THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 14

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

BY. SINTBT.

Permission has been received for a band to be attached to the Otago Division Gar- ! rison. Artillery Volunteers. j Colonel Davie3, 0.8., Inspector-general, I will carry out inspections in the Otago district as follows: — Wakatipu Mounted Rifles, February 29, I a>t 2.30 p.m., at Arrowtown. Alexandra Rifles, March 3, at 7 p.m. M&uiototo Mounted Rifles, March 4, at 8 p.m., at Ranfurly. Xaitangata Rifles, Owaka Rifles, and Popotunoa Rifles, March 7, at 3.30 p.m., at Balolutha. All officers commanding corps have been called upon to furnish an approximate return showing the amount of liability over assets up to December 31, 1907. This return has been called for by the Defence Council. *4t is announced in district orders that •quadrone and companies should arrange •^to provide rough imitation oover_ in drill hails for the purpose of preliminary instruction in its use in accordance with plates 25, 26, 28, and 30, Training Manuals, Appendix 1905 ; also figure targets representing men at different ranges. Entries for the South Island Rifle Assoeiation'B .prke meeting on February 28 and 29 and March 2 close on the 22nd met. The Union Steam Ship Company has de~cided to grant 20 per cent, reduction in' .fares to bona fide competitors on production of a certificate or receipt for entries , signed by the honorary secretary of the , association. Green Island Rifles, the pTe- j sent holders of the Watkinson Challenge Skield, intend to send a strong team, though slightly altered, to endeavour to regain possession of the shield. Defence Cadets are notified that the entry for their Team Match is 2s 6d per team, and that only carbines are to be used by them. I congratulate the Wakari Rifles upon feeing the second company to have ,their rune inscribed upon the Battalion Shield. Last year, when four companies competed end the Dunedin City Rifles finished first, Wakari occupied the Fourth position. This Tear Wakari hold the coveted positron at j the other end, and the effect upon Captain i Washer's hill men should be altogether Military. Wakari's points last year were: Judging distance, 19.44; entrenchments, 55.5; marching, 59; shooting, 18.09. This year their totals were: — Judging distance, 67»; entrenchments, 95 ; marching, 100 ; 27.03; the atendance being 25. The points scored by the winners laet year n-ere: — Judging distance, 55.55; entrenchments, 96 5; marching, 92; shooting, 4.33. j firoen Island Rifles, who finished second . ihto year, scored hoivilv fov entrench- J -.lents", an<* boat Wakari aUo in the shoot- ' ■ !t JK test, but xrerc far behind m judging ''♦Stance, and in point of -atfc rdance wnro i 24 points fhort of tho wu;iipi= It is to h\ hoped more companies will strive vp\t I

year for the honour of holding the Battalion Shield.

As a preface to the following letter, to whioh I willingly accord publicity, it maybe as wpII to remove a misapprehension. "Sentry" has no" responsibility for any Volunteer news other than that which appears under his own name. Reports of various military functions appearing under separate headings arc outside his province. This may be remembered as the letter subjoined is read : — i Dear " Sentry," — In your comments pn the battalion shield, you state that conspicuous among the absentees were the crack shots. Now, as there were only four shcoting men j from the company mentioned away from that parade, and one of these was out of town, I and another had family trouble, it was not so bad. as it reads. The trouble is tha-t the shooting men attend parades 30 well that if one or two are away they are missed a.t once, and the cry is, where are th-e pothunters (and it is rightly called pot hunting, as it ia all hunting and 110 pots). My experience is that the men who are the worst dodgers are no use for shooting, but if there is a church parade or a ceremonial on they are all there. Another thing — is it fair to ask men wb» have just finished working 48 hours to search five miles and a-h&K in full marahing eider, with the accoutrements th*t the baittalllon haa? There should be some support over the shoulders to take some [ of the weight off the waist belt. In conclusion, I think the battalion will prove at the Eagter camp that it can march with the best under proper conditions. — I am, etc.. Still Stiff. The distance for the inarching test referreel to in -tile, foregoing w«us 5 :railes 500 yards. The distance is acknowledged \ by the 0.0. Battalion to be a very searching ! test, and he was delighted to find that not ' one_ mark was lost for marching and dieI cipline. Such a. record -was really praiseworthy. The men marched steadily and there was scarcely any talkinjr even. None dropped out of the ranks. There was one young Volunteer who gave up, temporarily exhausted, just before the end of the march, but he recovered and finished ,fsqfntly, and no points were lost. At the first' glance such tests of endurance in peace time may seem needless, but on active service, for which, of course, every Volunteer -who takes his duties seriously aims at making himself efficient, much I more trying marches than that in connection with the Battalion Shield competition have to be endured, and an annual test of this kind has its uses. For a march or this kind it would be only wise to go into | training some time before. It is because of lack of training that the strain is so severe. The suggestion made by " Still Stiff" will no doubt be considered by the ' right persons. j The session of the non-com. 's class conducted by Staff-sergeant-major Bishop, is drawing to a close. A lecture on. skirmishing occupied the attention of the class on -(he 10th. This week "company 1 drill " will bo the bill of fare, and unless ! theic is a desire to extend the period the I class will be concluded the following Mon-

day with "outposts and guard mounting." Lieut. -colonel Henderson's two volume work, " Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War," can now be obtained in the Dominion trom Messrs S. and W. Maekay, of Wellington, price 18s 6d. Hitherto officers have found a difficulty in procuring this work. The Kelso Mounted Rifles have a capital attendance record in, connection with this year's camp. Only three members have been absent throughout the training. Useful work has been done, and the O.C. district has expressed himself pleased with the condition of the corps. The people of the district are showing a keen interest in the corps, the church parade on the Bth, when the service was conducted in camp, was attended by people from as far distant as 20 miles. Arrangements were made to hold military sports on Wednesday last. The programme included Night Alarm, Pace Race, Flat Gallops, Jumping Competition, Rescue Race, Sectional Leading, as well a& foot races and other competitions. The proposed voluntary amalgamation in cases of two weaker infantry companies to form on© strong one was practically quashed at a meeting of officers of No. 1 Battalion 0.R.V., held on the 7th in6t. By one company only — the Dunedin City Rifles — was the proposal approved. The City Guards, being in excess of establishment, are beyond the necessity for amalgamation. The Highland Rifles are also fairly 6fcrong and, not unreasonably, averse to losing their distinctive identity. Wa.ik»ri Rifles .a-re -well over 40, a-xt<3 there was some talk of raising a section in Mornington. The Dunedin Rifles aiee satisfied there are sufficient good men coming forward to obviate the necessity of amalgamation. Oaverebam Rifles, formerly' disposed to a junction with Green Island Rifles, who are sufficient unto themselves, are opposed to any other arrangement, and North Dunedin Rifles prefer their own traditions to sharing with any other company. The Dunedin City Rifles have become depleted through circumstances whioh are moro creditable than otherwise to the O.C, Captain M'Ara, himself thorough in his position, holds that half a company willing to strive for efficiency is preferable to a full company of which half are negligent, and did not hesitate to purge his, roll of all shirkers. A new chapter, entitled " Instruction and Bayonet Fighting," will shortly be issued to replace chapter 111, " Bayonet Fighting," appendix to Training Manual, 1905. A match will be fired to-morrow on the City Guards range between the Duhedin NfavaU and City Guard^. The conations or? 12 men. 10 to coutit; 10 shots ana a sighter at 500 and 600 yards. The f<?llojjrtog will represent the Oity Guards: l^ Lieut. Willoughby, Sergts. Husband and Baird, Corporal Lynn, Privates Rapier, thiggan, Parsons, Quilter, Livingstone, Arlidge/ Jackeon, Bugler Mellick. ** Private," Gore, asks:— Dear Sentry, —

Would you be kind enough to quote the New Zealand Rifle Association rule bearing on the following : If a competitor in a match or company competition fires a 6hot and a miss is signalled, and when his target reappears and a spotter appears on the target, is the competitor entitled or not to the value of the spotter ; also, your interpretation of the said rule? I have looked through the New Zealand rules and cannot find any rule bearing on the points, but the Bieley rule, which governs the New Zealand Association, states that no spotter shall be taken out of a bullet hole in a target until there is ' another bullet hoJe to put the spotter in. The target would, therefore, come up with the spotter belonging to the previous hit and you could not claim the value of samg. The Kaitangata Rifles and Bruce Rifles fired a match on February 8 on the Kaitangata range. The weather was very good, but a tricky wind was blowing across the range, making good shooting rather difficult at times. The conditions were seven shots, with two optional sighters, at 200, 500, and 600 yards, Bisley targets: —

Web to the length of two miles and %-quarter has been drawn from the body ci a single spider. "I have n}uch pleasure," says Mr N. M'Curdy, Dipton, N.Z., "in recommending Chamberlain's Tablets for all disorders of ihe digestive organs. I can truthfully say that I have never derived so much, satisfaction from any rnedieine as I have from, Chamberlain's Tablets. They are mild and gentfe Jq their action, and leave no ba.d lifer-effect, euch conetipa^on, and jnthis respect are superior to pills. I make a point of recommending them to my friends, and all who have used them aie loud in their praise." For sale .^erywherj.

Kaitangata Riflee. 200 500 600 yds. yds. yds. Tl. ?orp. Smith ..... 30 82 35 —97 ;olour-sergit. Brycs ..31 32 S3 —$6 Jergt. Smfcill .. ..31 34 30 —9$ ?riv. J. Spwill .... 84 31 30 -r- 95 ?riv. Duncan ... 31 29 31 —91 >xiv. G. Frsww .. vr- 91 33 27 —91 ?ziv. J. Fr&zer . „31 26 32 —$9 'riv. G- AmWson. . . 91 ao arr —s& tergt. Bryce ...... 30 29 28 —87 J riv. P. Field .. .k 31 28 27 —86 otals .. .. ..311 304 300 915 Bruc« Rifles. lergt. Sftra,w .. o 31 60 31 —92 iergt Peattie „ ..31 83 28 —92 'riv. Brown JU 27 32 —90 aeut. Simpson .. .. X 84 25 —85 lergt. Capatick .* „ 30 26 28 —81 >riv. Blaikle .. .. *, 30 31 23 —84 »riv. Duthie .. t k 27 29 24 —80 'riv. Murray „^ i, 27 80 18—75 >riv. Good .. .., ;. 27 37 18—72 'riv. Gregory re ... 30 25 15 —70 Totals , 290 292 242 824 Majority for Kaitangtkta, 91 points.