TERRITORIAL FORCE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 6

TERRITORIAL FORCE.

MILITARY CADETSHI PS. LOCAL CENTRE EXAMINATIONS. "With reference to tho protest, emanating from Christchurch, against candidates for cadotship at the Commonwealth Militaiy College having to assomblo at "Wellington for examinations, it has been found possible, states the Defence Department, to hold the entrance examination at each of the four principal centres. Candidates may consequently present themselves at Auckland,. Christchurch, Dunodiiv or Wellington. In the printed "Syllabus of Examination, Part 11, Division I, Para. 2 (iii)/.' for "Australian History," candidates nvo requested to "New Zealand History." The examination will take place about February 15. CIVIL ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS. FINANCIAL-SECRETARY AND ACCOUNTANT. Under. the new defence organisation, which abolished the Council of Defence, with its "Finance member,'" a, rearrangement of positions has become, necessary. This has been effected by the appointment: of Mr. F. Burton Mabin (late finance member), as Financial Secretary to the Defence Department and of Mr. H. Griffin as accountant. THE.WELLINGTON REGIMENTS.' CHANGES THAT ARE IN SIGHT. ' The man in the street has so long been accustomed to think of volunteer infantry companies and mounted squadrons as independent uuits that the phrase ''First Wellington .Mounted Regiment, Third 'Wellington Rifle Battalion," conveys little meaning to him. truth is that tho various companies and squadrons, particularly in tho country districts, have so seldom been assembled together under their regimental and battalion commanding officers, that no regimental esprii-de-corps has ever existed.' Now }< things are , undergoing a change, and with the development of the new defence schciuo and organisation of the'troops-into composite regiments and battalions in being, company and squadron units will sink their respective individualities—the regiment ana the battalion will be the unit.

: According to the statement which was issued from headquarters on Monday (published in Thf, Dominion yesterday), the Wellington military district is to comprise the land districts of Wellington, Taraijaki, and Hawke's. Bay. The troops in this district will consist of three mounted regiments; Lour infantry battaliohs, an engineer corps, a field ambulance corps, one. battery of field artillery, a detachment of the Permanent Force, and three' garrison artillery with various defence cadet corps, defence rifle clubs, anil the school cadets. Under the old establishment there ■. were four mounted regiments and fivo infantry battalions. In order to reduce the mounted and infantry corps by. one regiment and one battalion' respectively, in order to bring the establishments into line with the new organisation, it has been found necessary to'carry out a process of amalgamation. A and E . squadrons of the Second •; Wellington Mouhted Regiment — the Heretaunga Mounted Rifles and. the Dominion Scoutswill be attached- to the Manawatu Mounted Regiment under Lieut.-Colonel D. Pringle,-. whose headquarters are at Palmerslon North. ' The remaining squadrons- of, the second regiment, which will be wiped out altogether,; will be attached .to.'the East Coast Mounted Regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel Russell, with headquarters at Napier. These squadrons are the Eketahuna, 'Pahiatua, and Masterton Mounted Rifles.' The first two will probably -be reorganised .within themselves, transformed into a mounted communications corps. The' Fifth Wellington Rifle Battalion, consisting of the rifle volunteer units in the : Woodville, Dannevirke, Masterton, Pahiatua, Greytown, and Carterton districts, will be. attached to the East Coast Battalion (Napier), under Lieut.Colonel J. Hislop. This schemo of reorganisation is, governed more, or less by geographical conditions, tho. mountain ranges, of- the* R-imutakas,. Tararuas, and Rtiahines, forming. a natural Jioundary right along between' the East, and West Coast troops. The, eastern and western lines of ■ railways . serve as. a. convenient transport. route lor regimental mobilisation. With the'growth of tho population further along tho East Coast—up Gis.borne way—some rearrangement will, in time, be necessary. . '• ,

UNDER'CANVAS. TIIE TRAINING SEASON. With an-Tnverago muster of something like 150 of all ranks, the D Battery, encanlped at the Ilutt Park for its annual course of training, is.putting some:excellent work in' preparation for its service test on January. 19, when tho guns mi be trekked over a four days' route. On. the evening of that day, tho tents at !!- Hutt Park will be struck, and'the battery will proceed to Havwards, where a h'u. will be called till too'following morning. Shooting will commence next (lay, en route to Paliautanui, in a valley near Judgeford, at which place tho _battery, will camp for the night. The trek to Paliautanui will be continued on Saturday morning, another series of tests will be carried .out with live shell, and evening will see the guns unlumbered aud tho tired gunners encamped at Paremata. There will be no shooting on Saturday (January 22), but tho men will be put to various exercises in entrenchments and. earthworks. Shooting will be resumed on Monday, in ; tlie vicinity of Porirua, after which- tho battery will return to town. Tho corps has rather suffered by the. recent probationary • appointments to' the permanent staff. Captain- Glcndining and Lieutenant Skelley have gone to Tauherinikait to tho Staff camp, and so has Sergeant Lambert. Lieutenant Avory was tempted to leave his battery and go .to Featheston also, but he has, it is understood, declined tho appointment. Major Petherick, Officer .Commanding the Battery, is in charge of- tho cainn, and is assisted by Lieutenants Hay-Jlacken-.iie and Avery, and Permanent Staff Sergeant-Instructors Wilson and' Peter-" sell. Captain G. S.. Richardson, Chief Inspector of Artillery, is also in-attend-ance. The Dominion Scouts and Heretaunga Mounted. Rifles will go into camp together this year, and will pitch their tents at the Hutt Park on January 2a, for a ten-days' course of training. The First Wellington Rifle Battalion, under Lieut.-Colonei JV- Duthie, will encamp at the Karori Recreation Ground on Saturday next, together with the Wellington Field Ambulance Corps.

. The Wellington Navals (Captain W. H. Morton) and tho Electric Light Corps (No. 3 Coiiipany G.A.T., Captain A. G. Hume), go into camp at the forts on January 20, for 1G days' trainine in fortmanning and big-gun practice. The, A,'ellingtoii Nnvals are to n»an the now fort at Dorset Point this vean while tho Electric Light Corps will be at Mahanga Bay. This will probably ho the last'of the Garrison Artillery Company having camps, as next year will witness a big divisional camp for the Petono Navals, Wellington Navals, and ; tho' Electric Light Corps. t '

St. Aiine's Cadets went into camp at Seatouu yesterday, for a week's training under canvas. This is, their first camp, and tho corps intends to make a success of it.

Other camp fixtures include:—Eltham Rifles, Jauuary 12-19; Wellington Engineers, January, 14-29; Carterton Rifles, January 24-30; Hawera Kifles, January 25—February 1; Gisborne P.ifles. January 20—February 2; Second Wellington Infantry Battalion, February 4-11; Dannovirkfl Rifles, February 5-12; Mounted Rifles, February 16-2(1; Tarnnaki Rifles, February 4-12; Woodville Rifles, February 13-20. A YEAR IN ENGLAND. FOUR OFFICERS TO GO HOME. Lieutenants Whyte, Barton, Robinson, and Grant, the'four officers who were selected from tho volunteer for a twelvo months' coursc of instruction with the Imperial Forces at Home, have completed'their course, ami will return to New Zealand in March next to take up positions-on the Instructional Staff, Cabinet has now decided to make a further

selection of four officers, who will proceed to England for a year's (raining. It is presumed that the conditions under which the first four officers were selected will offnin apply. They are as i'ollow:

Candidates for selection mu.«t submit their applications - through the officers commanding the respective districts, for consideration by a selection board. They must not be less than 21 nor* more than u0 of age, and, if married, must submit proo,f of provision for proper maintenance of wife and children (if any).

Education test: Standard VI, or certificate by headmaster from inter-collerri-ate school, certifying candidates had two years' tuition at the r-ehool and passed examination equivalent to Standard VI. All combatant officers are eligible, irrespective of their present rank/and must h-ive at least two years'* commissioned service, and be .serving at date of application. Successful candidates v:ill be appointed lieutenants in the New Zealand Militia, and will bo required to resisrii their volunteer commissions. Before proceeding abroad they will be required to serve for three months with the Permanent Force at headquarters, with a view of obtaining experience, and to. pass a filial general and practical test to the satisfaction of the Selection Board.

On completion of the proposed course and on. return to Zeafaud, officers ,will be required to serve on the Instructional Staff, with the rank of captain.

Pay will be. as for lieutenants, 011 first appointment, .£175 per annum. Parages will be paid by the Department, and an allowance of 2s. Gd. per day whilst on board ship,- in addition to which officers will receive'los. per . day whilst in .England in connection with, the course, provided 110 quarters are provided by the' Imperial authorities. In the event of quarters bain? provided by the Imperial authorities, the allowance will.be 75.-6 d. per day as from date of landing to date of depatture from England. No allowances otiier than those mentioned mill .be allowed.

Selected candidates must be prepared, on the ono hand, to enter into an agreement with the Department to continue in the service of the New Zealand Government for a period of at least three years on completion of the course, and on rc,- . turn to New Zealand; and, on the other, hand, the Department will guarantee cn> piovment for the above-mentioned perto! of three years as an officer in the New Zealand Defence Forces. . The particular training'or education the accepted candidates will "be required to. undergo will be in infantry and musketry work. ARMY SERVICE CORPS APPOINT- ' MENT. . Cabinet has decided that an Army Service Corps officer" will be selected from tho Imperial Forces in England for service in New Zealand. 1