TAUNTING THE DEFENCE MINISTER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 280, 11 July 1888, Page 4

TAUNTING THE DEFENCE MINISTER.

In speaking in sneering terms .of the suitability of the Hon. Mr Fergus for his post as Defence Minister, Mr Hutchison said that the hon. gentleman regarded himself sufficiently qualified to take the position of Commander-in-Chief of the volunteer forces. He had noticed from the Dunedin newspapers that Mr Fergus, when inspecting the local forces, invariably addressed them in terms of uniform flattery. Whether he was addressing a crack volunteer corps, or picturesque inequality of a string of policemen, his remarks went in the same direction.

THE WEAKNESS OF THE SYSTEM. The groat weakness of the volunteer force in this colony is, in the opinion of the Defence Minister, the difficulty of getting really firsb-class officers, and of retaining their services. He would like to see those corps which can only keep up the minimum attendance of 43 men wiped out, and also the establishment ot more large corps and fewer small ones, so that none but the best men should be admitted. He thinks that if in place of a dozen small corps round the centres of population, a few really strong companies were established, there would be engendered an esprit de corps which does not now exist.

VERY COMPLIMENTARY. The Minister in charge of the Department gives it as his unqualified opinion that it would be impossible to find in any part of the world a finer body of men than the New Zealand volunteers. He says that General Schavv had reported that in the mounting of the guns this colony held the foremost place amongst tho Australasian colonies, and that before leaving Wellington finally he had taken the opportunity of complimenting the Department upon the physique, smartness, and general efficiency of our foices. The Government regretted (Mr Fergus added^ that the men had had to share in the general retrenchment scheme, but it was intended to consider further the encouragement of the volunteers, and if the revenue only showed some elasticity, it would be his pleasure to restore the capitation if possible.

A COASTAL RESERVE. Mr Bruce says if a tithe of the money spent in defence works had been devoted to the enrolment of a coastal reserve amongst our seamen similar to the naval reserve of Great Biitain, we might in the event of war be propared for any contingency that might arise.