VOLUNTEERS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9694, 14 December 1894, Page 4

VOLUNTEERS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

It is curious to note that in Western Australia they are discussing, as in New Zealand, the condition of the Volunteer Force. It appears that the defence vote was struck out of the Estimates, with a view to its introduction in an altered form. The officer commanding is in favour of replacing the volunteers by a partially-paid militia, and with that object in view there were added to the defence vote £4000, as well as £2160 for the secondary armament at Albany. It is stated that in that colony the volunteer system, if it can hardly be called a failure, cannot be regarded as a pronounced success. The strength of corps is not maintained, drills are neglected, and above all the true volunteer spirit is lacking. Some more of the characteristics of a military force must be imparted if the whole volunteer movement is not to break down, and it is with this object that the scheme of a partially-paid militia is suggested by the military authorities. One thing which has deterred Western Australia from embarking upon any great expenditure in defence is her isolation, and a belief that until some scheme has been adopted for drawing the forces at the disposal of Australia rapidly together, and concentrating them in the face of danger wherever it may present itself, most of the local enrolments will be of little use. All that the proposed partially paid militia can ever be is a nucleus round which in time of danger can be gathered a much lager body, which could be made hastily available j for national defences. In Victoria and in New South Wales, the schemes for efficient local defence are still the subjects of heated discussion, and General Hutton and General Tulloch, like Colonel Fleming in Western Australia, are finding it no easy matter to get the Government of the day to accord either co-operation or the means to carry the proposals into effect.