TRAINING CAMP NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2642, 13 December 1915, Page 7

TRAINING CAMP NOTES

TROOPS MOVING TAXI-RACING STOPPED 'After a fortnight of quietness, <lurnig whicli iiuie tho various forces haver ~®®n training steadily in tlie camps at j lrontliam, Tauherenikau, and Kangiotu, another movement of troops has begun and will continue during the next few days. On Friday last tlie Tenth Mount- , ed lloinforcemonts and the Mounted Hides Reserve, nuinbcriiicr 700 111011, _ moved from Trentham to"Tauhorenikau 1 and took the place of tlie Ninth Mount--1 gts, who have gone 011 their extended 5 leave and will return to Trentham at 2 '.ts conclusion. The Infantry Reserve 5 went to May Morn from Trentham on 5 Saturday. The Eleventh Reinforcements will begin to eiiter camp to-morroiv and 2 should be all in by Friday. After receiving their equipment the men will be sent out to May Mom. The exchange of camps the Ninth and Tontli Infantry Reinforcements also takes place this week. On Thursday . morning, tho Ninth Infantry start; out • on their march over the llimutakas to ■ Trentham, and the Tenth Infantry will • go to Tauherenikau by special troop train 011 Friday. It is expected that the new camp at Featherston will be ready early in January, when increased accommodation will be. provided, making tho use of temporary camps unneccß- . sary excopt in special circumstances. } Regulating Taxi Fares. £ 0110 result of the placing of the Fea- _ thcrstoii-Greytown Road under military control will be that the fares charged 'by taxi drivers between Tauherenikau Camp and Featherston and Gre.ftown will- bo regulated. Hitherto tlie single fare for one person has been 6s. If there were others travelling in the same • car that fare . was divided ■ among the ; passengers, with a minimum charge of 2s. each. So that if there were four passengers the driver received Bs., and so on. Under the now regime it is understood that the farei per man will bo Is. 6d., if there are four or more passengers. If there are loss than four > the payment of the 6s. will be divided ajnong them. Overcrowding of cars and racing will also bo severely punished; no car will be allowed to overtake an-' other moving oar. Of late there have been many complamts by pedestrians using the road concerning the scant consideration shown thom by somo of the drivers. On one occasion, it is saut,_ a ear which was being driven erratically at night appeared to pursue fl. pedestrian on to the grass borders of the road. At any rate, tho pedestrian claimed that the mud-guard struck him when he was several feet away from the metalled roadway j fortunately it (inly tore his coat pocket. General paWsfaction is expressed by the bulk of the users of the road at the action of tho authorities in taking over the control of the traffic. "Tenths" at Musketry. Time is precious where tho training of the troops in musketry is o.nd the Tenth Infantry wore engaged m that training yesterday morning 60 as to get through their allotted course before leaving for Tauherenikau, whero no provision yet exists for advanced rifle practice. The usual ohurch parade was held at Trentham, and in the afternoon the camp was visited by numbers of citizens. .THE MARCH OF THE NINTH. OVER RIMUTAKA HILL. The Ninth Infantry Reinforcements, numbering over ICOO men, will begin their march across the Rimutaka from Tauherenikau to Trentham oh Thursday morning. Tho Seventh and Eighth Infantry accomplished this long march and the men of the Ninth are keen to oinulate and perhaps surpass their achievement. When tlie Seventh crossed tho weather was cool. Tlie Eighth felt the effects of a hot, muggy morning, though they did not suiter thereby. Shice it is now summer, and the hot suji pours its rays upon the mountain road in the forenoon, the Ninth will move out of camp at daylight, about 3 a.m., and make the ascent of tho bill in the cool of the morning, reaching the summit at seven o'clock. There then men will breakfast, and afterwards resume their march toKaitoke, which will mark the end of tho first day's march of 17 miles. An Early Cavalcade. Early as the troops will leave camp, an earlier start still will be made from Featherston, four miles on the road, by a cavalcade of wagons and motorcars. It lias been the practice of Dr. Palmef and other residents of Featherston, including a number of ladies, to provide mid-day refreshments iu the form of hard-boiled eggs and tea for the soldiers when they reach tho top of the hill. On Thursday this refreshment will be an adjunct to the men's breakfast. In order to have it ready when the troops arrive, an early start will have to bo made. During the next few days, eggs will be in kecii demand at Featherston, and 011 Wednesday' thousands of them will bo boiled and packed for transit to the summit. Portable .boilers'' to make tea. in will also be requisitioned in large numbers. On the two other ocoasions when the Featherston folk carried out their much appreciated al fresco hospitality, there was almost a shortage of boilers, but this time it is hoped to havo more of them. Tho boilers will he carried 1 up the hill together with the eggs and tea, in wagons, the volunteer ■ cooks and waitresses following in cars, and as soon as the breakfasting place is reached, the boilers will be_ sot out and got into action jit once, like batteries of guns. Hie smoke rising from them will be a cheery land-mark to the men tramping Tip the hul. Cooks Co In Advance. ■Whilo tho volunteer citizen caterers £0 on ahead, the camp cooks and orderlies will tako the train at Featherston for Kaitoko, Here the Army Servico wagons from Trentham will meet thorn with all tlio _ necessary gear for tlie *yi.mp field kitchens to be set up 011 ground not far from tho railway station. I lio Army Service men will liavo the enmping ground whero tlie troops will .bivouac for the night, in perfect order, and tho cooks will havo a steaming meal ready when tho marching mou complete their journey from the summit, a iourney, by the way, which is not all downhill, there being a.t least one hill which mi"ht bo termed a stilf one. After a bathe 111 tlie river the men will enjoy that meal. Manoeuvres and Night Attack. Jho last stagos of the journey will consist of a march to Wallacoville during which manoeuvres will, it is expected, bo carried out, and tho liu'litin bivouao at Wallacoville will bo partly occupied by a night, attack upon tho Ninth, by an enemy which will nlay the gaino with all tho seciw anil strategy possible. On Saturday the Ninth will march to Trentham, 'where they will remain until .tlioy sail for the front. ! STRIKE OP TAXI-MEN THE NEW SCALE OF CHARGES. following upon tho promulgation of the new orders for the regulation of tlie taxi traffic 011 the Groytown-Feath-orston Road comes tho report of a strike of tho taxi-men on Sat-urday. This uncdifving iniiVhßl, dnpn jml, r'ri&uad .to tlicj am# 'of the driyerg^

against whom tliero havo beon many complaints. It has probably not occurred to tlio taxi-moil that the Government lias power to commanded' cars for military purposes, a fact that- they may find it profitable to ponder over. Following is tlio now scale of charges, as officially fixed : — Tauherenikau Camp to Featlierston, 6s. up to four passengers; 2s. each additional passenger up to tlio number tho car is licensed to carry. Tauherenikau Camp to Greytown, 7s. up to four passengers. Tauherenikau Camp to Carterton, £1 up to five passengers; over live, -Is. each. Tauherenikau Camp to Masterton, lip to live passengers, £12. Featlierston Camp to Featlierston, single passenger 2s. Cd.; 2 or 3 passengers, 35.; Is. for each additional passenger. Featlierston Camp to Greytown, 12s. up to four passengers. Featlierston Camp to Carterton, 255. up to five passengers, and Cs. for each additional passenger. Fcathorston Camp to Mastorton, £2; Cs. up to five passengers. In all tho above eases where a car is kept waiting, waiting time shall bo charged at the rate of ss. per hour.