DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5352, 23 May 1878, Page 3

DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

(From tho Duueilin Ai'eJu'ny Star.)

It is quite evident that as things now are the volunteers, so far as numbers are concerned, cannot be .depended upou for the defence of the colony, and that their ranks are not likely to be sufficiently augmented for the purpose unless certain pressure is exerted ; ,and further, that they would bo practically ’useless In an emergency, unless subject to military law and the provisions of the Mutiny Act. This being so, and few sensible persons will be found to doubt'it,' the plain duty of the Government was some weeks ago, and is stiff more imperatively now, to call out the militia of the first class for organisation and training. If the war cloud happily passes away, no harm will have been done ; and should our worst fears be realised, a few weeks would give us a force numerically so large that, even with the indifferent arms which would be immediately available, should he able to repel any attempt’ at effecting a landing, and thereby reduce to a minimum tho damages which an.enemy might do in tho absence of defensive batteries, The . effect of calling out the militia would be immediate upon the volunteer forces, which would bo very soon found,up to.their full; strength, and, haying theVaciyantagea of pre-, vious organisation and training,‘ would very soon, : be really effective for service. When tho militia. in the Wellington province were- called out in 1866-67, danger of a general Native rising, being imminent, it was found that the several corps of volunteers kept up full Of effective members, tho service being more popular, naturally enough, than tho militia, and military training in one or the other’ not to be escaped. It may be interesting to sketch tho leading features of the present Militia Act, which was passed in 1870. Provision is made for constituting militia districts, nOt to exceed in area 1000 square miles, 7 the original districts in the North Island being maintained, and power, which has never yet. been exercised, given to the Governor to divide . The South Island. Tlie district being proclaimed, the Governor 1 may at any time call out the militia for training or service, upon fourteen days' notice. Districts are to be subdivided ihto battalion or' independent company ’ divisions, battalion divisions; into company divisions; the whole subdivisions forming the regiment of a district. Persons eligible for service ore divided : Into I three - classes.. The first-class includes unmarried imou between tho ages of seventeen. And thirty; the second,.unmarried men between Unity and forty ; the third, all married men; below forty, and all men between forty and luty-tiye. It is enacted that the second class cannot be called upon until the draught upon • the first class is exhausted ; nor the third; iff like manner, until tho first and second fail to

provide the number of men necessary.!. The militia, when called out and on active service, ! are under the Mutiny Act. It will be at once noted that when it is determined to call out the militia of the South Island a considerable amount of time must necessarily be expended in preliminaries. Districts have to be proclaimed and rolls made of persons eligible within them under the different classes ; these rolls micht possibly be j ust now pretty correctly compiler] from tho recent census papers. Given the proclamation of districts, the enrolment, tho fourteen days’ notice, it would be at least six weeks before the men were got together for even rudimentary drill, so that waiting until, as Mr, Fisher says, “it is definitely known that war is declared before moving m tho "Volunteer and Militia question,” appears most suicidal policy, and a veritable tempting of Providence. If this trouble be tided over, others are bound in due course to arise, and the organisation of our militia forces, with an annual calling out for training, will be a wise precaution against the eventualities of the future. -