OUR DEFENCES.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 3, Issue 149, 9 October 1895, Page 4

OUR DEFENCES.

Colonel Fox has just funished his annual report Upon the defences of the Colony, and a rather startling document it is, showing that should occasion arise to ' show our teeth,' they wonld mostly consist of false ones. A few extracts will suffice to show something of the character of the document. He says ■ —The com* manding officers are not aware of what is going on as regards their permanent artillery, nor of the condition of their defences. For instance, they are not officially aware of the fact that the six inch B.L. guns in an unchasehoopcd state are dangerous to fire, and consequently are not to be depended on for defence ; nor do they know that the powder is rapidly deteriorating with age, nor that the fuses are generally unreliable and not to be depended upon. This results from want of organisation. They understand that the permanent forces and the defences are under the direct control of the Defence Office, and they have no re, sponsibiiity as regards those forces and defences. They are not aware of the number of men required to man the works, and therefore are ignorant of the numbers which are deficient in their districts. Under these circumstances on an emergency arising they would be absolutely unable to organise their defence. As regards cavalry and mounted rifles, Auckland comes off very badly as compared with the other parts of the colon; The Marlborough Rifles, it is true, are described ' indifferent,' but the Wellington, Canterbury and Otago corps range from 'fair' to 'excellent.' The remarks upon the three Auckland corps are as follows:—Waiuku Mounted Rifles, ' bad " ; South Franklin Mounted Rifles, ' indifferent'; and the Te Awamutu MouutedEifl°s, ' bad.'