Volunteer Items

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 16, 24 July 1890, Page 4

Volunteer Items

' Lieutenant-Colonel Stappis petition- : ing'iParliament'- for a pension owing to . hi* retirement from the Civil Service; as an officer commanding the Volunteer District in New Ply- . mouth7-being~e*7^aTß of age. " Members of the Manchester Kifle Volunteers, are reminded of the parade . (undre&)t6-mbrrow night. Government propose to arm the Volunteer force with the Lee-Mitf or d Magazine Rifle, ] as recommended in Lieut-Col. Hume's report/ . The* Government propose to spend an additional £20,000 a year on defence, chiefly^ -in the importation of four Imperial Com^aodiug Officers and in a system .of partial pay to city volun-v teers.V\The .Wellington Post ipea not think: tte House. rvrili sanction this. . It is understood, that men in the four r principal K towns; would be paid £5 a ;i;year and ia th 4 country £2 10s. Colonel Hume, reporting on the IVoiunt&er officers of- the colony, says: — " The officers as a rule seem to be entirely deficient in that control and -influence over those under tbeir command, pjpe absence of which must prove disastrous .on active . serv ice. They are uncertain and nervous when issuing orders they feel may not be entJTe.lv palatable 'to their rank and fiiej' and many aro a bsolutely afraid to inflict fines on their men, as provided for in the reguistioas, and consequently efficiency suffers. Those under iheir coranVand are of comse -not* slow in discerning these weaknesses, and the result is often too apnarant. Again when . called out to drill their compahibs, ifniny oi the officers know neither what to do. or -what jvords-of ' comma nd r to give, unless the staff dnll insiructor is close at haijd, to - prompt them, and in the absence of such assistance, if any movements aire executed they are usually ainifeas,' aud too often at variance with the instructions in the drill book."' Jle.ferrmg.tu the non-commis-sioned officers, he says they ".-how a slight improvement; generally during the pasfr.jye&r, Th,ey do not, howover, realise to any appreciable extent the necessity ,waeu on, duty of maintaining their positions, and gaining from those over whom they are placed thef ■'■ confidence, respect, and obedienoe their 'stripes deuiaud. The power to command which is so es 88ntial to their positions as non-com-missioned officers is _enti;e:y lost by their desire •to shield the shortcomings of .their subordinates, and discipiind is much -weakened by tbeir iguxjrauce in drill, military customs, aud procedure." Ho urges that the New Zealand Volua teers should be placed under the command of an officer stjrtl serving ia the Army, who vriil be able to devote his whole time to their tminiug aud organisation. What is wanted is a modern scientific soldier, who, afttir a limited period of service in the colony, say five year**, •woujd rejuiu his regiment, and be re-plaE«Jd-by auothei Inj{>e;i d officer of similar standing, by wi;i- h means New i2<-a'and, would aocure a auc- : cestsioii of coiiimon-lers always abreast of the jatest ukijiuu-y- developments.