JUNE 14.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2381

180. In order to fix the responsibility for loss or damage, transfers of machines between individuals will be witnessed by an officer, who will furnish a report to Ordnance Officer of district giving number of bicycle so transferred and name of transferee.
     Should he fail to immediately report any loss or damage he will be liable for any charges that may ensue.
181. Tools for repair of bicycles (Appendix 29, Tables 4 and 5) will be held at Ordnance depots. Material for repair of bicycles: See Appendix 13.

Mechanical Transport.

182. Outfits and consumable material for the care and preservation of mechanical transport vehicles are detailed in materials for the repair and maintenance of mechanical transport vehicles, and A.S.C. workshop equipment enumerated in the priced Vocabulary of Stores will be demanded in such quantities as may be necessary by O.C. mechanical transport, quarterly requisitions being rendered. (Vide Appendix 14.)
183. The stores demanded will be limited to the actual estimated requirements for a period of three months, and any unnecessary accumulation will be reported by the D. of E. & O.S.
184. Instructions as to care and maintenance: See Appendix 15.

SECTION XII.—STORES FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF TROOPS IN MILITARY ENGINEERING.

185. Tools and stores for the instruction of units in military engineering will be supplied on indent in proportions as laid down in training-manuals.
186. The whole of the stores will, upon receipt, be brought upon Equipment Ledger charge by the unit. Quantities expended in training will be written off by expense voucher upon the certificate of the C.O. that the expenditure has actually taken place. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of the training season will, except in the case of sand-bags, be returned to the nearest Ordnance depot. Sand-bags may be accumulated up to but not exceeding treble the quantity allowed as the annual supply. The quantity in hand will be shown on the annual indent submitted to the Ordnance Officer of the district. All articles returned to store must be thoroughly cleaned by unit by which they have been used for instruction, and metal portion of articles greased.

SECTION XIII—MARKING OF EQUIPMENT.

A. General Instructions.

187. Stamps are supplied to the various services requiring them for marking arms, accoutrements, harness, and saddlery. The adoption of an unauthorized method of marking, or the employment of stamps differing from the standard patterns, will render a unit liable to charges for damages.
188. With the exception of articles of equipment for man and horse, stores issued for the service of the troops are not to receive any indelible corps marks which would render them unfit for reissue. Should it be found, on such articles being returned into store, that they have been so defaced, the cost of the articles will be charged against the unit for whose use they were issued.
189. Articles of equipment supplied from time to time for temporary purposes will not receive unit marks, with the exception of extra service accoutrements supplied to units in excess of their establishment.
190. The expense of marking equipment and stores, including labour and paint, will be borne by the maintenance grant.

B. Marking Artillery Stores.

191. All side-arms, handspikes, levers, as well as the handles of all intrenching-tools, and other articles required for manual labour, will be left unpainted. When it is necessary to mark these articles they will be lettered in paint with the distinguishing marks of the unit to which they respectively belong.
192. The marks and numbers on stores of all natures, and every kind of projectile and fuse, on guns and artillery carriages, as also on all carriages forming the equipment of units, will be noted in all reports relating to the repair, alteration, and condemnation of such stores, in order that the date of manufacture may be readily ascertained.

C. Marking Arms.

193. All arms will be issued to the troops marked on body of the arm on short rifles, on tang of heel-plate on long rifles, with number of arm and year of issue—i.e., 1/1916 et seq. Care should be taken that the marks on the arms are not too deeply stamped. Arms issued to replace others condemned will be given the numbers of the articles replaced.

D. Marking Accoutrements.

194. All accoutrements will be marked by the Ordnance Department before issue with the month and last two figures of the year of issue, beneath the “N.Z. Ordnance Department,” thus “200/3/01,” &c. When received by the troops they will be further marked before being taken into use, to correspond with the arms. Upon return to store of part-worn accoutrements the original marking will be obliterated by the Ordnance Department, and on reissue to the troops such articles will be remarked with the date of reissue.
195. Accoutrements will be marked as follows:—
     Buff and web accoutrements, haversacks, and mess-tin covers: ½ in. copper inlaid stamps and black marking-paint, ¼ in. brass or gun-metal stamps being used for regimental terminals.
     Brown or black accoutrements: ¼ in. steel stamps (care being taken that the leather is not cut, but merely indented).
     Enamelled iron water-bottle covers: ½ in. copper inlaid stamps and “ink marking woollens” in centre of that portion of cover not exposed to view when bottle is worn. (Bottles should be worn with buff strip or chain securing cork towards rear).