The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1882.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4310, 24 October 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1882.

f. . i ■ ■ ■ THEiHon. Jehn Bryce, Mr Commissioner Reader, ,-Col. Pavidsou,. or some .other r*4&iljrTOteliigent person, had issdted a circular to the officers, commanding district, which if we may infer that the author possessed any design at all, would seem to?indicate that the intention is to have a'small but' exceedingly " efficient volunteer force. Under the new regulations, the Thames will be favored with permission to have thr.ee companies : viz, one corps, Naval Artillery Volunteers, and two Corps,|Ufle;Vplnnteer>, after Ist,Jin. next. Thesfe* we presume/wiUbVirhiHre • termed Garrison Corps, ; pr such as form part of the fixed establishment the Government consider necessary for the service of the Colony. Th«ir maximum will be 63 and minimum 43 members. The following trifling qualification for capitation will be required: —Attendance at twelve Government parades of not less than two* tours' duration, one hour of which must be devoted absolutely to drill; four of these parades must be held in daylight ;*tfc&sre in ?■' and 2od P$& d* of tafget practice, and go thrbugh,,tfie Ist and'2nd periods of judging distance drill. No parade drill or inspection to reckon towards ei'p'itatkra in either garrison or oountry corps, if less than the minimum strength of the corps is present. And all this apparently for £2 a year! \ The almost unanimous opinion on thei Thames, we are convinced, will be,; '• It's not ; „ good - enough." . This masterly production goes on to 'state: " Every Volunteer to enrol for 12 months' continuous service, and untrained recruits only permitted to enrol for corps ia the months of January and July in each year; these; recruits to be formed into squads irrespective of corps. They will have to attend hour*' recruit drill and> go. through the first and second periosW'oT target and judging distance practices, when, if reported efficient, they will be passed in drill and join the ranks of their corps; csspitation can be claimed for these recruits provided the period under instruction has not' exceeded six ffconths, aud a free r issue of a serge suit will be; granted to enable them to attend recruits' drill in uniform. Men who have previously 'received » military training can be enrolled at any|peri& Mnftthe yor, but they will not receive tin Jess they have q^liied for it by attending the, requisite numbetof parades. , The: place of a Lionel, a captain^ br.even a corporal, ;undeV the present system may know him ,no more for ever, for officers and oon*

commissioned officers will have to undergo an examination, before their appointments are confirmed, in certain subjects, which wjl^be^peeified. in the new regulations, jj&tpride and glory of the Thames companies art their bands; yet garrison bands only-will be permitted in stations where theri are foor corps or upwards, of a strength *in proportion of fire men to each corps. They are to be under the immediate control of the officer in command of the district. Capitation will be "granted to bandsmen who attend the proper number of parades, and Goyernment assistance afforded towards defraying expenses of instruction. - The Thames, which has two of the finest bands in New Zealand, will not be entitled to a garrison band; indeed, in future this i district, instead of leading in volunteer- | ing, will, under the- new regime, be degraded to unimportance and insignia* cance. But the sympathetic gentleman who framed these regulations doea not intend to deprive our.men altogether of music, be merely desires to limit (heir capacity for blowing. He says: "At places where there are three or four corps the same proportion of bandsmen will be allowed, but no - other assistance will be granted." Thus the three companies may have one band between them, consisting of fifteen men. Jle further kindly informs them that volunteer corps who are at present above the' maximum strength laid down in new regulations will* be required to reduce their numbers to the fixed establishment before the 31st of January, 1883, and may adopt such means, by ballot or otherwise, as may be deemed best to carry out the required reduction. Corps failing to do so before the above date will be disbanded, and new corps of the authorised establishment formed in their place. Judged by their present tone it is probable that when that time arrives the Thames companies will have reduced themselves out of existence. Captain Barlow receives his quietus thus: " Cadet corps, except those in connection with schools, will be disbanded at the close of the present year." And his friend, Captain Small, fares no better; he is extinguished in the following fashion: " Corps at present designated Engineers will cease to be recognised as such after 31st December, 1882." No more nice little bills for uniforms for Mr Wiseman: Ministers have wreaked a terrible vengeance on his pocket. Regulation uniforms will be paid for as heretofore out of capitation, the Government obtaining them on application from corps. And here is a pill for Captain Wildman, to be swallowed without sugar: " Naval Volunteers will be reconstructed as " Naval Artillery Volunteers," to be trained at the four principal ports in the working of the heavy batteries, about to be erected, for which a special allowance will be granted as specified in forthcoming regulations." They too, surely, must have sinned most greviously that they are thus condemned to play second fiddle,, to (Mr ixHar&&na^€(^i^'T^%io^ z purports to be issued inbrdrir to save time and 'give every opportuniry for members of Volunteer corps to discuss and consider the new regulations under which they will have to serve. The answer of the Thames men will probably be sharp and decisive. The new force will not be a volunteer force at all: it will-be a militia serrice. It takes away almost everything that endeared volunteering to the Thames; and deprives i£ of that spirit of ; spontaneity and the elasticity which were congenial and essential ttf enthusiasts. The capitation grant will probably be revised, and Government mwp get me&'tff, attend so many drills for so much' payV and in so doing they will have extinguished volunteering, and created a militia force—for volunteers do not devote their time to citizon-soldiering for pay. With 1882 will end the Volunteer force—it and the year will expire together,