THE VOLUNTEERS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 1105, 7 February 1891, Page 2

THE VOLUNTEERS.

(" Oamani One effect that the change of Ministry is likely to produce 19 a revival of interest in the Volunteer movement, and, unless colonists were prepared to see our voluntary army die out altogether, that revival of interest will come none too soon. Another year of such muddling and mismanagement, such wasteful expenditure and wanton affront to our citizen soldiers, as -have characterised the administration of the Defence Department'by tnc late Government, would have been about sutficieut to have extinguished the last spark of patriotism, without which the voluntary system cannot he maijitaried. Armed witli poor and ineffective weapons—weapons that have become obsolete outside of this colony—ami supplied with inferior ammunition, the Vclunteers have had the mortification of seeing money that might well have been applied to the better equipment of the force squandered in providing for retired army officers, who, with high-soundinj; titles and empty purses, have pounced down upon this simple colony. With very few exceptions, tl>ese military pensioners have brought liitlc to recommend them for employment. in connection with the colonial voluntary army. Thiir knowledge of military matters lielongs to a school which, like our weapons, has become obsolete. They know nothing of modern military science, and their traininir absolutely incapacitates them for any connection with an army composed of citizen soldiers. Their sole aim has been to create an old-fashioned standing army, with themselves at its brad in receipt of substantial pay. What wonder that the Volunteers have pretty wejl come to the conclusion that they were not wanted, and that many of the best men have quitted the service in disgust. The late Government had not the courage to dec'are openly that they contemplated the death of the Volunteer force, much less the courage to despatch it at once. Instead of doing this, they resorted to a process of starv ing to death. The result of all this is that the force is in an ineffective, disorganised, disaffected and disheartened condition, and probably 110 Defence Minister desiring to bring about substantial reform in the Volunteer system 1 could desire to have the force in a more advanced stage of ripeness for his purpose. We are sure that Volunteers throughout the colony will be well pleased with the change of Ministry, because the presence in the Government of such enthusiastic admirers of the Volunteer system as Messrs. Ballance, Buckley, Cadman, and Ward, all of whom have had active experience of volunteering, is a guarantee that they will receive a reasonable amount of encouragement. Moreover, the remaining members of the new Ministry, Messrs. M'Keniie, Reeves, and Seddon, are uncompromising opponents of a permanent paid army, as not suited to the peculiar circumstances of the colony, and beyond its power to support. With a Ministry so constituted, the military horseleeches are likely to have a bad time, but tint is matter for small concern, for the downfall of these pensioners will be to the advantage of the Volunteers and of the colony generally.