witnessed them. As for the town corps the least said about them the better. The musters all round were as bad as they possibly could be. The sham fight on the Monday was well carried out, and the ‘ great battle ’ ended in the usual unsatisfactory ‘ draw.’ The ‘shooting’ members of the' various corps were conspicuous only by their absence ; the A Battery were represented by Doughty, Henderson, Baddeley and Brown. The Engineers had no ‘ shootists ’ present, while Lieut. Skinnei was the only representative of the ‘ Vics.’ as also Cox for the Newton Rifles. Lieuts. Dormer, Coleman, Shepherd and C. Anderson represented the City Guards, and thejtwo Spinleys, Ewan and Ness the P.N.A., and Lieut. Craig A.N.A. Why is this thus ye shootists ? Well may the officers and members of corps stoutly resist monetary aid when asked to send shooting men South. Had it been an afternoon, or three of them for that matter, on the Mount Eden Range shooting for money prizes I will guarantee the shooting men would have been there to a man. Enough said. The long talked of shooting match, Smokers v. Non-Smokers, is fixed to

take place on Saturday next at the Mount Eden Range. Considerable interest is being taken in the match, and I predict a win for the ‘ smokers ’ on this occasion. Capt. Crawford of the ‘Wairoas’ informs me that it is more than probable the corps will disband. He intends calling a meeting at an early date to consider the situation. Some of the members are in favour of disbanding and forming a mounted infantry corps. If a sufficient number are willing to do so he (Capt. C.) will make application accordingly —- if not, there will be nothing else but to disband. I think it would be a pity to lose the services of such an old corps, as they are, if I remember right, about the 3rd senior corps in N.Z. On Saturday a few of the members of the Smokers and Non-Smokers teams had a practice with the Martini-Henri rifle, preparatory for the match on Saturday next. Some very good scores were made. Doughty for the Non-Smokers was top with 89, and won the sweepstake. Head, Smokers, secured second place with 86, and took second prize. Brown, Non-Smokers, was third. McCallum has decided to cast in his lot with the Smokers in next Saturday’s match. He was picked for the team, but declined to shoot on account of being a non-smoker. Cigarettes did not count in Monty’s opinion. Glad he has decided to shoot, as his loss would be felt. He is one of our best Martini-Henri shots. It was very bad taste of those prominent volunteers who visited the Encampment from time to time in mufti, much to the annoyance of both officers and the men. Far better had they stayed away, or, if thev must visit the camp, why not don the’ uniform ? It would then give the appearance to casual visitors that they had been in camp all the time, and further would have added 2s 6d to the funds for their attendance. The Kohimarama Camp was about the prettiest and best situated camp I have ever attended. Capt. Self, quartermaster, was all there at the Camp, and a better man could not be obtained for the position. Sergt. Coleman, of the Permanent Force, lent very valuable assistance to the officer commanding, and assisted very materially in the successful arrangements of the Camp. Major Banks (retired), the guest of Colonel Goring, proved that he is a soldier of the first water, and gave very valuable aid and assistance to Colonel Goring in the plans of attack and defence. It was a treat to see him sit his horse during the various manoeuvres. If we had some officers of his stamp here, volunteering would take on again.