OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1031, 2 September 1871, Page 16

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

(communicated.)

It may, at the commencement of the present session of the General Assembly, be interesting to take a brief retrospect of, and enquiry into, the Militia and Volunteer force of the Colony, the laws by which it is governed, and the system of training and clothing, as an incentive to insist upon our members making a sweeping and required reform. Such an enquiry would he interesting and useful to the members of the volunteer force, as by it they would more clearly see their duty as colonists, what they should know as members of the defence force, and what they have a right to expect from the Government.

As all are aware, the chief wants of the force have been a permanent system of organisation, good instructions, and a thorough equipment. I fear that instead of there being much to boast of up to the present time, there is a good (or great) deal to be deplored — no results tangible of success in the way of organisation, i£c., having as yet been achieved. The unbroken series of the recent victories of the Prussian army, attributable to every detail of every matter connected with it. and the w< irk lief ( >re it ,havingbeen carefully and minutely pre-aiTanged, so far as it was possible human means would allow and foresight could do — has given an immense impetus to the better organization of the forces in the home countries. I consider it highly desirable that the same spirit of preparation against possible, and perhaps probable, emergencies, should be aroused, and kept alive within these colonies. The determination of the colonists should be that the defence forces of the respective colonies in which they have cast their lot should be as efficient as it is possible they can be. If the number of ou» own colonial force, for instance, be only half what it numerically should be, let the members composing it, under that circumstance, be the very pick of the population ; have that number armed with the best weapon, and clothed in a way that will protect them from the climate of the province in which they may reside — for 1 will maintain that the uniform suited to Auckland is not to Otago. The Volunteers in each province should use their best energies to bring about a complete reform in these respects. Though a man with peaceful dispositions towards nations not owning my Queen's sovereignty, I nevertheless think, from what I read is passing in Europe, that if this country means to preserve its existence, it must be prepared to meet any emergency. To do this we must reorganise the force, and pass such laws as will compel the youths of the colony to each undergo a course of military training (unless where physically incapable, or under any other very exceptional circumstances) without interfering with his *■> ily vocation. There are people who say that this country is not likely to be involved, in war, and that the maintenance of the Volunteer's as a defensive force is but a useless expenditure. J have only to say to this, that in Great Britain people think very differently, and in so far from wishing the force to be disbanded, the public there are calling upon the Goa eminent to make its organisation more efficient. How much better would it be for us to adopt the same self-reliant principle, and be prepared to defend ourselves, should the time ever come in which it was requisite we should do so.

The countxy has a right to demand a sacrifice from every man, and he in his turn has a right to be supplied by the country at large, through the Government, with the proper requisites for his training, and with the clothes, arms, «£c, he requires as a citizen soldier, when he has raised himself to, and maintains himself in, ' the required standard of efficiency, and with instruction that will fit him for a more responsible position. This, and other reforms desired, for it is a thing that has yet to be properly done here, can only be obtained by vigorous and united action, and by exposing the shortcomings and other defects of the system iv? it now exists,.

Having taken the subject in hand I hope it will receive froni tlijj urejabey s, and especially from the officers, of tli£ force, the attention and consideration which its importance claims. Without further preface I will proceed to offer practical suggestions, commencing with the military training of the youth,

Every boy, from the age of say 12 and upwards, attending public and other schools, should be drilled. All wellformed boys between the ages of 14 and 17 years should be organised into cadet corps, of say 80 members forming each. If there arc not sufficient in the school to form a corps having that number of members, boys of good character, and who had left school, should be taken on to make up the required number. It should be made an object of ambition for boys to belong to corps by carefully prohibiting any from bearing anus, wearing uniform, and shooting, except those who, through their attention at drill and obedience to orders, had made themselves worthy of the honour. The drill should be included in the school duties, and should be for an hour a week, half an hour at a time. This is a subject of consideration for the General Government, now that they are about to establish a colonial system of education. The suggestion I have made could be carried into practice very inexpensively by the adoption of an organisation such as the following :—: —

Ist. Each male teacher should attend drill, and should obtain from the officer in charge of the Volunteers a certificate of competency as drill instructor, on passing a satisfactory examination.

2nd. The adjutant, or one of the staff sergeants, should inspect and drill the boys once a month, when the boys not attending the school would (and those at any private school near would have to) be present.

3rd. That officers of Volunteer corps in the country districts should have authority from the Government to inspect and drill the boys once a month.

4th. That every male applicant for the appointment of school-teacher should pass an examination in drill before he receive the necessary qualification to act as teacher under any public school system.

By adopting this method the interest of parents in the drill, as well as of the scholars, would be awakened ; parents, well-knowing that only the best boys would be permitted to wear uniforms and bear arms, would have their feelings enlisted in the success in drill, &c, of their children under the system — would be anxious to have them excel in drill as in the other branches of education, and a sph-it of healthy emulation would be aroused and sustained among the boys themselves. From such a system of training establishments we may look for the highest possible efficiency, the boys would acquire the habit of prompt obedience, so essential in a military training, would become proficient in drill, as they could be more easily bent to it than persons of a more mature age ; and, in short, would in every way be qualified to take each his place in the ranks of the Militia or Volunteers on attaining the required age, and maintain it with credit to himself.

With the new drill that must attend the change from muzzle to breech loaders, and the successful carrying into practice of which is dependent in great measure on the celerity and tact of skirmishers, we may expect to see such school corps rivalling the adults and setting an example in quick and ready movements, and in the manual dexterity of handling their breech loaders to the greatest advantage.

This, if established, would be a very popular branch of the service, and I feel confident that not only would all respectable citizens feel a special interest in its welfare, but that many would contribute prizes for competition among its members, or towards them, and that it would receive other marks of encouragement and distinction which its youthful members would highly appreciate. I was present at the opening of the Otago University when the Chancellor, in delivering his inaugural address, expressed it as his opinion that all the boys of the colony should be drilled and trained to the use of arms. The very hearty manner in which the Professors and other gentlemen on the platform applauded his sentiments convinces me that the scheme I now propose would meet with their cooperation. From the boys I now pass to lads between seventeen and twenty-one years of age, and the young men up to twenty-five years, and whom I will treat of in a future article.

A correspondent of the Wakatip Mail, who says he writes for a dozen others besides himself, refers to the Chinese stores in that district as follows: — "You do not live near a Chinese store, and are happier therefore than some of us poor mortals. I assure you that at times it is ' a caution,' for they sit up all night, either drinking, gambling, or smoking, making the night hideous with their noise. Should not there be an inspection of these houses, or hotels, or stores, or whatever they are called, periodically by the constituted authorities ? Ajb »uy rate they should be prevented from degenerating ipto nuisances. The effluvia — grosser persons than your correspondent call it stench — that comes from these buildings ■when passing is something disgusting. This again pbewe the negespity p{ inspection,"