TE AWAMUTU CAVALRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2263, 11 January 1887, Page 3

TE AWAMUTU CAVALRY.

W Inspection by General Whitmore. Tiik annual inspection of the Te Awamutu Volunteer Cavalry was held on Saturday, the inspecting officers bei ig Major-General Sir G. Whitmore and Colonel Shepherd. The General's ;\.D.C.,Captain Schmitt.was also present. The troop, tmder command of Captain Rutherford and Lieut*. Bruce and Storey, mustered thirty-eight of all ranks. The men fell in at the Volunteer Hall, where General Whitmore compliu.ented thorn on the excellence of their mounts. The troop was then marched to the racecour.-e where various military evolutions were executed, such as the pursuing practice, rapidity tiring, jumping, marching p.'ist, &e. In complimenting them on their'effioieiicy, General Whitmore said, that in s-xun troops, skill in the use of •lie rifle had been made a secondary consideration to swordsmanship. In modern warfare the l'dle was m >re used than the sword, and men must therefore make themselves thoroughly profieieut in the use of the former. The principal duties of cavalry in the event of being called out for active service would be in attacking and de fending outposts, and it was oovious that -kill in shooting was absolutely necessary. He paid a high compliment to the band, and congratulated Bandmaster Sibley on r.iie musical skill of his men ; what the band lacked in nuni'iers it made ut> in ability. There was another point which it was leciissary for cavalry to be proficient in, ',hat was riding at speed over fences. Be fore being dismissed, Quarter-Master Roche said he. had two complaints to make. Ist. That the capitation allowance of £3 was not sufficient to cover expenses, 2nd that three days drill every half year was not sufficient for the proper training of men and horses. Leave having been given to speak on the subject, Quartermaster Roche said the men did not want, to make money out of volunteering, but is ■vas a well known fact that cavalry were out to a deal more expense than infantry in iroviding an outfit and keeping their horses, ami if they gave their time and services to the country, the least that could ue done would be to give them enough to

:over expuiiscs which was not the case under the present system. They had each re pay twelve shillings a year to the funds >f the corps, which left them a balauce only of £2 Bs. They had to do six days drill and attend two inspections, and out of the small sum mentioned they had to provide a cavalry man's outfit, besides which there were the expenses attendant upon their drills, so that it costs each man several pounds over and above his pay annually, and this without taking into consideration the loss of time involved. They were willing to do twelve days a year, six days half yearly, for £6 a year, or in other double the duty for double the pay, and they desire to have the inspection on the last day of each drill, when both men and horses would present a better and more creditable appearmce than as now, when they were taken from the harvest field without giving the horses any preparation. What the men found most inconvenient were these inspections which took placo at irregular intervals, ind at times most inconvenient. The present for instance was a busy time, and it inter erred with their occupation of those who re fanners. They were willing; as ie said, to do six diiys drill ■.very haif-year, which would be a source of M-ofit and pleasure—profit to the country in having men more efficient than they are low, and pleasure to the men in learning heir drill —for, as most of the men are farners, they could time their work in such a tvay as to have a week available for their .raining. He wished, however, to say that it any time duty called them they would •hem-fully respond to the call. Under the iresent system, just as the men and horses •egan to learn a little of their duties they .vere dismissed, and by the time the next teriod came round they had forgotten what ■hey had learned previously ; in fact, they ever got any further than preliminaries. The General: " Perfectly true.") Toe ■ peaker, in conclusion, said the only thing hat had kept the troop together was the reat interest and trouble taken in it by ■aptain Rutherford. Were it not for hiu> ;t would have broken up long since, and

*iw til-it he lia-l determined to leave some troiis? inducement would have to be offered f the troop was to be kept together after he •jsigned. General Whitmore said he would ftive the natter his consider dim. He agreed with i good deal of what had been said. Cavalry ndoubtedly were at a great deal more e\ense than infantry, but it was hardlv •vithin his province to brinsr the matter lieore the Government. He had an objection > associating politics with volunteering, ut unfortunately such was often the case ■ml very often promotions went not v merit, but by political influence, n this case, however, he thought it a .t matter for the sitting members to bring 'Fore the authorises. The whole amonn-' >ted for volunteers this year was £21,000 • iiich was more than it used to he. If the nicessions asked for by Quarter-master Joche were granted it wouid require an iditional sum of £2000, f> r if granted to mis troop everv other troop would want "hesame. The Defence Minister had made oecial concessions to the Waikato troopmt then those days were troublous times, aid they were liable to be called on for ictive service at a moments notice ; since :owever those concessions had been withIrawn. At one time fifteen shilling a day lad been granted which he t.housrht a great Jeal too much. Quarter-master Roche said ie and other members of the troops spoke igainst the matter at the time ; they thought *iich pay was a great deal too much. The Jeneral went on to say that with resrard to he drill, the new regulations would alter -.hat, as they would now have to do egihteen Irills a year, but it could be so arranged as mt to interfere naturally with the business if the men. There would be a quarterly taff inspection. In conclusion hp thanked he men for turning out so well that diy. ft was an experiment to try how many ■:ould be got together at a short notice, and when he took into consideration the fact that this was a busy part of the season the men were deserving of praise for having turned out so well, more especially as some of them had come long distances. He knew no money the Government qoqld give them would compensate theirv for their loss of time. General Whitmore aud party left by the afternoons train for Auckland,