IMPERIAL TROOPS AND VOLUNTEERS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10887, 12 February 1901, Page 3

IMPERIAL TROOPS AND VOLUNTEERS.

TO THE KDITOR OF THE PBESS. Sir, —The visit of the Imperial troops will, i>o doubt, as I heard it aptly expressed, i either knock the bottom out of volunteer- i ing or increase the interest in it. Person- ; ally. I am inclinted to think that the visit , will do us a lot of good. j Of course, there were amongst tie crowd a great many- of those ignorant, narrow minded cavillers who make it their business to see all there is to be seen without paying anything for it, the kind of individual

who is prepared to vrager tihat everything | local is deuced bad, and everything imported is <iteuced good. The opinion, of these ""kidney" (and '•Obey are far too numerous) roes for notihiag, but the opinion of tiose who do take ail interest in and do understand •what they are talking about would be read ! and discussed far aim wide. Of course, one has to bear in mind that any att-empt ti& comparison between the Imperial troops and the local volunteers -would be ridiculously absurd, and you could no more expect Air Thomas Atkins to walk into a bank manager's office and run the show as i-t ought to be run, than you could expect a volunteer to equal the " Toimny" at his profession. When one considers the fact that those soldiers drill more hours a day than a volunteer drills in a fortnight, then you can only accord t p ne locals every credit" Tn point of dress, it is only a que.stiin of means. .Spend tfie same money on the volunteers, ana they will wear the same uniform with equal, ii not better, effect. In point of physique, tie Guards were all that could be "desired. The physique for practical work was to be seen in the kilted corps. In the line regiments the stamp of man was not equal to the average volunteer in either -height or chest measurement or intelligence. The busby kit and tfce trained walk will cover up lu-any ■physical defects, and it is unfortunate tuftt their stay was not more (prolonged in order that the public might get some idea of what stamp of man "Tommy" is. Colonel Wyndham drew attention to the local (New" Zealand) volunteer officers. a.nd it is to h= hoped his words will 'have some effect. But surely no one could regard-rfie officers who visited us with the troops as samples of w<hat our volunteer officers should be. In point of drill, their commands were extremely badly given, and very often wrong—in fact, t'he noit-commdssioned officers Drought 'them safely through on more than one occasion. In point of physique, tihe officers (with certain exception) were certainly no better than our local men. '• Sassiety" men, mostly, who regard the volunteer —and the Tommy" for that matter — much as they would a front gatepost. The marching of the visitors was at times very excellent, and again at times it was very ibad. In tfheir drill tlhere was unison, method, and cadence—the outcome of constant practice and discipline. Their visit here will do an immense amount of geod, no one can doubt tliat. for it will conclusively prove to all who saw them that our volunteers are a credit to us, and deserving of encouragement and support. If the general public who think tie Life Guards were so gloriously magnificent want something of : t'h-e kind, let tibcini find the money to defray the cost of the equipment, and i ll guarantee the men can be found here in *to do the uniform justice. 'Mr Stddou's " Imperial >S<jheme" is "'bosh.' . What the volunteers want is more money! Any increase will be dangerous, and it is far safer to secure those we have ait present and make a gik>d force of tii» than to increase the number and decrease the efficiency. There is nothing attracts a volunteer like a good presentable uniform, and you cannot put a company into a good uniform unless the Government will pay a decent cnp'.'tation per man. As a spectacular display, the Imperials make a fine show, but gummed up, it comes to nothing ibut pounds, shillings, and pence —gold lace, ifeathers, and steel breastplates. I ojilv hope tlia't t'he -u'blic will realise now' what excellent material we have for an efficient force, and will help and assist the Government to treat them a little more liberally.—l am. •etc., . "A COLONIAL."