Volunteer Items

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 107, 4 March 1890, Page 4

Volunteer Items

. The Manchester Eifles will parade Cm Fridny aext for inspection byrCol. • Htapp. Fines for uon : attendance will hb inflicted in every case, unless the hpplicatiou for Teare ■of absence is accompanied by ; a medical certificate. The following extract, from the Auckland Herald's report of an interView "with the Hon:. Captain Russell, Defence Minister, will be of interest to volunteer officers :— -If will be observed that Captain Eusaell agrees with the Australians who "laughed at the idea of elective . volunteer officers." This is amusing seeing that Captain llussoll himself was, until Very lately, an " elective" officer. " Did you, Captain -'Russell, as Defence Minister, look into volunteer matters duriug your visit to Australia, more especially in the light of theretsomniendations contained in - General Ed wards'! report on our; Ooiouial Defence Force ?" " From the inquiries I .made as to 1 the proposed Military College, I found, that the Military College in Canada . Was not of much advantage to . the Dominion, and therefore. l- am inclined to thiuk such au institution would not -fee Of 'much benefit ito New Zealand. As to * ; iucreasiug the capitation,' and "paying th « men on somewhat similar lines to those adopted _in Australia, such a system has my entire approval. . Oar Voiuuttji-r system -.is not sufficiently •organised Throughout A ust'ralia : they laughed at the idtm: of elective Vol 'unteer oftiuevs, Aad « ith that .sentiment vl cordially agree. I am • thoroughly that our forts and defences Tafeb'eing^arraiiged fully as effectively much more ecouomically than any -I saw in Australia. ■■ > The men who elect the officers, and the officers, should .feel very : much ■obliged to Captain Russell, the hero . *bf Omaranui, for his opinion of them.