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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. December 23, 1895.
VICTORIA.
VICTORIA.
Agent-General's No. 3790.
Report of the Council of Defence, 1895.
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Defence Committee have had before them a copy of this Report sent to them by the Agent-General. They do not propose to criticize it in detail-firstly, because they recognize that it is useless to make recommendations involving expenditure for which funds cannot be made available; and, secondly, because they look upon the present state of reduced establishments, incomplete training, and imperfect matériel, as only a tem- porary result of the state of commercial depression still existing in the Colony, and feel sure that its Government will take the earliest opportunity that may be offered by an improvement in the financial condition to again bring up the naval and military forces to a state as regards numbers and efficiency commensurate with the great interests they have to guard.
2. In the Report of the Council on Naval Forces the Remarks of the Colonial Defence Committee for the consideration of Secretaries of State, dated 27th June, 1894, are quoted at length. In accordance with the opinion therein expressed, that "it is difficult to obtain from floating harbour defences an effect commensurate with the outlay entailed by them," and in view of the necessity for retrenchment, the Government have decided to lay up and sell the gun-boats "Victoria" and "Albert," and to give up the use of the hopper barges as part of the defences.
The Government have acted wisely, having regard to the continued reductions in the establishment of the military forces, in effecting retrench- ment by curtailing that part of the naval defences of the Colony which is the least essential to its protection.
3. In the year 1891-92 the total establishment of the military forces was 7,360 of all ranks. This has been reduced year by year until, on the 30th June, 1895, it was 4,901. This great reduction, and the failure to create in time of peace any organization under which trained soldiers would be available to join the ranks on mobilization, raise serious doubts as to the possibility of the Government being in a position, on outbreak of war, to find the troops required for the defence of the Colony, much less to furnish the quota of 4,174 men which has been suggested for the Victorian con- tingent of the Federal Field Force.
Temporary reductions of establishments would be of less grave impor- tance if facilities existed for bringing corps on mobilization up to their war strength with men who had been well trained, and who had not been long enough away from the colours to have lost the benefit of such training. It cannot be traced, however, from the Mobilization Orders of 1893, that these facilities exist. According to these Orders, establishments are to be reinforced-
(1.) By men who have formerly served effectively for not less than two years, and who have not been away more than two years.
(2.) By men wishing to join who have formerly served, but who have been away more than two years, or have had less than two years' service.
The first contingent are to be taken on to the strength of their corps
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