The Hastings Standard Published Daily THURSDAY, SEPT. 30, 1897. THE VOLUNTEERS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 439, 30 September 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30, 1897. THE VOLUNTEERS.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

There appears to be a wide-spread dissatisfaction with the administration of the Defence Department. The new Commandant does not please his critics, and Colonel Penton came in for some criticism at the hands of the member for Wellington Suburbs, who moved the Adtlress-in-Reply. If we remember correctly Colonel Fox did not give satisfaction, and if we are any judges we should say that Lord Wolseley himself would scarcely come up to the ideas of an alleged democrat. The circumstances attending the refusal of the services of the proposed Volunteer company at Gisborne s'erved as a convenient peg for Mr Wilson to address some scathing criticisms on Colonel Penton's administration. Mr Wilson, we doubt not, could " run the show" very much batter than the Colonel; it is the peculiarity of mushroom politicians that they feel and believe themselves competent to express a decided opinion on every subject under the sun. A military matter is undoubtedly within their scope. It was unfortunate that the Gisborne volunteers were not encouraged, but we are sure there was very good reason for it. The point to be borne in mind with respect to the Defence Department is that we have engaged an expert. He has been selected to organise and reform our defence forces, and his selection was entrusted to the very highest military authorities at Home. He comes to us with the best credentials, and he has come to perform a certain service ; let him go about his work in his own way. At anyrate he should not be judged until he has had time to put his plans in operation. To condemn on one or two points without understanding the whole is childish. We may rest assured that the Commandant has some scheme which he has to put in operation. That scheme is not yet matured, and for politicians to tilt at him is intensely silly. The Volunteer movement wants reorganisation ; it needs to be encouraged, and as Colonel Penton's engagement depends to a certain extent upon the existence of the Volunteer force we may be sure thai, he will do his very utmost. He has a reputation to uphold, which cannot be said of the average blatant demagogue, and we shall be doing the proper thing by letting Colonel Penton manage his business in his own way. Another point that finds favor with democrats when out popularity huniing is the desire to decry the military. " I am against introducing the military element into this democratic colony is a stock phrase, and is invariably applauded when uttered from a public

platform. One would imagine that a democratic country had no relations with the outside world ; that it runs no risk of quarrelling with other countries, that the democratic population of a democratic country had no obligations to the State. The military element might be the butt of a cheap sneer, but depend upon it as the years roll on we shall require more and more of the military element. Itis conceivable that some day we shall have to defend our country against foreign attack —it • may be to repel a horde of "Japanese or a scourge of Chinese, or perhaps the adventurous sailors of some European country. When that day comes we shall need the military element. But Mr Wilson as a democrat strikes us as being somewhat comical. While in one breath he is against the military element, in the next he pleads for a training ship for the colony and so announces his desire to introduce the sailor element. There is apparently some difference in the democratic mind between the military element and the naval element ; but the difference amounts to no more probably than twiddle -de - dee and twiddle - dedum. We shall want the " blue bottles" as well as the " scarlet runners" before many years go by, and it is as well to see to their training now.