COLONIAL DEFENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1600, 7 August 1874, Page 313

COLONIAL DEFENCE.

Otago Guardian.

The. Now Zealand Times, in a series of articles recently, sketched the Government scheme for reorganizing the volunteer force of the Colony. Wc read the articles in question, and the subsequent Gazette notice on the subject, with a good deal of amusement; because we felt convinced that the plan proposed could not, by any possible chance, effect the object in view, namely, the creation of a large and efficient Colonial army,trained to act promptly in case of emergency, against a foreign or domestic enemy. Wo may dismiss the first contingency as so exceedingly remote as to render precautions of any kind against it useless. The recent debate in the House of Commons on the Admiralty estimates, has effectually dispelled the “invasion scare” in the Colonics, and will have, also, this good effect, that the squadrons on foreign and Colonial stations arc to bo strengthened. It is therefore a simple waste of money for New Zealand to train men, and withdraw them from industrial pursuits, for the purpose of being able to. repel invasion. Time enough when, in the remote future, New Zealand becomes a great maritime Power, to have a citizen army at call to resist a possible invasion from one or other of the aggressive Powers that might then be established on the Australian continent J but as that cannot possibly happen in our day, nor for many generations to come, the revenue of the Colony may now be very much better applied than in playing at soldiers, and maintaining a combatant force on paper. Having dismissed the “ invasion ” argument as unworthy of a moment’s consideration by sane men, we come to the question of domestic foes. We admit the possibility of an aggressive demonstration by a section of the Maori people in the North; but that would bo met, as experience proves, by a small mercenary force, trained to arms, but in times of peace employed in the construction of public works, and in the discharge of ordinary police duty. The maintenance of such a force should be borne upon loan, it being a sufficient charge on the present generation to pay interest on an expenditure which, as much as the outlay oa public works, is for the benefit of futurity as that of the present generation. Such a force is at present organized. It is highly efficient, and has done incalculable good to the Colony. Let it bo maintained by all means, until the European population in the North Island so largely outnumbers the Maori people as to render its further maintenance unnecessary, But having

resolved upon that course, what need is there for continuing the costly and inefficient machinery by which the New Zealand Volunteers are supposed to be trained ? We sec no possible reason why it should be continued ; and we are not singular in this opinion. Indeed nothing could be more unsatisfactory to the volunteers than the present system. Officers and men are disgusted, and large sums of money are annually spent to no good end.