THE EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 55, 6 March 1891, Page 4

THE EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

+ TO THE EDITOR. Sir— With the approach of the Foster season oar thoughts naturally oome round to tho annual encampment of our volnntoer for oo, whioh, aooording to announcement, is to bo held at Palmerston North. Taking a great interest in these annual gatherings for drill purposes, I venture to nsk why this only opportunity the active officers serving with their oompaniea have of testing and displaying their abilities Bhpuld be taken away from them by placing in oommand a staff of gentlemen from the reserve list. It is well-known that the majority of the officers on the reserve list have been failures I when on the active Hat, while some havo I never had oommand of a oompany, and none ' have any practice from one year's end to another, and but for the general resurreotion whioh takes place at Easter time, would be quite unknown to the publio as military men. The captain or lieutenant^ who works every week all the year round with bjs men. and may be fairly expeoted to have gained some knowledge and experience during the | course of the year, is plaoed under the oommand of those superannuated gentlemen of the reserve list on the very occasion when his training and knowledge should be tested and tried. Tho result of suohtactios is inevitable failure in oamp discipline and arrangements, disgust on the part of the officers on tho aotive list, and an exhibition of inoompetence on the part of the staff officers ; and. above all, there is the waste of valuable time and publio money, on an otherwise admirable first ojaea training. It is to be hoped past experience, with its failures, will prevent a repetition of thia very unfair and injadioious arrangement of the staff at the encampment at Palmerston. I am, Ac, Corporal.