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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. September 7, 1894.
CONFIDENTIAL.
92.R
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
S. AUSTRALIA.
No. 2731.
Annual Report of Naval and Military Commandants for year 1892-93.
Remarks by Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Defence Committee note with satisfaction that the Annual Reports of Commandants of the several Australian Colonies are being submitted with a degree of regularity which hitherto has not been universally observed, and that they now combine Reports from both Naval and Military Commandants. Until all the different Australian Colonies are in possession of complete Defence Schemes, and adopt the custom of submitting the annual revision of these Schemes as requested in the Secret Circular from the Secretary of State for the Colonies of the 18th November, 1886, these Reports form almost the only means which Her Majesty's Govern- ment has of becoming acquainted with the progress of the Australian Colonies in defence organization, and are therefore of great value. It is suggested that the value of these Reports to all concerned would be enhanced if they could be forwarded earlier in the year, and if the Defence Minister were to indicate fully in his covering letter any points on which he might especially desire an expression of opinion, and also to what extent the Colony was in a position to give effect to the recommendations of its Commandants.
1. The present Report on the South Australian forces is a most carefully drawn up paper, and contains many practical recommendations by both Naval and Military Commandants.
The Committee fully endorse the recommendation of the Naval Com- mandant that the first expenditure on the naval forces should be upon ammunition and coal, for the more complete training of the numbers already enrolled, before any attempt is made to raise their numerical strength. It is useless to maintain forces unless a proper provision is made for their training. An exercising cruise with target practice is essential for the efficient training of a naval force, and its omission is the last direction that retrenchment should take. The annual provision of ammunition for practice should be in addition to the authorized supply and reserve.
2. With a proper permanent staff of instructors and caretakers, a suffi- cient number of drills on the extended or intermittent system, and a short period of continuous drill, including an exercising cruise with target practice, there seems to be no reason why the present so-styled Naval Reserve should not satisfy the requirements of the case; and as soon as it assumes this more forward position, the name of "Reserve" might, it is suggested, be abolished.
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