The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1894.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 10481, 19 October 1894, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1894.

The report of the recent Volunteer Conference at Wellington, of which our correspondent this morning supplies a summary, appears to be a most comprehensive and well-con-sidered document, reflecting great credit upon the deliberative body called into existence by the happy thought of the Minister of Defence. In general, the recommendations are such as must be approved by everyone who believes that the colony ought to have a defence force ready, in case of , emergency, to form the nucleus of a citizen army. The aim is to make the volunteer force a better dressed, better drilled and better armed body than it is at present, to increase its discipline and esprit de corps, and to make it in every way more efficient than it has been for some years past. No one can find fault with the proposals to secure uniformity t of treatment and to stimulate | efficiency on the part of individual j members. It remains to be seen whether the capitation proposals of Parliament will he sufficiently liberal to compensate for the raising of the minimum number of efficients in each | company from two-thirds to three- { fourths before capitation can be | claimed. One recommendation that | will give rise to a difference of ( opinion is that which proposes that | there shall be a commander of the I force. If wo remember aright, the Minister of Defence claimed, when | Colonel Pox was appointed military | adviser to the colony, that a commander of the forces was unnaceseary. He must now choose between disregarding the advice of the conference and creating another highlypaid office. We question if the colony can afford to pay a commander of the [ forces in addition to a military adviser. I Another point upon which we cannot | look for agreement with the report is [ the recommendation that payments | to rifle clubs and to the New Zealand ‘ Rifle Association should be discontinued. The propositions that the last-named organisation ia subversive of discipline and does not give any j practical assistance to volunteering would, if supported by facts, justify the cessation of the grants in aid; but we are inclined to dispute the assertions, and we can see no sufficient ground for interfering with the grants. The abolition of the system of popular election as applied to volunteer officers is an essential to good discipline, but in this and other matters delicate handling will bo required to induce men of independent spirit to i serve in the defence force for the scanty pittance likely to be given as capitation. Of course, nothing can be done in the way of carrying out many of the recommendations without parliamentary sanction, which cannot he given before next session; but we have no doubt that, from the recommendations now in their possession, Ministers will in the meantime be able to make administrative reforms, and to prepare acceptable proposals to introduce to the House next year.