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Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 23 August 1907, Page 3

DEFENCE KOTES (By "Artillery.") Tho two headquarters companies paraded on Tuesday night. About thirty members of each corps attended. Open-air manoeuvre over, the men marched back to the Drill Hall add drilled some more. After dismissal tho companies retired to their respective orderly rooms and transacted a little business. In the Uuards' orderly ro.mi Ouptain Mills presented the trophies won in the past season's rille-shout.iny contests, as follows: first class—Private Nkllolls 1, Private ilill i, ColourSergeant llartncll 3, Se'rgeant Jivans 4. Second class—Private Bianchard 1, Private Ullmer 2, Private Lamb 3, Corporal Lowis 4. Marksmen's badges were issued to those entitled to them. I Both companies discussed social nutters. The Guards decided to hold a social at an early date, and the Rilkvs' annual dinner was lixed for iSeplem/ier 12th.

The Guards will attend a church par ado next Sunday afternoon. A serious handicap to the school

cadet movement locally is the absjaci of facilities for target practice with t)u rido. The nearest range to the Centra

and West End schools, for iusUuce, i: the Rewa Rewa range at the Wai'.va kaiho. To take a Squad of hoys <ul there ior practice means the loss '1 fully half a day's schooling. And, e' en then the range is not altogether suited to the work', for the utmost range icquired by the cadets is 200 yards. Without proper rifle practice the eadet movement' cannot he expected to prosper, and it is to be hoped that some steps will bo taken to provide a range nearer

to the school. The cadet movement is one that ought

to ho encouraged. It should be more strenuously brought before the people. The cadet companies should be recognised by the volunteer officers and by

the volunteors. The officers and senior cadets should he invited to watch '.he parades of the adult companies. No church parade of volunteers should be considered complete without a .detachment of cadets. If possible, some of them might be included in the volunteers' field manoeuvres. The officers of the cidet corps should be welcome visitors to the volunteers' orderly rooms.and every facility should bo afforddod them for becoming proficient in and conversant with their military duties. From the cadet ranks of to-day will come the best volunteers of the future, for as cadets they are learning discipline, and learning to protect and respect the King's uniform that' they woar. They're soldiers in toe making. When the cadets engage in competition rifle-shooting the volunteer companies slrnuld head the list of prizes; in fact, a challenge cup or an annual trophy from each company would be an earnest that the volunteers aie interested in matters' military exclusive of the present needs of their own particular corps. I hope to see the cadets brought more to the front.

I Volunteering is in an exceptionally healthy state in New Plymouth just now. The Taranaki Guards are at 'full, strength, and men are waiting for vacancies to occur so that they may join. Most of the new men are young an active and enthusiastic. The Taranaki Rifles are not quite so numerous, tm the recent additions to the corps o;o men who cm be depended upon to mak useful members.

Sergeant Mills, of the Duncdin City Guards, has been selected as one of tho team of marksmen to visit Australia i Octofber.