THE NATICE DIFFICULTY.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 169, 29 October 1881, Page 3

THE NATICE DIFFICULTY.

..'■'_. '.'■.' TO THB EpiJOfc. , ;,„..•■.,,. Prei—l have i, before me your issue of Wednesday last, 1 ana* niore particularly the effusion, " The Native Difficulty," and signed by William MilverfbnV The production m question iseems to have acted like a red ...rag^ on the presiding genius ? of the other paper,' inciting hinr to make a grand display~of his paternal feelings for the community - ; at large; but : m reality ttf' have a sly side-kick at you, and at the same time satisfy the cravings of ' his own. bilious propensities. His. •* Youthful Ravings" shews to my mind a rather'* youthful reason," at least it is not logical. • , IHe wishea to tell the public i.e. his subsoricersj how thoughtful; how tender, he would have -been, -if Mt\ Milverton had^ jcpnj» to him with the letter T>y" refusing its insertion and thereby " coolmgf'the Ruth's, ardour," he i 6 anxious to., chaw what' a •-'ihrute '' the Editor of the Tia|#s island how he, (the ecribe.of the Standard) is the man to teaich others bow to do a JW% action, and all this timehe forgets that he, himself, is thejvery man who is dragging Mil - yerton forward as a pu^ic object ;> of ridicule } who \a pointing to. him as a laughing stack, by inserting his "Youthful Ravings?' If he had .such a quantity of the milk of hufflan kindness m his nature, as he wants. to make put himself, it w * d have been: more kindly action to hgy^^left^, the matter alone; However, il^ is nbt~tfie" 'first time/there has been." Ravings'.' m his columns, and, 1 anvsur^wsU not v^e/^he :i .last r i perhaps he m timeV will even become "Raving and then V- that would be another win pjf monomania of a far more serious turnfthan.Milyeiton's^ and how difficult would'lt'nbt be to "?cobl that youth's ard^r/ I ., However, t^ come.back to Milyertpn's letter, and not be wasting my time m divesting the Manawatu" Wolf " of his sfieep's clothes, I must say. that his rather eccentric' ideas f of how the campaign should .be 'carried, have caused people here m Palmeriton to ask themselves many questions, bearing on the ■ame ;joatter, pr;:-in connection with it. Tae^twb/jSrst and ■ the- most important being the efßciehcy of our Palmerstpn Volunteers for active . service, and the mode of warfare m which they would fyz employed. These two questions are so, closely, connected with each other that I Cannot .deal with one without duly considering the other. , I will, then, look the,, first, question unflinchingly m the face, and ask, are our local Volunteers fit to go into the field and be of any use f I say,- -No, Any one^ with r the slightsst Imowledge'of mih'farjr , drills who has be^j preadnt^ op parade i "nights, must admit tTJat'-jthey' are wanting m knowledge and execution even of the first rudiments - oo r militiiryt. skill, such as? general bearing, quickness, and accuracy m handling their armsj as well -as m evolutions and the most -common 'principles of jaiciplirifc - 1 1 ; n?ver saw any other company ofbf0 f bf *soiaiers .'alJqwed to : twist about, and m^e^liißir han^s aijd : feet or talk while' under attention " without being reprimanded and But «j«H •opposing t^ tfeM^mentary d.riU

had been thoroughly mastered,^l will wager that they would be as much fit for active service as a counter-jumper is for hard bushfelling. What practice have they m long, perhaps forced marches, m moving through swamp and bush and swamp, ovetf hilParid dale^ ia advancing and retreating at the proper time and m the proper manner, and all the time ac£--ing m unison, obeying the slightest word ,qf command with prompt coolness, and m strict silence. What practice have they m advancing m a skirmishing line, feeling their way cautiously where an-ambuscade is suspected, m falling Jjack on the reserve or the mam body without confusion to themselves and others, and* allowing a more compact body -of-troops to operate without, being m the, w x ay themselves ? I say ! none whatever •; afld Ijelieye me, m case of hostilities ; with,jthe^ ..Maoris, the .fight would be more a '.skirmishing warfare than pitched battlei; rnqre like deerstalking on. both isides than V stand-up .•.'^ nt « Xfn.der. j.hqse.; circumstances the iparade-^dnll would perhaps be of only secondary importance, and it wjuld give ; pUr-Ealmerston-Volunteers"a better dp* pbrtunity of .veiling their7defects ; ln that respect. Biit' if taey__are called to the jfi^ont and m«an to go, and v they ere aniiouito pass cr^ditably^ thi^buKh their • fi<ry ordeal, I would aa 1 vis<rthein nof to' .cdop themselves up m the Public Hall ; any unoreVbut take eveVy aviikblfe •ppor- = tunity of marching out m form and leaT n to cope with all those difficulties which a soldier must expect td meet m a campaign In conclusion, I will.takethis.opportunity of mentioning 1 brie 'thing tnofe:'" If the volunteers are absolutely obliged to drill ; m the shed, it would tend to improve their appearance and give them amore soldierly bearing if they, were-to-put by theimrms, take off their coats, and by gymnastical 'exercise, straighten ".their" backs', iexpaad their, chests, and diminish/ their girts. I will end my remarks with ; the hope that .another spirit will go through our local volunteers and that <they will soon become soldiers m the true senseof the word in"lstead. of . playing at soldiers m they <*© Ac-i',. ,,.',,,, i; . ',,,,,. .. ; . : . ■• i ■-"""' "'"' Anothbr " Rrason/'