CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4287, 26 April 1879, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

VOLUNTEER DISCIPLINE. TO THB BDITOB OF THB PEEBB.

Stß, —Noticing in the newspapers various accounts reflecting unfavourably upon the conduct of some of the Volunteers who attended the Invercargill encampment, I would venture to make the following suggestions, with a view to prevent any cause for similar complaints in the future. My proposals are as follow:— 1. That it shall be provided by legal enactment that all Volunteers who shall attend any such encampment, shall be subject to the Mutiny Act from the time of their leaving their local parade ground, or of their assembling at any central parade ground in their own district. They would thus travel as a military force under discipline. 2. That all suoh Volunteers shall wear uniform only until they are dismissed on return from the encampment. 3. That a reasonable hour in the evening— Bay ten o'clock —shall be fixed, by which all Volunteers must be within the building where they may happen to be billeted, and that no Volunteer shall leave such building after that hour. And that in order to warn Volunteers to return to their respective billets, the bugle should be sounded at a few principal points in the town where the encampment may be held, and the side drums shall patrol the streets, commencing, say, at half-past nine o'clock.

4. That all abssntees shall be reported by their officers and strictly dealt with. The above provisions are very simple, but if brought into fore > would go far to make the discipline a reality, and no man could find himself any the worse for it. There would be no real irksomeness in such moderate restraint: but it would be " real discipline," and would, I believe, go further towards improving the tone of the Volunteers than anything I have as yet seen put into practice since Volunteering commenced amongst us. Yours, &0., B. J. S. Hab-CAn.