THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 5. 1881. OUR VOLUNTEERS—No. 1.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2264, 5 July 1881, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 5. 1881. OUR VOLUNTEERS—No. 1.

Aftee the delivery of the Financial Statement we shall " see what we shall see" with regard to the aid to be granted by Government to our Volunteers. It is possible, now that the financial barque has emerged oat of the extremely stormy waters on which it has of late been tossed, and now that there is a prospect of the country living within its means, that the Government will be able to see its way to practically foster an institution which is of such value. The deputation which interviewed the Def ence Minister last week on the question, laid the matter very fairly npon Mr. Rolleston. Major Bailey said truly enough that volunteers, as a rule, were not men of large means, and that it was out of reason to expect that the movement could be kept properly going after the capitation grant was withdrawn, and the cost of their uniforms thrown on the individual members of the companies. Lieut.-Colonel Pearee formulated the wishes of the deputation by stating that they desired the restoration of the capitation allowance, or, in lieu thereof, some assistance for clothing and defraying working expenses; also that annual encampments should be organised, and that additional ordnance, &c, should be furnished by the Government. Mr. Rolleston, we are pleased to see, stated in reply that the Government were anxious to do all in their power to further the Volunteer movement, and by re-organisation render it an efficient system throughout the colony. We notice with pleasure in the reply of the Defence Minister the word " reorganisation." He appears to recognise the fact that, in parts Of the colony, Volunteer matters are not going as smoothly as they might. Hoping, as we do, that tho Government will be able to come to some sort of a satisfactory arrangement by which the Volunteers will be relieved of the strain which is now naturally marring their best intentions, it is useless to burke the truth that in many quarters " re-organisation" is as much wanted as the capitation grant. Captain Charles Johnston, who formed one of the deputation, drew a somewhat rosy picture of the Volunteers at large. He said that they were well trained, whereas another deputationist believed that twothirds of the Volunteers in the colony did not know how to fire a rifle. But even Captain Charles Johnston allowed that matters were becoming somewhat lax, while Mr. Rolleston pointed out that Colonel Scratchley had reported by no means favourably on the efficiency of the force. It is to be trusted that Government, when seeing into the matter of assisting the Volunteers pscuniarly, will also take into consideration the kindred question of re-organizatien. It is evident that, if tho latter is not complete, any msney that may be spent on the force will not be well spent. That the Volunteer movement cannot get along as it ought to do without pecuniary assistance from the Government we fally allow. Individual Volunteers give their time to the colony, and time means money. Even if helped by Government, there will always be extra expenses, which will come out of the pockets of the members of the different corps. Volunteering, if properly carried out, is not mora child's-play. Crises may arrive when the Volunteers may become invaluable, and the force is not one that

can be raised in a day. Our conflict with the Boers teaches us that volunteers, if they know how to use the rifle and have some general notions of drill, can be most formidable antagonists, and we hav»but little doubt that, in ease of an enemy landing in New Zealand, our men, if properly trained, would " make it hot for them." But if Government provide funds towards the movement there should be & most tangible quid pro quo, and it is the duty of the powers that be to see that the very most is made out of the money. Taking volunteer matters in Canterbury as a sample of how affairs generally are conducted, we think that hardly any one will be bold enough to assert that the system is working well. Some months ago we drew attention to the then existing state of affairs in this province, and it does not appear that matters have in any way mended. In our remarks on that occasion, amongst other things we alluded t© the appointment of officers who are not competent, to the useless and monotonous formula; which are gone through during drill, to the fact that our Volunteers gain no knowledge of skirmishing (the very life-blood of the whole business), and that, even with regard to battallion movements as undertaken here, they are altogether on the wrong principle, being not in sufnciently extendedorder. At the occasional camps here, it was pointed out that the programme was almost entirely confined to prize-firing, and we stated that it seemed singular that the only times en which the practical duties of a soldier could be properly learnt should be frittered away in firing at a target, for, without under reckoning the value of straight shooting, it will be granted that it is an accomplishment that may be learnt at other times than in camp. We believe that Volunteer matters are in an exceptionally bad state in Canterbury from reasons that are patent, but need not be descended into; but over the whole of the colony it is evident that, for a long time past, the system has been drifting to leeward. When an expert is sent by Government to report on any service, it generally happens that he sees the services at its best. The members composing that service are on their mettle, and " put their best foot foremost." Moreover, an expert, if his efficiency is above suspicion, is not captious. He is willing, nay anxious, to look at what he is asked to report on in the rosiest of hues, for it is always pleasanter to report favorably than unfavorably. But the two last experts who have examined into our Volunteer matters, have not been satisfied with what they have seen. Neither General Davidson or Colonel Scratchley were struck with the efficiency of our Volunteers. They both agreed that finer material for a force it was impossible to obtain, but there was a screw loose somewhere, and . the result was inadequate to the expendi- . tnre of time, muscle, brain-power, and 1 money. We cannot in the limits of a single article fully treat of this subject. We propose to advert to it again in a day or two.