THE Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1879. AN EXPENSIVE BAUBLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 59, 21 March 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1879. AN EXPENSIVE BAUBLE.

The National Rifle Association of New Zealand has just concluded at Nelson its first annual meeting, the prizes have been presented by Lady Suter, and the "champions" have returned to their homes, where they have been feted and charioteered. To provide the competitors with this little jaunt, and to make champions and victors of them, the colonists of New Zealand have been called upon to pay the sum of £_,000 as a grant in aid of the " Volunteer Rifle Association " ; there is also a further amount of £800 on the estimates as " Prizes for Hifle Shooting." It will thus be seen that including departmental and administrative expenses nearly £3000 is paid by the people of this colony, for the purpose of providing remunerative amusement for a few young men. It is of course well known thatfor some years past, large sums of money have annually been voted by Parliament towards rifle shooting, and meetings have been held, al considerable expense. Some twelve months ago. however, a National Rifle Association was formed upon the basis of the Wenibledon one. This Association has taken oyer from the Government the responsibility of carrying out the annual meteing, Parliament voting £2000 in aid ofthe funds. Certainly by thia arrangement a saving has resulted, but looking at rifle-shooting as an amusement, we hold the money could be far more beneficially employed. Wheu the question of the vote in aid was before the House, Mr Wakefield aptly said, "Rifle shooting ought to be allowed to rest upon its own basis, and he did not see why the House should vote this large sum in support of an Association which, after all, was little more than a club lor the gratification of those who had a particular kind of athletic tendency." We believe those words express the opinion of at least ninetenths of the people of New Zea» land. The ostensible object of the association is to encourage rifle-shoot-ing. The champion belts and some of the prizes are competed tor by volunteers only, but a gre >t portion of the amount voted is spent amongst all comers. It cannot therefore be urged that the association is likely to exercise a very beneficial effect upon volunteering. But we doubt very muoh whether any commensurate good is received for the large sum of money spent upon prize firing. Take

< Wellington, for instance. 'I here are some two or tbree hundred volunteers there, and we believe we are right in saying that ild. one-tenth of the wholo nuinbar go near the "butts." during the .year, for real legitimate practice as i_.a.ksm__L ..lie black shots certainly do visit the range as tho " prize season " comes on, or when a friendly match is arranged, but so far from there being any desire to cultivate precision iv firing for the purposes of active service, the idea would be scorned if it were broachod. The real fact is, this whole volunteer busi« ness, is a sliam, a farce, aud a delusion . It is'got up, and perpetuated, by a few individuals who like plume.s, aud coloured coats, and high-sound-ing titles. What need is there for volunteers in our cities or small country districts ? Wher? will the enemies come from, a_4 if ihey come, what would our volunteers do? There was a time in the history of tho North Island when the volunteers did brave and gallant service. Wanganui, Taranaki, Waikato, and other places have furnished brave contingents of out fellow-settlers, some of whom have fought for their hearths and homes, and died whilst fightingi All honor to them ! happily those days aie, we believe, for ever gone. Yet for its Volunteer and Militia .Service, New Zealand will pay in 1879, ihe enormous _uiu of i X.0,178 ISs which is about one-, seventh of the whole cost of education in the coiony, and neuriy as much as is pa!d to support the whole of tbe Lunaic Asylums in New Zealand. "N\ hat advantages accrue from this vast expenditure? Literally nolle Should na*iVe troubles arise, say at Waikato, or at Patea, tho Mil'iia would be at once called out in the disturbed districts, and they, in conjunction with the local volunteers and Armed Constabulary would be re* quired to fight the natives, The Volunteers in the -South Island would not be despatched north to assist their fellow colonists, but the settlers in the immediate vicinity would require to do what they have already done in the past,— settle the trouble themselves. The proper method of defence from iv tenia! enemies (the only ones we need fear), would be, we submit, to disband the whole volunteer force, and have the Militia throughout the native districts in the Nor.h Island placed upon a better footing. The first-clas. Militia might be called out for a day every threo months, and taught the science of war, and aftet* being enrolled say for three years, the men could be drafted into the second class. If the Militia are to be the real defence against ajy further native troubles, then tbey should be placed on a good foundation, and prepared, afc least in native districts, for ac-ive service. The present expenditure of thirty thousand pounds annually in providing billets for exstnilitary officers, and in rewarding young men who happen to have a stoady arm, and a straight eye — the requisites of a good "shot" —is a waste of colonial money which might with advantage be spent in education, or in some other way likely to bring about permauent good to the Colony.