Volunteer Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2101, 7 May 1898, Page 3

Volunteer Notes.

MoINDOE STAR.

On Thursday, afternoon a considerable orowd ; of interested, spectators assem: bled at the Te Aroha Rifle range for the purpose of witnessing the half* contest—this time fraught with than usual excitement on account cof the number of young shootists forging to the front this sei.s >n tbi OU ;h the ranks of the veterans—for the ‘MsIn doe. Star;’ It is; worthy,of remark that tho aforesaid veterans invariably lead the applause whenever a young shot distinguishes himseif at the range as was.the case on Thursday when the winner turned up in that _ promising young ■ marksman, -Pi iyafce ; BTedley Hirst-; Private Cornea, the last holder. ~of the fS“tar, r - proved a good' second. Sergt."Walter Maingay,; pbut for an UDfortansto breakdown at the 400yds range, looked u winner all over.: Thefolloyrißg are the scores :r

Commandant of the Forces (Col,. . Pole-Penton) will visit all - the 'counfiry rifle companies > durin g the month, and the members of the local company , are specially requested to attend instruction parades with more becoming regularity than has kfc dy prevailed, so as to do credit- to--the c >fps in the eyes of the commander-in-ehief of lhe ; N.Z. forces/ j . t f There is some talk of the formation of an engineer company in Auckland, and it is to be-hoped that' 'those who have the matter in hand will meet with the success deserved, as we are, sadly in want of a corps comprisfid.of artisans men skilled in the construction of bridges,' throwing up of earthworks, aud the multifarious dutigs of a like nature that fall to tb© lot of a company such as the one in question. Most of our old-volunteers will remomber the Engineer Jpoyps that existed some years since, a large proportion. of the members of which were drawn from the ranks of the City Council-employees, with Captain Auderaon, city engineer, in command It is . understood that the old officers are still available^

. Sergeant Hobbs, of the Ohinemuri No;-1 who headed the. aggregate’ in "'tho; recent shooting match between the company with which, he ' is connected and the Thames Hauraki ■Volunteer Corps, is well-known to be one of our most consistent country shots, and a keen enthusiast in volunteer matters. Sergeantr Hobbs shot at tho New Zealand Rifle Association Meeting when held in Aucklaud last year, when he ran ii to prize money, and also attended the recent meeting of tho Auckland Rifle Association,’but his efforts on the latter occasion were not attended with any great measure of succses. 1 -

• Thd following, circular has been 7 ly the Defence Ihparyinmt,:— Officers commanding corps are requested to impress on all ranks the necessity of appearing on parade with their hair properly cut. The following is the Queen’s regulation on the subl jec : ‘Thehair of the head is to be neatly cut and kept , short. Moustaches are to r be worn, and the chin and under , lip are. to be shaved (except by pioneers, who will wear beards) Whiskers when worn are to be of moderate length,*' The- March number of Chamber’s Journal makes reference as follows to the Ashton majgoaine rifled:-—* Tl*ere is'nofinality iQ.th.n weapons of war; weareconstantlyfiudidg out improved methods of slaughtering our fellowcreatures. - For a long time it was considered that the Martini Henry rifle performed the workfo; perfection, until it was discovered that more men epnld he killed in a given the Lee-Metford—the weapon which has now ;bWen adopted by the British army. Lately,^-however, an who hails from Victoria, in the person of Mr r. R. R. Ashton, has brought forward a rifle which, in competition with thetwo weapons.already named, leaves them far behind in point of weight, speed of firing, and accuracy. The V new weapon is at the same , time more simple in construction .than the others, T comprising a less number; of parts, be more easily cleaned. The Ashton rifle has been submitted to the British War Office; and may supersede the Lee-Metford if the tests here corwhich have been made iu Australia.’

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