BIG GUNS v. RIFLES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 119, 26 July 1873, Page 8

BIG GUNS v. RIFLES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. ibiß, —In your issue of The 12th inst you state that as the charge brought against the members of the volunteer force in this colony by the Hon Mr Bathgate was not contradicted, it must be true. I am sorry to say it is to a certain extent, but whose fault is it ? When I inform you that the volunteers are only required to attend drill once a month, and what they learn at that drill they forget by the next drill day, and long before it. I am now a volunteer over ten years, and during that time I have not missed more than nine drills ; and for the last seven years we have been drilled in this district by the best instructor we ever had, and one who pays every attention to us. Yet, I am sorry to say, I am far from being what I would wish to be. As for Mr Bathgate saying artillery is the only useful force for New Zealand to keep up, it is a farce in the extreme, and I hope, should he bring such a motion before the House, it will meet with its just dues—put on the floor of the House. Sir, with your kind permission, I would beg respectfully to ask the Hon Mr Bathgate if he has been himself an artilleryman, or if he has seen his pet weapon used against an earthen fortification. The big gun was well proved in the Crimea ; and if we look at the services rendered by this weapon in our own country of New Zealand, at Rangiriri it was useless, ditto at Paturangi, and in the hands of her Majesty’s Royal Artillery, at Orakau (when within 300 yards of the pa) the shot did not go more than from eight to thirteen inches into the breastwork, and that work only four feet thick. The hand grenades which were thrown by Sergeant s'PKaie and the Sergeant-Major of the militia did more service than if the big guns were going since. Now, sir, regarding volunteers being only shooting clubs, there was, and is now, living a general officer, when inspecting a regiment, had the best shot in the regiment and a squad of first-class shots out to

fire ; he also had a squad of bad shots out (3rd class). These men fired, and when done, he formed them up, saying, “ You are a hive of bees, and you,” meaning the best shot, 11 are the Queen of the hive ; and you” (to the first-class men) 11 are the working bees ; but you” (to the bad shots) u are the drones of the hive, and such men are only an encumbrance upon your regiment and the service at large ; for what good is a man if he cannot hit his enemy ; and practice makes perfect.” But, sir, should the country have to keep up a volunteer or militia force, I would beg, with your permission, to suggest a plan which, I feel sure would find favor with all concerned. First, then, let the Government adopt the following plan :—ln case the Honorable Mr Bathgate, being unable to transform all the Rifle Volunteers into elephants, and place a big gun on the back of each front rank elephant, so that his rear rank file may be able to fire it, and carry it over the hills and swamps of New Zealand ; big gnns are only fit for firing salutes, and in that case the Government should form in Wellington or Nelson a school of musketry ; and before giving any Captain or Lieutenant their commission, they should go through a course of instructions, so as to be able to drill their men at any time. Judging distance and skirmishing drill, with a very little company drill, is all we want in New Zealand, and make ourselves good shots, so that we can hit our enemy when required. We are not in any way likely to meet with such things in this country for some time longer I hope as a mass of columns or lines of columns in the supplejacks and swamps of this country, when the big gun would be of service. In the second place, let the Government call out for training and exercise, where the volunteers are below the minimum number (in each district), all the young men from, say, eighteen to thirty-five years of age ; and let them be drilled once a day for two months, or until such time as they are efficient in skirmishing and bayonet exercise, judging distance, and a little company drill ; then, if they wish to join the volunteers, let them, they are drilled and fit to join the ranks. The next step to take would be to have an officer in command of each province, and not in each district, as now is the ease. Let the sergeants do the work in the districts, and .this officer inspector should be required to attend in every district- once in three months, and drill all the volunteers together ; and any member who cannot do his work, or falls short of the efficiency required, let him go back to instruction drill until again dismissed, and fit to join his company. The inspecting officer in each province should have a SergeantMajor to go with him in his rounds and see that the instructors do their duty. By this plan volunteering would become popular and useful to the country, as we must keep the arms in the districts to insure peace. In the fourth place, there should be sergeants’ instructors trained at the Colonial School of Musketry, who could be sent to any district as they may be required. I think, sir, that after one year, should this plan be adopted, all the volunteers would be efficient, and the cost to provinces reduced by one half. For harbor defence, have inspectors, and not big guns ; keep them for what they are only fit for—saluting firing. I beg you will forgive me for trespassing on your valuable space so much, but as you are a friend to riflemen, I feel sure you will do so. —I am, &e., An Old Volunteer.