DEFENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 453, 3 April 1912, Page 3

DEFENCE.

THE USE OF RIFLE CLUBS. In a memorandum just issued Colonel Kob : n, Adjutant - General, states that judging by the results of the medical" examination of recruits last year, it is expected that, about o per ent. will be found totally unlit. About (30 per cent, will be posted to the Territorial force and Me per eon'.,, to ride clubs. Regarding the new rifle club scheme, Colonel Kobin says that making use of nlle clubs is to avoid multiplications of divisions of force, and to place the defence forces of New Zealand in two categories in their relation to training and defence of the Dominion (1) The line of the Territorial force and Territorial resreve: ('-,) the line of ritle clubs and training sections aililiated to ritle clubs. It must be borne in mind, however, that very shortly ail young men posted 1o form rifle clubs will have to undergo drill and training between the ages, of fourteen and eighteen in the senior cadets. Drill in the rifle clubs will thus be of a refreshed character, the only end in view being that all will lie drilled to practice in musketry to a stale of individual efficiency to be drafted into the active ranks of the force to till vacancies or augment, the same should the necessity arise. Rifle clubs will be, given a place and function in the defence scheme and their movements in time of war. necessarily provided for in the mobilisation instruction of the Dominion clubs already existing, will continue, and be governed by rules and regulations already in existence. Only those young men who insist May next have reached the age of eighteen and are not required for the Territorial force, will he posted to rifle clubs this and each succeeding year. The system is in no way retrospective. The regulations governing rifle clubs are published.