THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1916, 15 April 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1880.

The “Now Zealand Volunteer Gazette” has a decidedly “hot” article on the Christchurch Easter Review. At starting it asks tho pertinent question, “ What has been the outcome of tho effort, involving as it does considerable sacrifice to those who took part in it, besides a deal of preliminary preparation on tho part of officers and others getting their respective corps ready for tho field ? ” After a preliminary dart thrown, not at tho committee, but at tho senior officers’ or Quartermaster’s department “in not seeing that tho billets, food, washing, cleaning, and other necessaries for tho men wore rigidly inspected, and contractors kept up to the mark,” it draws a comparison •' between the order and arrangement that prevailed during tho Easter of 1879, which was wholly managed by amateurs, and tho want of order and looseness which surrounded tho Easter of 1880. No one could get any information. If any orders did appear, they were circulated generally when tho officers and men for whom they were intended wore either in bed or out of quarters. Instead of instructions filtering through proscribed channels —viz., from seniors to juniors—they wore “jerked” about in any order or direction. Who was responsible for this state of things ?” ) Tho article then proceeds to complain because oven those officers who wore anxious to know what was to bo done, in order that they might have an opportunity of rubbing up, could gain no information as to what was to take place. A favored few, says tho “ Gazette,” wore honored with a card, the contents of which “ wore Greek t® most of the modem drills in tho force,” but that was all. And thou, proceeding to comment on tho Review, it cannot bo said that tho journal wo have been quoting is at all enthusiastic with regard to tho ability displayed in its conduct, indeed it would not bo going far from the mark to say that tho said conduct is considerably anathematised. As far ns wo have been able to learn, tho complaints made about tho billeting. Ac., are hardly warranted by facts. It

must 1)0 remembered that Christchurch was full of visitors to the races at the

time of the Review, and no allowance appears to have been made for the verygreat pressure on the resources of the hotelkeepers in the town from this cause. Moreover, without any doubt, many of the Volunteers who came up had exaggerated ideas on the quality of the accommodation they wore entitled to. Well substantiated stories are told of some of them complaining of the food in certain hotels, when the ordinary faro bill was strictly adhered to. Much as a schoolboy during holiday time expects more plum-pudding with larger and more frequent raisins than ho has at school, so many of our sucking warriors, appearing not to have recognised that they were out on duty, but imagining they were away on a holiday tour, seemed to have thought that their regime should have partaken of a more than usually sumptuous character, and their disappointment at the infrequency and diminutive size of the raisins was proportionate. With regard to the conduct of the review itself wo do not propose to criticise the military tactics which have evidently not found favour with the writers of the “ Now Zealand Volunteer Gazette,” but wo propose to pass on to the more general question asked in the commencement of our contemporary’s article, “ What profit or gain in experience has been the outcome of the effort ? ” The majority of volunteers will, wo think, hold to the opinion that they learnt next to nothing during the Easter Review, except the barren knowledge contained in a comparison of their own general appearance with that of Volunteers from other parts of the colony. Had they all been placed under canvas in a camp they would, at all events, have gained some knowledge of what would bo required of them should, unfortunately, their services ever bo required in the field. Supposing an enemy to land in Now Zealand, would operations bo confined to the neighborhood of towns ? Would the Volunteers, after a day’s fighting, retire quietly to their respective billets to spend the evening unmolested and at ease ? Would no operations be

conducted in the open country where

permanent shelter could not bo procured ? Supposing the offer of certain corps to take part in the quelling of any Native disturbance to *»a accepted in the event of a Native war, wbat, in the name of all that is sensible, would bo the advantage of such experience, as was gained at the Easter Review ? The forming of bivouacs, the routine of camp life, is one of the most valuable items of knowledge in the life of a volunteer. Such matters do not come by intuition—they are as much a matter of education as is the learning of the rule of three. And should not the whole course, during the days that the Volunteers were in Canterbury, have been specially planned with a view of something practical and soldierly emanating therefrom ? Most certainly. But in point of fact the whole affair reminds one forcibly of the unpractical manner in which volunteer matters are conducted in these parts. Take the case of a Volunteer most anxious to learn all that will make him a competent soldier. What chance has he to gain the required information ? Look at the way affairs are conducted. For instance, during the long summer days when manoeuvres in the field might be carried out, even with the resources at *l'" />r."\joond nf nor volunteer authorities can got away from their respective businesses long before the day closes—what is done? The Volunteers are summoned by companies to the drill shed, whore a solemn farce is generally gone through. Should one of the commanding officers bo there to inspect, arms are examined, “ left wheel into line, break in column to the right, close to quarter column on the right company, open out to wheeling distance from the right company,” and then officers fall out and dismiss. Voila tout! What does the Volunteer gain by this solemn process? Nothing whatsoever. He might just as well be rehearsing for a charade. And as far as the general public are concerned they see nothing of the force. The latter are summoned mysteriously, like the conspirators in a melodrama, to the Drill-shod, where certain useless formula are gone through, and the warrior retires to the bosom of his family or to the billiard table, having learnt nothing—not even having been invigorated by hard exercise in the open air. Colonel Scratchley very sensibly threw the weight of his authority into a

protest against this style of conducting business. To the outsider it seems ridiculous and baneful. We trust that the Volunteers will awaken to tho true state of the case. Let them demand a change in the sleepy customs that now prevail. Let them demand that the newest forms of company drill be introduced; that the companies be thoroughly brigaded, and brigade drill in the park now and then be gone through. Above all let them soo that they are commanded by efficient officers. Not popular officers, but efficient officers. A man may bo the “ best fellow this side of Jordan,” but, as an officer, ho may bo totally useless. If the Volunteers cannot see this, let the Government take in hand tho appointment of officers. Some radical change is refpiirod, and wo trust it may be initiated at the earliest possible date.