VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7525, 27 August 1886, Page 3

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.]

Wellington, Thursday. The following is a precis of the new Volunteer regulations which, after • possibly undergoing some further revision, will be sent to the various corps throughout the colony for their remarks and suggestions (tho first alteration is indicated, but not yet absolutely laid down) : — The firing of' the Volunteers has retrograded under tho system in force these last few years, and the average shooting lias fallen off. Military shooting is not tho work of a few men, but the average efficiency of tho wholo force engaged in an action. It has been, therefore, found necessary _ to insist on 60 rounds, instead of 40, being lired under supervision, and to reward by the average shooting of a corps, and not by individual, shooting. In order to ensure a decent use of their weapon, Voltinteers will be required to get into second class as a condition of drawing their capitation, but tho amonnt of points required to get into second class has been reduced from 32 to 20. The term "district" adjutant is denned, which is an improvement, and draws a proper distinction between district adjutants who are really brigade majors and adjutants who are appointed to battalions.The medical department is re-organised, and placed on a bettor basis in the new regulations. Promotion will in future go by seniority throughout, and former service will bo recognised. In placing officers of the medical staff in their first positions very properly actual service in the field is to havo special consideration. The medical department is to be presided over by a Director General holding o'ffico for iive years, who will satisfy himself as to the various claims of the medical officers, certify whether the applicants are entitled to be considered as members of tho profession, and in any case of lapse from the standard expected of medical officers to report thecnenmstances to the department. There are regulations to check the practice of inducing specially efficient members of one corp leaving it to entor another, and Volunteers will not be allowed hereafter to leave a corps till they have served one full year af terenrolment, unless in special cases of private affairs requiring a change of residence, Sc, One leading feature of the new regulations is tho examination ot officers. A Council of Education fe to \io formed to carry out this duty, and tho existing Boards will bo responsible only for tho officers not seeing tho papers beforehand, and answering them without reference or assistance. Tho Council will fix the marks for every paper, and each will bo indicated by a number. When tho time is passed the papers will be collected and sent buck, and the Council will award

such marks only as have been earned, Field officers and adjutants will l;e examined on exceedingly easy subjects, and though seniority will have weight it will not be strictly regarded as constituting the only ground of promotion. In the other ranks tho Boards will examine in drill. Field officers anil adjutants will bo personally examined by tlio Board. The Volunteer capitation remains this your at the old rates. As regards country corps, it is .proposed to institute tho principle of payment by results next year. Instead of 1 2 drills garrison corns will now have to attend 18 drill*,

and to earn the capitation each man must have fired CO rounds under super-

vision and got into second class. If for two successive years a Volunteer fails to gain admission to the second class (20

points) ho will cease to be a Volunteer. A difficulty has arisen sometimes through the stuff boing unable to attend at nil the country corps Government drills; 1 to ob.viato this and enable them more easily to earn their capitation the officer commanding is now empowered to act if the staff are not .present, certifying upon honor the numbers present and the nominal roll of absentees. Camps are now allowed to count as two daylight drills; otherwise the rules regarding them are little altered. Two kinds of Boards of Inquiry are constituted, oithov of which can be used when neqessat'y— one a judicial body, the other puTcJy:fojf collecting evidence. The proceeding^ in eaCh case are set forth at some length. The regulations under the liend , of discipline are .slightly modified and made a little more stringent, but not oppressively so. The status of battalions and battalion officers is defined. To pre- ' vent the clashing of authority, officers of cadet corps will no longer be honorary only ;. they will bo acting officers and perntit'ted id lecc'ive diJnjmissidrls if the/ pass the prescribed examination; No time! is fixed for 'tjjis, .so Miriy riiay pfe.Huiri.ably come up at pleasvii'q. .for. fcxaiiivna'tion: The establishment is now fixed on a war as well as a peace basis.