EXIT THE KILT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1116, 2 May 1911, Page 6

EXIT THE KILT.

THE HIGHLANDERS LOSE THEIR IDENTITY. AREA OFFICERS AT WORK. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS. Kilts, states the official fiat, arc to disappear from tho Fifth Wellington Rifles —formerly known as the First Wellington liitlo Battalion. This means that the costly uniform of the Seaforth Highlanders, adopted as the full-dress uniform of tho Wellington Highland Rifles, is to be laid 011 the shelf, and that the Highlanders will lose their old identity in their new designaton as "H" Company of the Fifth Wellington Rifles. A full-dress church parade of tho Fifth Wellington Rifles (Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Duthie, 0.C.), will be held at St. James's Church, Newtown, on Sunday next. The regiment will also parade for ceremonial 011 Friday evening next, and full regimental parades wilt be held each week during the ensuing four weeks. The following changes in the company staffs are announced:— Captain J. A. Cowles, formerly adjutant of the First Wellington Rifle Battalion, now the Fifth Wellington Rifles, will take command of "H" Company (formerly the Highlanders), the duties of adjutant having now'been taken over by the area officer, Lieutenant A. H. liassam, in his capacity as permanent adjutant of the regiment. "J" and- "I" Companies, formerly the Johnsonville Rifles and the Hutt Valley Rifles respectively, have now been amalgamated, and will be known in future as "L" Company—"J" and "I" being dispensed with as designations for company units, in view of possible misunderstandings arising from the similarity of the letters—and will be in charge of Captain F. T. Moore, previously officer commanding tho Johnsonville Rifles. Captain F. Ross, previously in charge of the Hutt Valley Rifles, has been attached .to the Fifth Wellington Rifles as a supernumerary officer. Lieutenant- S. J. Cowles, formerly of the Joirusonville. Rifles, goes over to "C" Company, while Lieutenants .Buller and Sloan-transfer to "L" Company. Lieutenant Treadvrell has bean given charge of tho regimental Scouts. A theoretical examination for officers of the territorial force will be held 011 May 16 next. WITH THE AREA OFFICERS. REGISTERING THE YOUTHS. The registration returns for the past week from the various area group districts in the Wellington command aro as follow-.— Wellington (Hutt returns not yet to hand). Area 17, 383; area 18, 83; area 19, 53; total, 51!). The grand total to date is 1333, exclusive of the returns from existing territorial units, senior cadet corps, and institutions, which have yet to come. Napier. Territorial units, 375 (of which 125 are over the age of 21); other Territorials registered, 481; cadets, 10G0; total, 1913. The grand total to dale is 17S8—serving Territorials, 217; Territorials not serving, 181; cadets, 10G0. Taranaki. Area 29: Territorials, 200; cadets, 312. Area 30: Territorials, 150; cadets, 274. Area 31: Territorials, 101; cadets, 334. Area 32: Territorials, 10; cadets, 27. Total, 1108. Wanganui. Territorials, 421; cadets, 883; total, 1307. Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor, Officer Commanding the Wellington Military District, will leave Wellington shortly on a round of inspection of the various areas in his district. AUSTRALIAN ITEMS, THE MILITARY COLLEGE. The Inspector-General of Federal Public Works, Colonel Oweii, states that the works a:t the Military, College at Duntroon are sufficiently advanced to enable the cadets to enter into residence by the end of May. Some thirty young men who passed the examinations recently will be communicated with by the Defence Department, and directed to report themselves 011 a date which Colonel Bridges, the Director, will fix. Tho proposed new cordito factory in 'Australia will cost JCG5.022, including expenditure on buildings, works, machinery, and supervision in erection. The output of the factory is based at 50 tons annuallv, but should it be necessary to double the output at any time, it can be done with the same plant by working two shifts instead of one. The plant erected is capable of manufacturing guncotton and nitro-glycerine, the two main ingredients of cordite, also nitric acid, and it can recover and concentrato wasto acids. Largo cordite for the guns can be easily manufactured at the factory with a "few additions to the plant, but this would involve the equipment of proof grounds also. The factory will be capable of manufacturing either cordite Mark 1 for rifles, or cordito mark MD for guns, up to 150 tons per annum, byworking three shifts. Raw materials, such as nitrate of soda, cotton wasto, acetone, and mineral jelly, will have to be imported.