THE VOLUNTEER FORCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1191, 26 September 1874, Page 11

THE VOLUNTEER FORCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir- If Major Gordon's Report, recommending disbandment, does no other good than elicit enquiry into the causes which led to the decay of oar Volunteer Force, it will have served a useful purpose. The rules framed by the authority of the Ordinance are good, and if carried out would have placed our Volunteer sj-stem on a footing different to that which it holds. They provide that the men may elect officers, but for six months only. These acting appointments cease if the officers do not pass an examination. Practice has been to keep these men on as officers ; j they never were re-elected, and were in most cases the cause of laughter and derision to their men, who, had they been asked, would never have thought of electing them. Thus the check put on the power of the men to elect, was allowed to fall into abeyance, and the chance of remedying mistakes not given them. One case will show this. A corp3 was being formed, and a large number put down their names ; the largest employer of labour in the district was elected as a matter of course. The remark was made —" He will never learn his dtill." A reply was made, which, te my mind, laid bare the absurdity of the election system— "He islilier.il, and will stand treat: he has promised ten pounds for shooting prizes." Of course in this case as in most others no fines were levied for uegJpct of drill. This officer Ims got his commission, although he never learned even the manual exercise. It is painful to hear his sergeants whisper to him where to go and what to do^on parade. Any person can see examples of this kind at any battalion parade in Dunedm. At every change of position, officers and sergeants are more like lost sheep than trained Volunteers, as they should and would be, had the staff insisted upon their knowing drill before recommending their appointments. Can it be expected that Volunteers will attend muster under officers much more ignorant of drill than Volunteers of three mouths standing ? The Volunteer system is an excellent one — in fact, a necessity in these Colonies. Every village in the Colouy should have a well-drilled Corps, however small, with as large a number of officers and non-commissioned officers as can be obtained. On an emergency this small body would be invaluable in training a Militia and acting as points oi apjnii. At present, to beloug to the Volunteer Force is look< d upon as a sign of weakness of mind, and holding a commission a proof (if being able to obtain a certain number of votes for beer. There are certain officers at the present moment recommended for commissions who can not teach, nor yet never learned, the manual exercise. What can be expected of a Force thus commanded? — lam, &c, Volunteer Rifleman.

The Southland batch of immigrants by the Tweed and Parsee are highly spoken of by the local newspapers.