THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3541, 1 May 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1880.

The weak poiut of the British army is considered to be not its small numerical strength, but the youth of its rank and file. Time, good food, and physical training will, however, correct this weak point, provided the time can be depended on for peace and quietness. The gist of the warnings which have proceeded from every experienced officer who has written on this subject is that, under the present system, these young recruits will have no opportunity to grow into mature soldiers. Those of us who are old enough to remember the Crimean war will not disregard the lesson which it conveys. The army which fought at Alma and Inkermann was as fine an army as ever trod the soil to beat of drum. Sir John I Burgoyne, tfho was not a boastful man, j has recorded the admissions of the French officers that their army could not have done what ours did. But that army I perished by sword, sickness, and privation ! and Great Britain has never, since had another like it. When our men had fallen before Seb&stapol, boys were sent from the Old Country to take their places, and the result was what might have been expected. One line regiment, consisting chiefly of recruits, was sent to the Crimea by way of reinforcement to the main army, and almost the whole perished. The operations of 1856, however we may at this date view»them, are scarcely matter of exultation ; and it is at least possible thut the failure at the Redan was partly due to the extreme youth of the troops engaged.

Iv no serious business should we set a boy to do a man's work, even the great Napoleon failed when he attempted this in war. It may be true that he gained victories with boys, but'he did not prevail on the wh&lo campaign; and besides, he was a general on whom soldiers might depend, whereas British generals are apt to rely upon their soldiers. Great Britain is bound by treaties, under which it may become necessary to send and to keep an army on the Continent, and this, as matters stand at present, could not be done. In the line, there are at the most but a few thousand men of the stamp of those who fought at Inkerman, and when these are expended, the nation must fall back upon recruits, whose only fault we may admit would be youth and want of stamina. Boys are enlisted at, a vast expense, and may be sent abroad to die. No statements on authority can prevent experienced officers from drawing conclusions from what they see in the existing army. German and French journalists comment on the communications of authority to English newspapers, and it is interesting to note what little credit they give to the utterances of the oracle. Assuming that the establishment of the army is complete, the question remains whether that establishment is adequate to th;e necessities of Home and Foreign service, and upon this matter the oracle is silent. The utmost that can be reasonably inferred from the statements on authority is that recruits of this year are rather better samples than those of several preceeding years. The assurance has been given that these recruits are of " good stamp " though young, and it is added that they have been raised without any unusual exertions. If it were asked whether unusual exertions had been required to keep recruits when secured, the answer might perhaps be unsatisfactory. Colonel Anson, writing to the Times, asserts that the quality of recruits has sensibly deteriorated ; that insubordination is increasing, and dissatisfaction exists (o an extent unknown in former days ; that the class of men we now obtain for the army creates an utterly untrustworthy reserve, and that in caso of need ten per cent, of them would not turn up when called upon. The Times founds an article on this letter and examining it to see what can be said to quiet the public mind, the result is alarming. If a country could be saved By any application of pens and paper, Britain might defy the, world, for the army, returns are very full, although the regiments are undermanned and the men undersized. The recruit, " though young, of a good stamp," would be useless in time of war, and even if we get the number that is now required to fiie up the various regiments, it is doubtful whether the supply will continue with the increasing renewal of manufacturing industry. No plan can evade the necessity of choosing between largely increased estimates and compulsory service. To this Great Britain must come at last.

The pheasant shooting season commenced today, and quite a number of sportsmen have left to participate in the exhilarating amusement. Licenses were granted to the following gentlemen at the Custom House yesterday /and today:—L. EhrenfrieoT, Rea, J. Walsh, M. Hennelly, J. Maingay, W. Kelly, A. Bruce, J. E. Smith, S. Montgomery, W. Montgomery, E. W. Hollis, J. J. Wood, A. Thomas, D. H. Bavldou, and G. S. Clark. * Two typographical errors inadvertently crept into Mr Hd/n's letter on* " False Religions," printed in our last issue. The sentences referred to should have read, " Swedenborg says that .life is derived and 'supported from the 'invisible' world, not 'miserable ' world," and "we will be saved from cold ' freezing ' scepticism, not cold 'foreseeing' scepticism," as misprinted. We notice that Mr A. S. Colhoun, headmaster of the Waiotahi Creek School, has commenced a night class for the benefit of the elder pupils. By this means it will enable them to study Latin, Algebra, .Trigonometry, etc. A class is also formed for the benefit of the younger pupils. Mksshs Martin and Son, drapers and clothiers, who, our readers will remember, were burnt oat of their old shop in Pollen street .some four months ago, have erected a very spacious shop and dwelling house on a freehold allotment in the same thoroughfare, but nearer Grahamstown, which they have opened for business today.^Messrs Martin are an old established firm here, and we doubt not that the public will respond in large numbers to their invitation given iv another column. The man John Twoher, who it will be remembered was severely crushed by a fall of earth while engaged in getting the material from the Queen of Beauty hill for the reclamation, has now almost com-/ pletely recovered, and left the hospital on Friday week. He desires us to return his sincere thanks to Mr O'Brien for Ms many kindnesses during his illness, also to Dv Payne and the rest of the hospital officials. We understand Mr O'Brien engaged a man at his own expense to watch by the sick bed for three weeks or so during the worst part of the illness. Thbbe was not much business at the Police Court this morning. Two men were brought up before the E.M., charged with being drunk and incapable, but the Magistrate after cautioning them gave them their dismissal. In the assault case, the parties did not appear, and in consequence the case was struck out. Latest telegrams from the Waimate Plains record the steady progress of roadmaking, which has now been carried quietly and unostentatiously more than a quarter of a mile into Te Whiti's special Parihaka territory. The camp is not yet moved, and merely road lines have been cut, bo as to bring about as speedily as possible the meeting of roads, which Te Whiti was reported to have said would never take place. His followers now deny that he ever said those words. - i These is now on exhibition at Mr Lawless' two handsome prizes, presents by Lieut Perry to the Thames Scottish.One of these is a beautiful silver cake basket, to be shot for by the battalion, J and the other a silver flask—an attendance prize for members of the No. 2 company only. The barque Agate, chartered by Messrs Sbaw, Savill and Co., sailed for London from Auckland yesterday afternoon. She had three passengers on board, aad a general cargo v? ued at £34,731.

Owing to a press of other matter, an article on local industries is crowded out, The schooner Advance sailed for Canterbury yesterdaj with 42,000 feet timber, shipped by Messrs Bagnall Bros. The Thames m'ail^ which should have arrived here last night, was by some unaccountable mistake forwarded to Tauranga. -It will arrive here.in due course. A tolunteee company down South go« fooled into turning out on the Ist April by a pseudo advertisement and a deceiving bugle call. A local poet immortalises the circumstance in the following sweet stanza :— The ciptnin and lieutenants, And the ensigns with the pennants, And the unobtrusive, etaiwarb rank F.nd file, Suw the absence of their colonel Was an April joke infernal; And they amole a sad but military smile. Peesence of mind had its reward on Saturday in saving a woman from being severely, if not fatally burned. The News says : " The wife of a resident of Invercargill was pursuing the ordinary avocations in the way of cooking, when her outer dress caught fire, and, from the nature of its material, she was rapidly enveloped in flames. Quick as thought another woman, who was fortunately present, threw her arms round the burning female, while her sister, with equal rapidity, snatched up a blanket, and enveloped her in it. This quickly extinguished the flames, and on the covering being removed, it was found that, though the dress was completely destroyed, no injury whatever had been sustained. To this the habit of wearing flannel underclothing no doubt also contributed. A few shillings invested in a fiddle, flule, r jncertina, or other musical instrument, will furnish an agreeable amusement for leisure hours. To place this within the reach of all, I have imported a large slock direct from the •Jjondon warehouse! and am selling the same at a small advance on English" prices.—J. J Gbigg, Pollen street j Vanity Fiia and Richmond Gem Grigaretttes—new importation just arrived, are unequalled for their purity, delicate aroma, and rare fragrance, as is also Oronoko Curly J Out and Louisiana Perique—Old Judge and Little Darlings. Ntw stock of Meerschaums. Smoking room unequalled.—LAWLESS "AND Co, Tobacconists, &c. The difference between n Q-eutaud a Gentleman .—-The Grei.t turns up what ho has for a | nose and says, Oh, Ah. The Gentleman I walks into McGowah's and says, Mac give me a pound of )our Tea, and send for orders every week. Venxts the bright in ancient days, Was Goddess of Love'B fever, But now her chai-ms all end in smoke At the shop of C. McLirer. Her radiant fragrance fills the air And conquests great achieve(r), The smoke don't rile papas or mas, When purchased off McLiver.