VOLUNTEER NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 166, 17 July 1903, Page 4

VOLUNTEER NEWS.

SCHOOL OF INBTBUOTION. The School of Instruction, under Lieu\Oolonel Owen, was continued yesterday, 45 officers and non-coms, being present. During the afternoon instruction was given in musketry, skirmishing, and aiming drill, and in the evening discipline and transport. Next wesk tha subject to be dealt with will be topography. Lieu*.-Colonel Owen is earning golden opinions from the members of the class for the lucid, practical and thorough instruction imparted by him. MOUNTED BI?LH8 CAMP. The members of the Stratford Mounted Rifles and the Egmont Mounted Rifles have pitched camp on the Racecourse, Captain Liardet, of the Stratford Mounted Rifle 3, being in command. There are some 40 odd members of the Stratford corp3 in camp, more being ezp3Cted.on Saturday evening, and some 25 or 30 of the Egmont corps. The officers are Gap ■ tain Liardet and Lieut. Hine, Stratford ; Captain Knight and Lieu*. Egmont. Staff Lieut. Brown and Staff Bsrgt.-Major Burr are also in camp. The cimp is pitched in the same place as the ffawera corps used, but the tents are pitched in two lines, with the horse lines down tha centre between the tent 1 ). The pi chiog of the tents and arranging the formation of the camp c -Tried out by QirartermasterS»rgt. H-miagway, cf ihe Stratford Mojttei Rifles, who came into town on Wednesday by tho mai! tsain. The Btra-fa'd m n marched from Stratford on Thursday, shopping at Ihglewood for lucth. Mijor Wat'', the officer commanding the West Coast Mounted Rifle BtttalioD, is expected to visit the camp, and will probably remain in camp ovar Tucsd y. OHUROH PARADE. It is understood that a church parade will be held on Sunday morning, when the Garrison Band, the Headquarters corps of the Infantry Bittalion and fie Cadets will turn out as a compliment to the Visiting Corps. GEX2SAL BABINGTON. It is rumoured that General Babington, in command of the New Zetland Force?, will be present at the church parade on Sunday, as he is understood to be in Wanganui now. It is certainly quits time General Babington visited Taracaki, Ho his now nearly two yoars in the colony and never condescended to iospost the Taranaki Volunteers. Considering the services rendered by the Volunteers in Tarauaki puiing tho lorg p.-iiod of the Maori war, ii would hive bean thought Taranaki would h ive bean ono of «he first volunletr districts visite.t aiid ths cool way in which tLeii existence h s been ignored by the General is not calculated to encourage the men. Io f *ct the neglect of the Taranaki District is dii graceful, but is only what may be expected so long as the Government will insist in bringing Imperial -. officers out from Home instead of giving the command to such men ae Colonel Davis or Colonel Robins, who, while having seen service, have sympathy with colonial conditions and colonial volunteers.