THE REFRESHER CAMP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 5

THE REFRESHER CAMP.

SOME OF ITS SCENES. (Bj TcloirraDb.—SDecioi Oorrtanondcnt.) Palmerston N., August .8. It seems that things have been "cncrgetic''- at tho camp at Palmerston North. "They keep us hard at it fvorn .daybreak till bedtime," 6aid a sorgoant-inajor from the biokblocks of Wiiiton, "With exercises, drills, a'nd a lecture before and after tea, I assure} you timo does not drag:," "it would be all right if they'd let ua alone," said a lugubrious Aucklander, Angering tenderly his left 'arm. "Ho J s been vaccinated'," laughed tho sergeant-major. "Compulsory P" queried the reporter. "Wo can't go back to the South Island unless we get done," ho said. "There aro a dozen of us laid up with sore arms," sai(l tho man'on eick leave, "and some of them havo had a bad time. Ono was lanced yesterday." "Ho wasn't wise," said tho sergeantmajor. "Ho ought to have put it off till camp was finished. His blood would havo been in better order, too, after. a spoil of this work." "Not compulsory," said tho staff officer when interrogated on tho point. "Wo couldn't quito compel. But" —with an accent that implied an all sufficiency—"the colonel wishes it." The camp is compulsory for members of tho staff corps/for threo weeks, but optional for all other.?. ' Otago seems to havo been the province of pluck aud push in matters martial, for it sent a double consignment of N.C.'s. Tho Territorial (voluntary) figures are as follow (the figures for officers being given first and non-commissioned officers second):— Auckland, 11 and 41; Wellington, 23 and 40; Canterbury, 10 and 20; Otago, 18 and 85; total, 251. Tho method of drill is rofreshery. Tho men of all ranks are grouped into threo companies. Auckland 1 men aro A. Canterbury is B, Otago is C, and Wellington men are scattered among tho three, to even up. They march or rido out in companies, the senior officer in command, and then each, from captain to private (for there nro a few cadet privates there) takes his turn to drill tho whole company. These cadets will bo able to fwast tliat at least on ono occasion they had captains under them. , "Aro you looking for feather-beds P ■asked a staff corps officer as tho reporter approached .his "little wooden hut." ''Looking for suggestions?" was tho'rotort. i "Then," said tho man in khaki. "I'll give you ono. Tako. a seat on tho wlgo of this stretolier bed-bo oarcful. And don't mind tho horso snorting and kicking through tho partition. That goes on all night. Wo'ro used to it. Tho suggestion is that in futuro tho 6taff corps and tho Territorials have separate camps. Under tho system of training togothor you can well understand that tho speed of learning will bo the speed of tho slowest man. The Territorials keep ns back I beliovo this chango is intended for nest year. Well, good-night. No names, please 1" _________