VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 185, 14 August 1901, Page 4

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

THE NEW RANGE-TINDER. j Another exhibit on c £ the accuracy of Mr. C. A. Trottsr's invention The Automatic Projaeiery and Baoge Bejfaber, was held at Island Bay on Satarday afternoon Among the tpeohatora ware Lient.-Oolooel Sommerville, lien ti.-Col. Daries, Major Loveday, and Mr. W, Byrnes, M.tLR, Again Mr. Trotter proved the genuineness of his invention. We !etra tjhat Mr. Hughe* is >ow taking staps to procure Utter* patent for the invention for rhe world, and in a short time the syndicate • whieh has the matter in hands intends having a prospectns issaed with the . view of forming a company —Evening Post. NSW ENGINE OF WAR The fire capacity of a British infanti / regiment is to be strengthened by the addition of a new engine of destructive Science. This is no other than the | Simpson machine rifle, which has re-j eeived official approval after extended teste. The Daily Express describes this machine rifle as a bijou Maxim, which can be nsed by individual soldiers almost aa easy as the ordinary weapon, and it can pnmp a bail of lead with extraordinaiy speed. It is nstd ill the prone position, with the aser lying across a saddle frame, the weapon being held in position by the weight of I the body. It is a weapon for band carriage, and there is no comparison to it for rapidity of fire in the ordinary rills. It is intendsd that fifty machine riflss shall be issued to each battalion, this adding to the regimental firing line a 50-Maxim powar. Mr. Simpson fi ales sabmitting a rifle fixsd with rests, which is calculated to asks good shots Mt of indifferent onis. There are two rate made of stsel which lie in scalloped sockets in the batt aid near the J magazine. The rests when palled oat M geing into action do not in any fpay hamper the movements of the man or impede the free aae of the rifle with the bayonet fixed. When the soldier cemes to the prone position the rests .entirely relieve the strain of stead} ing the rifle. The soldier has merely to keep the weapon upright to seep re what is practically a fixed rest for'bis rifle in taking aim.

An ingeaiouß young nun at K&iapoi has made a set) of Scottish bagpipes for himself aft a cost of 7s for reed and the leather bug. The pipes be made rat of locally brown timber. On Saturday evening he attracted a fairly large number of people to listen to the masic be played on the pipes. An Amending regulation under the Government Bail ways Department Classification Act states that the fifth standard of the Government schools it to be the educational qualification of a cleaner in the second division. Under the Infant Life Protection Ait there were laiit year 548 registered homes, with 872 i&fanta, as agaiost 565 and 883 in 1899 and 553 with 829 in 1898. The mortality was 29*81 per 1000, against infant mortality all over the colony was only 28'9 per 1000, the position of these homes mnst be regard ed as satisfactory. The Board of Health of Emporia, Kansas, have forbidden the publication of reports of soisides or attempted nicidea in the lpcsl newspapers, the Board are aeting on the theory that each publication spreads the contagion of snicide by psychic saggestion. Similar action will probably be taken by other towns In the United States. Recant statistics show that suicides are annually ■ becoming more numerous in the conntry. Of the regular members cf the Police Force, 31 are nnder 25 years, 109 between 25 and 30,119 30 to 35, 49 from 35 to 40,85 from 40 to 45,65 from 45 to 50, 30 from 55 ta 60, 22 from 60 fee 65, 1 between 65 and 70, and 1 over 70. The length ef service is 303 for 10 years and onder, 127 ap to 20 years, 127 ap to 30, and 34 ap to 40 years. The countries are—New Zealand 198, England 85, Ireland 226, Scotland 34, Wales 1, Aasoralia 33, Holland 1, Denmark 1, India 4, Germany 3, franca 1, Channel Islands 2, and America 2. The Fublie Trustee reports a profit of £5691 on the working of the Pablia Trust Oliflefor the year ending 31st March, 1901, and there have bean so louet on investments.