VOLUNTEERING AT HOME.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3186, 6 May 1879, Page 2

VOLUNTEERING AT HOME.

Commentm£pn,|he reporr^f^tfe^cl^ partmental comuittie on volunteers? 'the Pall Mall Budget baa the following jj Unlesr. th* ryoluntcer system^ U-><>H mistake, the capitationgranfrtordUntoeri ii really sVtr'y>4heap way of mainlaim«£ if not ,an actual; atrUeast a possible-iwmj of something like 'the magnitude tyhiel the" 'defenee^ of 'ttie^QomtrOTdeawids. Money would be excellently invested which gavef .the :regular>armycftnj<f!s|M reeruib or the volunteer arn^ a^reioined soldier;-in/ time of war; an^/tbopijj^'thif grant to each efficient roiiinteer cannot m •counted on ,to x ,j3o,this n there^is no doubt that a certain considerable of tt~will have thia-result The-directions which real economy should take are twocare that the capitation grant for each BWrff^fii fatfffM and care that the grant is Fairly earned in eficfc&Va&J/AV; regards the first, the.., committee , t feel t no_doßj»t ß yi|e "capitation g?a#t^4oef \npt : *dp tiltfe than "provfde stnctly^neWssarjpexpenaiture;' and^ar regard* : f bxwJteasi|MEified in the report itjfaijs, Jo [do sevgnr this. Ai regards the second,4he committee recom« jrieqd^hatf the/ number of{dr^jJ7^qqifßßjt from each efficient during the first years-shall; be sixtyiinsteadiol^thjr.lyjnine as at, present i. , that; a ,phy,aicfl£ ( sts#dard shall, be ifixed, %o which,all ;re^^ti|«h«U be subject ; (1 ,a^d { ,t}»at;,no.^nt/tb^L be payable for #ny Tolunteer^who^it^ver fifty years of[age. p jAtjprej^u.t [ $e> ii nothing-,to prevent*., ™&***Mifabt? from;draw,rog the capiUtipa grfnt^ for his corps f provide,d f ,-that fy la.jaUti 't^Mteod his nine Ari,\U Rer annum, are further of opinion th« o tb*i efficiency of the force generally would be greatly increased byr/th?v,Jnow^raa*Bftiott of regimental camof. "Commanding officers,"^..thejT^er-sajiv.^isa-. almost unanimous' 6li^attacYra^'lHie: highest importance/; 'to' 1 ' jcmqjm Vai 'jneJßjrdtn'£ the only' means' Vviulafftt*' to" Volunteers for ,• acquiring the_ "knowledge, and Joabita of miliiry. KmWM that :o a vweek, s m, : «amp ,cquj»l«rjin-^t amount„<£., instruction, mpquufed,tthat obteineij ptherwise tibroughou- Ui^» wfiolS year.",/ The.: 3nain Jv bindr«i^cfjki.^tSf formation of camps-u-the expense, and to meet this the eommitte* recommend that a above the present grant shaUbealftired to- corps - for. those-juen-who.ramain4iQt less than three nor more than six eonsecn* tive days iv camp. It might be worth while to inquire - whether, in the neighborhood of large towns, a modification r pf jbhe camp system .might not be %und Juseful whict shidul^!TftqiS&e the same absence frpn) work. There may be many ybVn'g cleVks, for example, in London who would not care to spend half their fortnight's'holiday in a volunteer camp, and.yet,wouldJ>e r Teri- willing to go'dow^to "YYirabledotf fw arrWcniilff drill after tbeir work is.,9Ter, sleep mi* tent go through tueir'camp duties, and get another drill, in the mprning, and then go to town for Iheir day's ifc>Hc7 "with thi prospect of coming back f to camp at night. Ibis might be a'Yery inferior thing to spending a week on end in camp, but it would be practicable for a much Urger number of men, and as such, roigM be worth making easier by some a"dapfat%a of rules aad arrangements. At all events there can, in our judgment, be no queiiion that any economy to Jbe effected in the cost of the volunteer force'should aim at getting more for the money spent, not at spending 'less money—at; making f]the volunteers better worth what they eott, not at diminishing the nomber>o£ Toloof teers.-. ... „,..;,•.,.„>. - r .