THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi MONDAY, MAY 31, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3565, 31 May 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi MONDAY, MAY 31, 1880.

The following provisions have been made by the British Government for the due efficiency of the home volunteer force, in the matter of drill-instructors. If similar benefits were extended to the Colonial volunteers, we should certainly have to record an improvement in the drill of the various corps. " Non - commissioned officers of the line, may be temporarily detached for duty as drill-instructors of Rifle Volunteers, in lieu of permanent sergeant instructors. Such temporary drill-instructors will be employed as far as possible to all volunteer corps. When the services of a sergeant are required, the commanding officer of the corps concerned will apply to the Colonel of his district, stating the number of instructors authorised by the Secretni'y of State for his battalion or corps, and the number already employed. The Colonel of the

district will then if he sees no objection, and if the authorised number of instructors bo not thereby exceeded, authorise the man's employment till further orders (with the consent of his commanding officer), and will notify the same to the War Office. Non-commissioned officers of lioyal Engineers employed as drill instructors for Engineer Volunteer Corps, are entitled to extra duly pay at the following rates in addition to their regimental pay : —Sergeants-Major, 2s 6d per diem ; Sergeants, 2s per diem. When a vacuncy fot a sergeant instructor occurs in a regiment or corps of volunteers, the officer commanding will notify the same to the colonel of the district, and if it be desirable that the vacancy be filled by transferring to the regiment or corps a non-commissioned officer of the regular army, the colonel of the district will take the necessary steps for obtaining' the services of a non-commissioned officer, and will, after communicating with the officer commanding the regiment as to the man's qualifications, submit the transfer through the general officer commanding to the adjutant-general for sanction before it is carried out. Staff or color-sergeants, and battery, company troop sergeants-major will be transferred to the Volunteer force as sergeants. Fon-commissioned officers transferred to administrative regiments or corps of volunteers as instructors, will receive pay from Government at the rates fised for sergeants of Koyal Artillery in the case of men serving with artillery volunteers, at those fixed for sergeants of cavalry of the line in the case of men serving with mounted rifle volunteers; and at those for infantry of the line in the case of rifle volunteers. Such pay will be issued to them from the date of their transfer, to the date on which pension shall be awarded them on completion of their army service, or order to rejoin their regiments. Non»commissioned officers transferred to volunteer corps, who are in possession of certificates of qualification as instructors in gunnery or musketry, will receive 2d a day in addition to the rate of pay previously laid down. Sergeants appointed sergeants-major in j the volunteer corps to which they may be transferred will receive 6d a day additional pay. A clothing allowance of 2d a day will be allowed to each non-commissioned officer transferred to volunteer corps. Non-commissioned officers who are recommended to be transferred to the volunteers, must be of good character and capable of giving efficient instruction in drill, and officers commanding regular regiments will be held responsible that those men by them possess these qualifications. Non-commissioned officers, therefore, before being recommended for transfer to the volunteers, will be examined by their commanding officers as to their knowledge of drill, as well as their capacity for imparting instruction and correcting mistakes in drill. Commanding officers will express their opinion in writing as to the fitness of such men, in every respect, for the appointments in question. If the non- commissioned officers recommended have been recently employed in the orderly room, or on other staff duties, particular care must be taken to ascertain their knowledge of drill. Noncommissioned officers of regular regiments transferred for duty with the volunteers, will be borne on the strength of their regiments as supernumeraries, and the particular regiment to which they belong will be shown opposite their names in the volunteer corps' returns. These non-commissioned officers will not be removed from the volunteers without the special sanction of the Field-Marshal Commanding in Chief; and they will under ordinary circumstances only be liable to be sent back for misconduct or inefficiency. Whenever the commanding officer of a volunteer regiment wishes to dispense with the services of any such non-com-missioned officer, he will apply, stating his reasons for the application, and reporting at the same' time any offence of j which the non-commissioned officer may have been guilty. Should he have committed a breach of discipline he will be placed under arrest, and a distinct charge, with evidence, forwarded for decision. When the services of soldiers cannot be obtained, men who have been discharged from the Army, and have served not less than 'three years in the rank of sergeant or corporal, may be appointed to a volunteer corps. The total pay and allowances of non-commissioned officers transferred to the Mounted Rifle j Volunteers will be made up to 7s a day for each day the corps is employed on permanent duty." The above extracts are a synopsis of the rules under which instructors are granted to the Home volunteers, by such a system, it is apparent to everyone that the smartest drills of the army can be obtained, men who are not only " smart drills," but who come to their duties in the volunteer force with nothing in the way of old drill to unlearn, and well up in the most recent tactical changes of new drill. With such encouragement as this and with the annual training under canvas it cannot be doubted that the Home force is in a more efficient condition than the New Zealand force. It is very

probable that if application was made by the New Zealand Government for the loan of a number of sergeants under the same conditions, that such an application might be granted. It is clearly to the interest of Great Britain to afford every reasonable aid to render her colonial

defence corps as efficient as possible. The Australasian colonies are now looked upon as an important integral part of the empire, and in the present mood of the Home Government there can be little doubt but that such a reasonable request would be granted without any demur. Similar conditions are laid down by the Admiralty, for the employ-

ment of petty officers as instructors in gunnery and seamanship for Naval Artillery Volunteers, a few smart gunners mates and boatswain's mates would impart an element of actual nautical skill to the numerous naval corps of this colony, which under the present circumstances they cannot be considered to possess to any eminent degree. We do not pretend to be the originators of such a proposition as we have advanced, Sir W. Jervois and Colonel Scratchley both distinguished imperial officers suggested some similar course several years ago, and it will be remembered that His Excellency in his opening parliamentary speech last week pointed out that the New Zealand Government would this session have to take into consideration, how far the suggestions of the last named officer should be acted upon.