Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Quarter of a Century.] MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1902. AN OBJECT LESSON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7242, 25 August 1902, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Quarter of a Century.] MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1902. AN OBJECT LESSON.

We grieve to confess that we have but little faith in lioyal Commissions on Scandals; and we hardly venture to hope that any practical good will result from the sitting of the Commission on the transport scandal. But whatever may bo its outcome, the Colony will have learned, from the statements and revelations that arc already public property —an important losson, which colonial military exuberanco, and tho excitement of war have nearly made us forget— nix., that discipline is all-important, (not merely important) in the conduct of business, and the handling of bodies of men, who arc away from the Colony. Nevertheless, writers, and no end of ordinary people, havo persistently held up Tommy Atkins before the minds of the colonial youth as a machine, but litfclo better in condition than a slave. They have compared the British and Colonial officers and their disciplinary methods—always unfavouraoly towards tho former. And tho idea of tho colonial trooper acting on his own initiative and resenting any approach to strict discipline has beoome a sort of fetish, with a good many people. We sincerely wish them joy of the result as shown in the conduct of the men on board somo of tho transports. Such scenes have never before been witnessed on board transports carrying British soldiers. Whatever fault may lie with I tho authorities of tho ships' administration, it is abundantly evident that large bodies of colonial troopers havo come back from tho ; war in an unruly state. Those who have had some experience of life in troop ships, toll us that the state of things now disclosed is as novel as it is disgraceful. It was a very great pity, and a sad and far-reaching mistake that New Zealand ever permitted herself to plunge into such a jingoistic delirium as to send away so many of her sons to the war, in such disproportionate numbers. But the worst feature of it is that such numbers of our young men should havo been thrust into a life of demoralisation —for war at any time is demoralising; and war on the veldt is in some respects as much so as any other. At any rate, in the matter of discipline, wo have no hesitation in saying that, if ever it becomes the fate of New Zealand Contingents to opcrato in conjunction with Imperial troops in a war against a great Power, necessitating close formation, tho lack of discipline will be severely felt. It is true, in tho interests of the community at large, that discipline, on the part of our soldicre abroad, was recognised as a most potent factor in all undertakings. Whatever may tako place in tho way of censuring or punishing individuals for their short-comings in this affair of tho transport, wo earnestly trust the one particular lesson that tho wholo affair yields will bo learned and digested.