Page
March 30, 1908.)
1
VOLUNTEER RESERVE
ASSOCIATION,
After the opening formalities,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REFORT.
*&%
have the
.
into
207
Mr. CARRUTHERS, in moving that Sir Henry Berkeley be re elected chairman, remarked that it had been very fittingly said that he was the father of their association (applause). They could not do without him (applause).
(The motion was carried unanimously. The following
re-elected members of the
figures I have bad, exactly half were never | Cenerations of immunity from invasion had led on the range at all. Therefore I want to us sub-consciously to feel it never would be impress upon you the urgency for a greater invaded. They would be all ready at the call of attendance of members at the ranges. (Appla. their country, there was no doubt about that, The annual meeting of members of this use.) Modern weapons have a long range and The moment we realised the necessity and come association was held on Mar. 27 in the City Hall. I modern warfare is conducted at ng range.
the men won'd roll up. What they wanted was There was a large attendance over which Sir Therefore I
very glad to
that pending the call, pending the terri le time Henry Berkeley. the president, presided. There privilege of opening the yards range.
when the need should really come for ring up, were also present II. E. the Governor, Hon. It is very difficult in this Colony to get au was to impress upon every one who ght be so Mr. F. H. May, Hon. Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz, 800 yards range as I know from old experi- willing to learn that he would be practically and others.
ence that a hill range at any long distance is useless the first few days after rolling up unless exceedingly hard shooting in consequence of Le bad previously learned to use the weapon put the various curreals of air and the different in his hand. This was the doctrine preached by lights and shades, In spite of these draw- Lord Roberts, to train the youth and manhood backs I trust the
yards will be the of the entry to use the weapon put into their best used range. In conclusion I have bands to defend the country when nece stry, He only one word to gay. I think I will respectfully agreed with Lord Roberts that be expressing the sentiments of every one in there should be universal military training. this room when I say we are mcs! heartily There were many good people, religious indebted to the retiring scrstary and treasurer, people, who were patriotic but objected Mr. Carruthers, for the indefatiguable work to what they called instilling or done during the past year at the cost of much inculeating the military spirit
tho time end leisure applause) and also if I may minds of the youths of the nation, but it did not express my thanks to our energetic chairman follow that because they taught a boy to nae who since the inauguration of this movement the weapons necessary for the defence of him. has been its mainstay and mainspring (applause). self and country, if ever the time came to do so, Sir HENRY BERKELEY said His Excel'ency that they were inculcating in him the desire had touched up, u two subjects which he had in.
to invade the lands of others or take that which
He believed that tended to bring before them and which he did not belong to him. thought were obvious to all who had given any every man physically oapable of hearing arms attention to the report. It was obvious that if should train himself to shoot. They were there the Governor came to the meeting he wouli as part of that great organisation which would speak upon those points, especially the last. ba formed throughout the empire by Lord They, he continued, wished to thank His Roberta for the universal training in the use Excellency for toad-ring the assistance of a of arms for the defenc2 of the country. (applause.) secretary, and he entirely agreed with the con.
His Excellency then presented the prizes won ditions upon which that help was off-red. He, during the year to the successful shots. thought that unless the association showed that it was worthy of the support promised that assistance should not A given. The con. | ditions, as he understood they were that, if the Secretary of State approved, 1 grant would be made provided the numbers of the off, and provided that the attendance at Committee:-Dr. Evan Jones, Messrs. I. G. was in the Governor's opinion' Bird, J. C. Gow, Evan Ormiston, A. W. J. adequate. They were indebted to the Watt, W. H. S. Davis, G. H. Wakeman, and Government in many ways. They had excellent E. S. Carruthers. ranges, one at Xil yards to which His Excellency referred to. That was given to them free of cost. They had ammunition supplied to them at about three-fifths of the cost price, and be donbted whether there was any other association similar in character in the homeland or elsewhere that enjoyed greater facilities. That fact ought to stimulate the association to greater efforts. Now he was going to take upon himself the part of the father of association which his Excellency had bestowed upon him and he was going to perform one of the rights of the paternal head and lecture the members of the association upon their want of zeal in attend. ance at the range. He had to plead guilty on behalf of the association to the aosatisfactory nature of the report especially with regard to the attendance of members at the range. Why it was he did not know, but there the fact He agreed that the association was not a sporting one, but the fact that they coull win a nie prize ought to attract m-mbers to the
Ile cul gee range.
no reason why there, should be such a lack of interest on behalf of the members, and his only explanation was that there must be some counter at action. Ila presumed that the young men preferred football cricket or
t-Lois or of the
athletic other delights of and he supposed it would remain so until this mau did not join the Volunteers after
* thirty generation awek to the necessity of universal he
of years training in the us of arms It was the duty, though Lord Roberts's great scheme of
His EXCELLENCY said-be annual meeting gives us an opportunity of noting the progress made during the past year and of seeing and hearing what has been done in the matter of different rifle competitions held during the past year. I have seen the report and read it oare: fully and I am sorry to say that the strength of the association has fallen somewhat, namely from 258 to 251, with an average number in the Colony of 206. The Chairman represented to me some time ago that the duties of hon. secretary and treasurer had become too arduous for any single member to perform as they involve a variety of duties other than secretarial work. I shall be glad under these circum- stances to recommend to the Legislative Council a vole to cover the necessary ex- pense provided the Secretary of State concurs. I have written to him but bare not yet had a reply. The vote I propose to ask the Legisla tive Council to approve is to cover the secre tarial expenses for the current year and any grant which the Government gives in the future should I think be dependent upon the efficiency of the corps, that is to say its numbers and attendat.ce at the range. The hon. secretary at my request compiled a table which is now in the report showing the number of attendances at the range and giving figures of merit I see from that that there were 50 shoots during the year and about 7 attendances which mesus about 14 per shoot, that is to say, out of the number of 206 in the Colony which is barely seven per cent of the number of members of the association This is not a very satisfactory percentage and I trust that during the coming year we will see a larger number of members attending the weekly range practices In fact the table in the report gives me the impression that there is a certain number, about half a dozen or more, who attend regularly and who have done remarkably good shooting, but the average attendance of the members of the corps is rather poor. I have another word to say in the sime connection. I see that the list of cups shot for during the past year is a very long one and that the number of cups for the current year is also a considerable one. Some time ago, shortly after I arrived in the Colony, I inquired if I could usefully give any cup myself but understood that there were so many already that another would be superfluous. Gentlemen, it is because I take such 8 keen interest in te association that I would like to utter a word of warning. I think we should bear in mind always the object for which the association WAS instituted and
we should endeavour to see that it fulfils that object, namely to be & reserve defence for the Colouy. We do not wish that it should become merely a means of winning cups applause); We cannot expect that every member stall keep his patriotism barsing af fever heat and go every week to the range to shoot as a regular soldier dees his c. urse of musketry, and become marksmen able to hit any possible enemy in war which I hope will never come, Still we can always keep in view the main object of the association and that cbject I consider to be the general efficiency of the whole corps and not the superexcellence of half a dozen members. I am keen raysel to see Hongkong hold its own
in all tests with other ports and with all comers, not less in rifle shoot. ing than in any other sport, but the Hongkong
It has a
Volunteer Reserve association was not founded merely as a sporting association. larger object than this. I should not be justified in recommending to the Secretary of State or to the Legislative Council that any of the colonial revenue should be devoted to the maintenance of an association that was merely a sporting associatiou. ge for instance that only 37 members attended the range more than four times and, apparently from the
!
1
!
:
association did Bot
the range
was.
A
falling
fr STO
life,
word
The CHAIRMAN proposed a rota of thanks do Mr. Carruthers for his service as honorary secretary and treasurг. That gentleman he said had done exeedingly good work for the asacciation during the past twelve months (pplause), and every member appreciated the
work he had done.
The vote was carried and similar compliments wore paid to the donors of the cups.
one
Sir HENRY said it had been decided that in future the post of secretary should be carrying payment, He proposed the election of Mr. A. R. Lowe who had proved his capacity in such position (applause).
one point:
The motion was carried. Sir HENRY, ia moring a vote of thanks to his Excellency for prosiding, said he desired with all respect to make reference to He had striven to have the age limit reduced In the time of Sir Matthew below 35 years. Nathan he had pointed out that the reduction of the ag limit would in no way he detriment- al to the Volunteer Corps, but his Excellency H(Sir Houry, admitted did not think so. that the Vilan ́eers had better discipline, and training, and were essentialy better trained to the use of arms ia the field; but the age limit which kept many men out of the Volua- tours Resurs · Asuciation did not bring them He thought, in practice, into the Volunteers
#
age.
of every man to train himself to be able to take; universal training woull have to be made to
To reduc a part in the defence of the country. They ; apply t⚫ men under 31 years of age.
Volantear Reserve knew what it was that
the a limit for the made England in the early days of its history. It was proficiency Association would mean a dimination in th with the bow and arrow. That proficiency was
number who would join the Volunteer Corps. attained through there being in every village A point that was suggested to him by one f green a target at which the men of the village the heads of the firms here he would place before shot, principally on Sundays There was no
them, because it was thought that if it m... with
the approval of his Excellency better way to devot the Sunday or portion of
It was that whor the Sunday than to learn how to use the weapon would help the movement. that was to be brought into force to rep 1 the the heads -Lgaged young men it simuld ba enemies of their cuntry We had the spirit. one of the terms of the engagement tual they should s rve in the Volanteers (applanee Thit struck him as a good idea. Personally he had
power he would make all men ker Volunters, but he had not the power daughter
WE S
W&A
tea in a to them
the
The South African war demonstrated the fact that the military spirit of the nation alive but the fact
that not hundred ever had it brought hom that there was any real need for defence. and applause),
in the
!