OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10306, 13 March 1895, Page 2

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

THE NEW REGULATIONS.

A supplement to the New Zealand Giszetlo contains new volunteer regulations, which cauo into force on the lot iust. With appendices the regulations cover 20 pages of the Gazette, and a comparison of them with the regulations which they supersede shows tbat a number of material amendments have been made. It^ia provided that enrolments of volunteers, which have hitherto been made quarterly, may now taka place at any time. Kc-garding the establishment of oUiuers, non-commissioned officers, and men of corps, provision is made for increasing the maximum and minimum strength of all branches of the service. The only increase, however, in the c&i>o of naval artillery is that tho maximum number of officers in four, instead I of threo hb formerly. In cavalry and mounted j inftmtry corps the maximum strength is in- | ci-uasr.d from 60 to 80; in artiUoy corps tho maximum strength it increased from 60 to 80, and the minimum from 4-0 to 50 ; tho minimum in engineers' corps ia increased Irom 10 to 4-5 ; and in rifle corps tho maximum is increased from GO to 100, aud tho minimum from <U> to 60. A new regulation provides that when tho office of tho Commander of the Forces is vacant, that officer's duties shall bo performed by the Undersecretary for Defence ; and there aro several new provisions respecting the functions of an inspecting officer, but thene merely give tho force of regulation to what has hitherto been the custom. The office of district adjutant having been abolished, tho regulations previously in foroe as to adjutants' duties are omittod from the fresh regulations, the duties previously discharged by adjutants now devolving npon officers in command of districts. There is an entirely now provision that, oa forwarding an application for the formation of a corps, the senior officer of the branch of the service of tho proposed new corps will eatisfy himself that the officers indicated in the application are iit and proper persons for receiving a commission, and his certificate to that effect has to receivo the approval of the officer commanding the district, whereupon, if ths Commander of the Forces is satisfied, the proposed officers will bo appointed acting officers to the proposed corps. Whereas formerly officers have been elected by the men, it is now provided that if a vacancy arises for a subaltern in a corps tho commanding officer of the corps will, within a reasonable time, submit to the senior officer of his branch of tho service the name of a candidate for appointment, and an acting appointment may tlien be made. A new regulation provides that should a vacancy arise in the command of any corps, the' senior of that branch ia the district will recommend, or state his reasons why he does not roeoriimr-nd, the senior subaltern of the corps for promotion, and fshe officer commanding the district, if (satisfied that the officer ia fitted for promotion, will rscommend that an acting appointment be made if the officer has not passed for promotion, or that a commission may be issued if he has so passed. Some slight alterations aro made in the regulations for the examination and instruction of officers, the mail one being that volunteer officers aro to be examined vica voae as well as by papers. To assimilate the regulations with those ia England, there is a regulation defining the ranks of office ri iv the medical department of the forces. Several regulations are devoted to provisions for the formation of reserve corps, these merely embodying in the regulations what is provided in section 45 of •J The Defence Act 1883." Among the regulations as to bands and bandsmen ia one to the effect that a, garrison baud will be allowed for each centre, to be of the strength of one bandmaster and 2S men. The Invereargill nod Oaraatu Garrison Bando will consequently cease to receiva capitation, and will bo limited to five men for each corps in their respective districts. In the portion of tho regulations relating to recruits, a much-needed definition of "military training" is given, it being stated that men who have undergone a military training "smd who have not left array service for more than two yeara "-this clause being a new one in the regulation— may be ! permitted to enrol in a carps up to the 30bh November without under.join," the ordinary recruit drill. Under the heading of "capitation and pay," provision is made for threefourtjs of tea minimum strength of n corps qualifying in a certain way 'to enable the members to obtain capitation. One of the provisions is that every member of a naval | artillery corps must ba present iv camp at least; ! seven dajs in each year, this being not neonseary formerly bo long aa each man fulfilled the other requirements as to parades. In the case of field artillery, engineers, infantry, and band, afternoon parades are provided "for and the presence of each men at three whole afternoon parades during the year is compulsory in order to enable him to obtain capitation, while it is further required that two-thirds of the i strength must ba present on at least four parades during the year. A new regulation is to the effect that payment of 2s 6d per man per diem will be made to those forming guards of henour ordered by the Government. The regulations respecting musketry instruction are amended, to the effect that marksmen and first-class shots of the preceding year will be exempted from firing ia the first period third class, provided they pass out of the second class. Formerly a volunteer, howover good a shot, had to fire through oil the classes each year in order to qualify for capitation, and the amount of ammunition saved by the exemption is to be at the disposal of tho officer commanding the district for field firing, where possible, or for matches, &c. A new regulation lays down how tha capitation allowance is to bs expended, and it i 3 provided that half of the allowance is to be applied for tha purpose of providing uniforms, the object being to establish a fund from which uniforms may be I renewed every three or four years, and tho ! officers commanding districts are reqnirod to | render to the Defence Office an annual account of the expenditure (duly supported by vouchers). Other new regulations provide for the issue of badges aud for personal payment to a certain nurobsr of men in each battery of field artillery and each corps of engineers,'mounted rifles, and rifles, putting the members of these companies on the Bame footing no members of naval artillery corps. There aro new regulations also providing for company camps of instruction and for sllowances. The court of inquiry in minor cases of complaints against officers or members of the force is kow styled a committee of inquiry. Among the provitions as to discipline is a regulation to the effect that it will ba a broach of discipline if a volunteer, making an appeal against the decision of the officer commanding the district, goes outsido the recognised ohannel to communicate with the Defence Minister, this being probably necessitated by volunteers having had recourse to members of Parliament with their grievances. A new provision in the regulations is that a volunteer who communicates to the press anything relating to confidential matters regarding the defences of the colony ia liable to be dealt with under " The Offences and Defences Becret3 Act 1891." Provision is made enabling the formation oc naval brigades or battalions of mounted corps or infantry in the varioua districts. Aa annual inspection of arms and accoutrements is to be made by an armourer. Tha field gun ■ ammunition annually aliorrod to artillery volunteers is to be five rounds of shot and ten rounds of shell, as against five of shot aud five of shell hitherto provided, and besides this an allowance is to be made of three rounds of solid shot for prize firing per detachment. The allowance of email arms ammunition is increased from 100 rounds for every enrolled member (except reserve) to 150 rounds, the extra 50 rounds per man being issued under the authority and for purposes approved of by the officer commanding the district. Thoro aro new regulations providing for the rifle ranges btiDg batter looked after than at present, and other new regulations provide for the control of drillsheds. The Eoyal warrant respecting the establishment of a volnnteer officers' decoration is embodied in the regulations. The constitution of the finance committes of a, garrison band H slightly amended. A cow regulation provides that canteens may be established at military camps or other assemblies of volunteers under the authority of the officer commanding tha fores so assembled. Every applicant to hold a canteen shall, vjhen practicable, obtain. a conditional license under " Tlm Licensing Act 1881," and where tha absence of any such license is satisfactorily accounted for to the commanding officer, a cantean may ba held upon such conditions aud the paymsnt of such fees a.i the commanding officsr may determine Included in the appendices is a syllabus of tho examinations to ba passed by the officers of the various ranks.