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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 992, 29 October 1881, Page 2

At the parade of the J-Battery Volunteers, on Thursday evening Last, Capt. Porter, commanding the district, tested the feeling of members as to their inclination to go to the front, in the event of their services 'being required by the Government. Before obtaining an expression of their views, he would say tor himself, that, however willing he might be to go, he thought it would be very impolitic) for the Battery to do so, and leave the place unprotected; it should be understood that it was, only in the case of extreme emergency that volunteering hence would, take place. We need not say that on the question being put to the vote, every man present, fired with the spirit of emulation,, held up his hand, or flung his cap in the air, in token of his readiness to proceed where danger lurks,, if necessary. Now we should be sorry to say aught that would damp the enthusiasm and military ardour of our local volunteers. ‘The loyal cheers that rend the air in response to -appeals made to men’s patriotism afford abundant proof of their readiness and hearty willingness to lend their aid against the foe in time of a common danger; but we must point but that the profession of our volunteers, as such, not only is against their absence abroad, but absolutely demands their presence at home. AVe do notJwish to narrow our objection down to so fine a point as to say that volunteers must, under all and any circumstances, confine their services .to the district' where . they- reside. Still it is incumbent oh us to poiht out that their first duty is to look to their* own homes. They are enrolled especially, if not solely, for the purpose of defending themselves, their wives and families, should necessity arise, and not to go roaming about the colony in quest of military honors —if they look for these, there are other branches of the service open to them. - - ,

And it must not be forgotten that every man taken away from a district, invites attention to its unprotected state. Should hostilities take an active and prolonged form on the West Coast, and the troops succeed in dispersing the rebels there, a course of guerilla warfare will succeed ; fighting will be set aside ; murders, devastation, and ruin will be the watchword of the enemy, who will crawl from one deserted outpost to another, to pillage, violate, and destroy. Te Kooti will again take heart, and probably, pay us another visit, for he knows well that there are many of his blood-thirsty confreres amongst us who, as before, would be but too ready to help his designs. . > But, again, we protest that instead of the Government being so ready to accept the services of local volunteers, they ought rather to be more hesitating in doing so. These bodies ought not to be viewed as substitutes for the standing army of even a young Colony like New Zealand. They pay their quota towards the expense and main-

tenance of our fighting men who adopt this kind _of work for a living. They have to pay for the burdensome loans that .are shovelled into the Colony—not a millioneth part of which comes into this district—for annual appropriations in time of peace, in order to have something to fall back on in time of war, until such occasions arise as shall require their services in defence of their own locality. And it seems suicidal on the part of the Government to divest outlying, and comparatively depopulated townships of their natural protectors, A knowledge of our preparedness -for attack., ' js a pretty sure., safeguard against danger ; but the action of the Governmeiifrrand thd and probable forgetfulness of our Volunteers, would appear to invite attention to our weakened state, and so increase rather than diminish our chances of becoming involved. We trust that; though the fires of a concentrated patriotism may burn vividly in th.e. Ijosoms of our Battery J friends, they, will accept the example of their chief, and our own few words of advice in a-kindly spirit; duly feflecting.ihat when the match is oUCe applied to the powder, there is no saying where the conflagration will end. Duty, by. all means, must W .the soldier’s first call to arms; but duty has not yet sounded the tocsin that shall summon our Volunteers to the field of battle.