VOLUNTERING.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1815, 15 December 1879, Page 3

VOLUNTERING.

Oar Volunteers may congratulate themselves upon having obtained the Drill Shed and grounds from the Government in permanent trust for volunteer purposes. It is a matter of great importance to the movement, and we may look forward in consequence to an increased spirit amongst the men. The concession is no doubt a valuable one, but will at first require a largo expenditure of funds ere the buildings are placed in that good state of repair and so altered as to afford the best accommodation for the valuable property that will always have to bo stored there. The buildings and ground are vested in the four senior officers of the district for the time being, who have power to let such portion of the ground not necessarily required for drill purposes. Any one conversant with the present condition of the buildings, fencing, and ground generally, will know that a large sum of money must be forthwith spent upon renovation. The commissioners have already considered these things, and the present week will see a new start made in the history of the Christchurch Drill Shed, When the intended repairs and alterations are made, could it not be called the Volunteer Drill Hall ? It is undoubtedly a shed, and a miserable one too, at present, but with the alterations lot us start a now title. The intended alterations to the shed are to take out tho skylights, and in place thereof complete with iron ; to place a large window in each gable, put new supports to verandah, and lay a good boarded floor over the present one, which is of asphalte. Outside, it is contemplated to complete the fencing of the grounds with iron, as at Ipresent partly done, and to put the cottage in good repair, so that a Staff Sergeant can reside upon the premises. With these alterations the whole property will be made much more secure, and will at the same time afford splendid accommodation for a variety of sports or pastimes, to which tho commissioners may give their consent. Tho ground will, it is probable, be opened either on New Year’s Eve or the evening of Now Year’s Day, with a variety of sports, confined to volunteers only, and probably an exhibition of infantry drill and bayonet exercise. Those items, together with the

enlivening strains of the Battalion Band, should draw a largo attendance. Of rifle shooting, little has been done this season, owing to the unsettled weather. The Artillery had a competition last week, for a small-bore rifle, presented to the battery by Captain Craig. The Engineers hare had Government class firing on two Saturday afternoons, a large majority passing satisfactorily. The City Guards keep up a series of matches confined to the company, and have injtitutcd a challenge belt—a very good idea, and one which should prove interesting. The Engineer Cadets have sent to England for a now uniform, and will soon be in possession of it. The interprovincial rifle match with Otago has every appearance of coming to an untimely end. Our southern friends have bean wanting in consideration in not consulting, to a small degree, the convenience of our men. Only fourteen days’ notice is received of the match, and then it so happens that our greatest provincial holiday would be missed by them. They cannot bo surprised if we find the date too inconvenient to accept. Great regret is expressed at the matter, ns our representatives had been looking forward to a really good tussle this year, and with great hopes of success. Had the match been arranged for same dates as in last year, no difficulty would have arisen. The second meeting of the Hew Zealand Rifle Association will be held on the association grounds, at Brightwatcr, near Nelson, on Tuesday, 2nd March, 1880, and following days. The programme has been issued in pocket-book form, which contains also the rules of the association, and spare pages for memoranda. There are twenty matches in all, with prize money, belts, and rifles, amounting to a value of £IOOO. This meeting should, now and subsequently, be a great success, as the few disadvantages that might at first meeting have existed will, through experience, no longer occur The Easter Review is likely to bo a red letter day to our volunteers. The Jockey Club have most generously given up the use of the racecourse for Easter Monday, and postponed their races until Tuesday and Wednesday. That, the first important question, having been satisfactorily settled, it now behoves the officers to begin the serious business of ways and moans. The number of visitors, so far os can be at p-esent ascertained, is likely to bo far in excess of any like gathering in the colony. The N.Z. “ Volunteer Gazette,” of December 9th, says that: The Artillery Regiment will Ibe strongly represented at Christchurch at the Easter review. The number present will probably be as follows : —B Battery, Dunedin, 70 ; C Battery, Timaru, 40 ; D Battery, Wellington, 50 ; E Battery, Christchurch, CO ; G Battery, Invercargill, 60 ; I Battery, Oamaru, 40; K Battery, Invercargill, 50; L Battery, Port Chalmers, 60 ; total, 430. Should the H (Nelson) Battery attend, this number will be increased by another forty men. The Naval Brigades will probably muster as follows :—Dunedin, 100 ; Port Chalmers, 60; Nelson, 50; Wellington, 100; total, 310. These two branches of the force would thus make a compact battalion of over 700 men, and as each branch is dressed alike the companies can be equalized, which is a great desideratum. There will be a strong muster of Infantry, so that combined the Canterbury people will have the opportunity of witnessing a eight that many of them have never yet, nor may see again for years to come. There is plenty of work to do to organize and carry out the campaign, but in the hands of Colonel Packe and Major Lean we have no doubt of the issue.