THE VOLUNTEERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 115, 16 May 1890, Page 3

THE VOLUNTEERS.

The inspeotjons of the local Volunteers this month have been by separate corps, and took place last week. Notwithstanding the prevailing epidemic there were fair musters. Being the first parade after the camp, the arms were minutely inspected, and in nearly every case were found to be in clean condition. The third gun of the H Battery which was sent to the Dunedin Exhibition last year, was brought back by the Rotorua yesterday, and the Battery will now be able to get three detachments to work, There will be a turn-out of the town corps on the Queen's Birthday, when the new Garrison Band will make its first appearance. The instruments which recently arrived from Home have been issued to them.

The Defence Minister i? reported to be busy elaborating his scheme for the re-> organisation of the Volunteers, nnd he expects to have everything ready to submit for approval by the time Parliament meets.

The Wellington Torpedo Corps, during a practice last week, lost a Whitehead torpedo valued at £500. It appears that on leaving the dropping-gear of the torpedo boat the projectile went staight down and buried itself 10 feet in the mud in 70 feet of water. Ab it could not be raised the services of the divers were secured, and last Tuesday they ent down and dug round the torpedo till it was released.

The Hon. J. Ballance, who was Minister of Defence in the Stout Vognl Government, n his pre-sessional speech at Wanganni last week, said with regard to the Volunteers that he condemned the proposal to create a partially paid force at the four large centres and abolish the other Volunteers, aa the country could not afford any increased expenditure in this direction, and he thought that with the protection of the British fleet, for which we have to pay £25,000 per annum, the colony was safe from any attack on the part of Russia.

The following is the result of the competition by marksmen throughout the colony for the Government medals : — North Island: Gold medal, Pvt McGregor, Wellington City Rifles, 83 ; gold and silver medal, Pvfc McGeogh, Hawera Rifles, 83. South Island: Gold medal, Pvt Jones, Kumara Rifles, 89 ; gold and silver medal, Pvt Evendon, Kumara Rifles, 88. Silver medals were also given to eaoh district, and Bombardier Johansen of H Battery was the winner ih the Nelson dißtrict with a score of 78.

Colonel Wales, at a receut banquet at Dunedin, made some pertinent remarks on the Volunteer force He said that patriotism is dying out among the Volunteers, the cause of which is the frequent changes made in the organisation. Volunteers, he stated, were made too much subservient to politics. Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R., who was present, said that as the oldest Volunteer captain in New Zealand, he fully endorsed the remarks made by Colonel Wales. The Defence Department have issued a printed circular in connection with the recent encampment, and the following are extracts from it :— " The attendance on the whole has been far from satisfactory, and the turuoat of some corps has been of suoh a nature as to warrant an explanation being demanded from officers commanding. • * * The want of proficiency of both officers and noncommissioned officers has in some cases been commented upon, and this especially applies to equad and battalion drills. This implies that the practical examinations which are directed to be held on promotion or appointment are not as rigorously carried out as they should be, or that the knowledge obtained is of such aßuperfioial nature as to bear no appreciable result. * * * The salatisg of the officers in the march-past, and the untrained manner in which swords were handled, have been unfavourably referred to. • * * A knowledge of guard and gentry duties seems to be wanting. * * * It has also been remarked that the chain of re - sponsibility which should exist between all ranks, from theoffioercommanding the camp to the last joined recruit, was notable for its absence— that orders published in some cases were not taken the slightest notice of, and returns called for were with aome exceptions totally ignored. Officers in the first place should see that orders, when issued, are at once conveyed to the men, and that the necessary steps to carry them lout are taken by those upon whom the duties devolve. The same remarks apply with equal, if not greater, force to non-commissioned officers and ma, and when these facts are recognised and aoted up to, an element of discipline is established whioh is not irksome, and an esprit created which is readily acknowledged and maintained. * * * While directing" attention to the defects which presented themselves to the Superintending Officer, the Hon. the Defence Minister is much gratified in learning that in many cases officers and men displayed an interest in and knowledge of their work which merits the highest commendation, and that the general conduct and good behaviour of the men in and out of camp has been strongly eem«men ted upon in each report, and he feels confident that, with this e'ement pervading the force at large, if all ranks fairly and impartially perform the duties appertaining to their positions, there will in the future be no occasion to recur to points touched upon in this circular, and that the unfavourable comments which in some instances appeared in the press will not be repeated.