The Globe. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1876.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 759, 25 November 1876, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1876.

The somewhat acrimonious debate in the House of Representatives upon the Volunteer and Militia vote, has already began to bear fruit. The sum placed on the Estimates for the current year, viz, £24,553, was much similar to the amount voted annually by the Assembly. When,lhowever, it came on for discussion before the Committee of Supply, hon members were to a great extent, in a post-prandial mood and bent upon coercing the Government to effect at a moment’s notice, some of those long talked of reductions in the general expenditure. The Premier, who had charge of defence matters during the temporary absence of the Defence Minister, was baited in all directions in a most open mouthed manner, and, after several divisions upon small and unimportant items, Major Atkinson gave way to the extent of promising that the vote would be reduced by £IOOO. The result of the reduction was felt a few days ago, when notice issued forth from the Defence Office, that the services of all paid commanding officers of Militia and Volunteers in the Middle Island and at Wellington, would be dispensed with at the expiration of three months. And no further does the saving on the vote in question go. Some of the most moderate speakers in the debate, took, we think, a fair and honest view of the position. Mr Eolleston, for instance, urged that if the volunteer system was not to be continued in its entirety, and with all adjuncts necessary to ensure its efficiency, it would be best to abolish it at once. The Government evidently were of a similar opinion, and did their best to convince the House, but without avail, that so sudden a change, involving as it did the official standing of numberless paid officers, drill-ser-gbants, &c, could not be effected at that period of the financial year in so summary a manner. So we have now the spectacle of the various volunteer companies in most of the larger provinces left without the usual head office from which radiated hitherto that, without which, it is almost impossible to expect due cohesion among them. The body and legs still exist, the head has now disappeared. Of course we are not prepared to say that volunteering as it has stood for some years past could possibly meet with unqualified approbation, or that it represented a fair Quid pro quo for the large sums spent on its

maintenance. Far from it; but we deplore the mode which the Government were almost compiled to adopt when badgered into showing that they agreed that some change should take place in the method of dealing with the question of external defence. Not only in this province, but also among some of our neighbors, it has been conclusively proved on more than one occasion that the well-being and very life of the “ Volunteer movement ” —as it is called, but too often depended upon the exertions and tact of the officer commanding the district. Not long ago, in the Wellington province, we had the extraordinary sight, at the . annual inspection of a country company, of one major, three captains, and a full private answering alone to the muster call! Perhaps those obstructive members of the Committee took their cue from that interesting event and from a few more of the same kind. But then, the Militia District referred to was at the time in a wretchedly disorganised state, as far as the head office was concerned. Until the whole system of volunteering undergoes at the hands of the Government the remodelling which it certainly requires, it seems a penny wise and pound foolish proceeding to cripple it as has just been done. The debate in Committee to which we refer, brought out some interesting facts and some valuable suggestions, although neither were new to the Government, who listen with' considerable patience to the lucubrations of both professionals and laymen. The refrain of the tune was the old one. “Do away with rifles and “ small arms,” said the military quidnuns of the House, “ disband those “ shooting corps, embody them into “ Artillery companies, and let the big “ guns be their weapons for the defence “of our harbours and sea-coast.” Of course, no one doubts but that this is what volunteering must come to in New Zealand, and that shortly too. Yet there is another view of the question which should not be lost sight of. Cadet companies have their uses, apart from the defensive aspect of the general system. Their maintenance is closely connected with the educacation of the people. The youth of the colony should have an opportunity of being made acquainted with the use of fire-arms, of being educated to become soldiers if needed, while a military spirit should, to a certain extent, be fostered in the schools. When the time comes for a thorough reconstruction of the Militia and Volunteer Department, we trust that this will not be forgotten. How inopportune the tail end of the session was, for entering at all into this large question of cutting to pieces the volunteer vote,, may be instanced by the fact that a strenuous attempt was made to abolish the salary of the armourer in charge at Wellington —some paltry sum. Yet, that man has in his care some 4000 stands of arms which it is absolutely necessary should be kept constantly in order. The Premier was even compelled to go so far as to state that if the item was struck out, it would be replaced immediately after the session. Mr Pearce, one of the Wellington members, who for some years has commanded the Wellington Artillery Company —the most efficient perhaps in the Colony truly remarked that if, as clamoured for, the commanding officers,armourers, prizes and other items were taken away, the House might just as well do away with the volunteers altogether. And we quite agree with him. As long as the old system is allowed to exist, let it be as is compatible with our means ; when reorganisation takes place, then let everything be swept off to make room for something less useless, more modern, and more conducive to practical and common sense results. As now left by the House, ’tis neither “ fish, flesh, nor “fowl, nor even good sound red her- “ ring.”