VOLUNTEER MATTERS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 245, 16 October 1903, Page 4

VOLUNTEER MATTERS.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—l saw by your columns lately that the services of the Marlborongh High School Cadets have been accepted by the Defence Department. Can you tell me if they are going to be treated like the Town Cadets? If so, who is going to pay the piper? Here in the Town Cadets we have a good company, or the ground-work of one, manned by an energetic young officer, who gets, if the company is 60 strong, a beggarly £15 a year to carry out everything on. I am not a Volunteer, but I have been one, and still take a great interest in their aifairs, and often have a talk with those trying to carry these companies on, and it seems to me they are hopelessly crippled until something is done. The Town Cadets were promised £1 a head capitation when starting. After they had spont 30s each on uniforms this was suddenly cut down to ss. They will be six years now paying for these uniforms, without spending one penny in all these years on anything else* and- then their officers' uniforms are still outstanding. They were supposed to get £10 a year for Drill Shed gas, etc., but this never arrives, I believe. This company being helplessly in debt, is it any wonder that it is not possible to get anyone to take the command, the present person in charge declining the responsibility of the debt ? These matters are common talk among Volunteers, so anyone can verify these statements. In his annual report Major General Babington recommended that the cadets should be encouraged in every way, but the Defence Department seem to have ignored his report altogether and further reduced their allowance, making it impossible for them to pay their way. Now to the senior companies. Their capitation is all right, I suppose, but where do the District expenses come in ? In years gone by, when the Drill Shed was builfc, a regular yearly allowance for the up-keep of targets, etc., was received. Now, from what I can hear, not a single penny outside of capitation is received, the senior compauies having to finance everything out of their capitation grant. The supply, of ammunition is not enough, and a good sum yearly has to go back to the Government for purchasing more of this. I see someone has mentioned this in your paper lately. It might be stated by those interested that camp allowances, etc., are received, but when a company gets 2s a day allowance and has to pay 2s 9d out for expenses they make a lot out of it! At the present time our boys drill in a shed which the insurance companies recently declined to touch until repairs were effected, for which no money was available, and the gas they use at the Borough's expense. I see the De . fence Department vote is to be still further reduced. Where will the companies be then ? We will have a lot of commandants of districts, etc., but no one under them to command. In view of these facts, would it not be well for thos« interested in the High School Cadets to find out what their responsibilities will be before they go further. —lam, etc.,

Ex Volunteer.