VOLUNTEERS V. MILITIA.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5074, 20 April 1885, Page 3

VOLUNTEERS V. MILITIA.

(To the Edi'or of the Evening Stab.) Sib,—One of our oldest saws hath it that " one volunteer is worth ten pressed men," and I believe the Volunteers in the New Zealand war were considered infinitely superiorin many respects to tlw Militia.. - The former possess that esprit decor/)* which pressed men will ever lack. The proposed calling up of the somewhat mythical Militia has caused no stir here. The young men connected with.various churches in Auckland have felt constrained to form a Volunteer corps; they have requested Government to supply them—officers and men—with carnal weaponi. Fear of the Militia ballot may not have anything to do with this movement; it may be patriotism. Why is it that Thames men —once so decidedly imbued with martial ardour—are taking no similar action P Do we dread the Militta ballot less than Aucklanders P This is a time when the plain truth should be spoken. The treatment of Thames Volunteers subsequent to the Paribaka episode quenched the last sparks of our enthusiasm; a feeling of esprit bad kept several companies alive for some time previously. When we bad at our head an able and popular Voluntebb officerone who had earned his promotion step by itep to ultimate command—then our drill and. discipline were superlative; we willingly devoted much of our - time ; we spent considerable money to augment the funds and to provide equipments in those palmy day* of Volunteering. But Government snubbed him and us by giving «■ an obtuse (but gallant) old martinet, whose sole ideas were derived from red tape routine. We were treated as " pipe, day" soldiers. He did nut understand Thames Volunteers; he bored us by keep ing or under arms while be formally read to us regulations we had previously perused at our leisure, thus wasting his and our time which should have been utilised for drill. I imagine that it was his misfortune, not his fault, that he did not understand as. That old veteran is gone, let him requitscat in pace. The Thames might again become the first Volunteer district in Auckland, provided that the regulations be amended. Let companies be 100 strong; same parades as of old, daylight • reviews and days in camp to count double, let the captain of each company be responsible for its efficiency (allow him say £50 per annum for drill instruction) capitation as at present, and the Thames would soon be again to the : fore. Let such ex officers as Messrs J. Wation and T. Gavin but nnfurl their ! standards and litanies men would rally round them. But we do not care to be -' commanded locally By " a Pbaroah who knows opt Joseph," we require a resident Voutktieb commanding officer, we see no reason why we should have to play second fiddle to another district. It is the interest of Govertiment to encourage volunteering. The militia will not be popular, and will be easily'evaded by all except the ' young men whose ages are recorded in the the colony.—l am, dec, Qtrp FAS JET G.LOBfA DuCUNT.