Volunteering.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2996, 6 September 1888, Page 2

Volunteering.

(To the Editor.) ;Sm.-In yesterday's -i3sue you 'inserted from the Grey town Standard an article written by a correspondent on the Volunteer question.' Some of his remarks savour of truth, but the ■ generality are largely exaggerated. That military cliciplihe in the Wairarapa is at the present time at it low ebb canuofc for a moment be denied, and the cause is not far to seek. To begin at the top of the tree, we have a Major who ia paid—pnicl liberally—to superintend the military operations in this district. The various Coiiipauies see him on an average about ■ once every threo months,—They see hint, and that is about all. He looks down the muzsle of their guns, says 1 they are good boys, watches them shuffle through some very faulty evolutions for about ton minutes, praises their Band, and then departs well satisfied with himself and everybody concerned. Next the Captains of the corps, They give their word of command in a pleading, half-confi-dent voice; they take no notice of any acts of insubordination on thd part of non-commissioncd officers or privates; they allow mon to 101 l about while on parade, and spit tobacco on the floor, instead of standing upright and giving the drill their full attention. Talking and laughter in the ranks is not checked, and, therefore, volunteering as witnessed by outsiders is a mere farce. Why do we get ouch poor attendances at Church parades/ Simply because the captains of corps, instead of informinghis subordinateß that a parade will le held, and that non-attendors would be fined, and enforcing (he fine, he asks them in a gentle, pleading tone, if they are in favor of a parade to "shoulder arms," Some feel inclined, others do not. The majority carry the day, some of them voting for .it without; the slightest intention of being present, thus it is that we get a muster of about twentyfive out of a total •of sixty members of the corps to attend Church on a beautiful Sunday morning, and we may meet a : great number oithem waiting about tho streets to see how it can possibly be held without thorn, Of course the lieutenants and noncommissioned officers may be of strong opinion that affairs would be managed 1 differently to great advantage, but they are powerless in the matter and consequently fall into the general groove. The Standard's correspondent's remarks with regard to gambling, euchre playing, throwing yankee grab, etc., are mo3t likely confined to some corps existing in this somewhat fertile i imagination for I have a higher opinion of Volunteers'of this Colony and especially of this district, to think that the foregoing are the only topics of conversation with which they would , be likely to entertain each other. I may also add that I think there has been no deterioration either physically . or intellectually in young New- Zealand from its progenitors to warrant the necessity of such disparaging comparisons as he employs. lam, etc,, / Aoricoia.