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force of efficient men can be kept up than if all men are paid at the higher rate involved by the more extensive duties. A similar result is doubtless obtained by posting men to Class I and Class II, according to the Western Australia Regulations, but it does not appear from those Regulations that all men must pass through Class I, involving the more efficient training, before they are allowed to undertake the lighter duties of Class II, and a system by which a corps is permanently divided into sections which have different degrees of training does not commend itself. It is observed that the Class III and Reserve, for which Regulations are given in the Report for 1895-96, are not alluded to in the Report for 1896–97.
On the subject of Reserves, the Committee, in dealing with the Reports for 1896-97 from other Australian Colonies, have recommended that it should be considered by a conference of Commandants in Australia.
4. A considerable change has been effected in the last year in the field artillery of Western Australia. The establishment of both the Perth and Freemantle batteries, which for some years has stood at 40, has been increased to 100 in each case, and on the 30th June, 1897, 91 of all the ranks were serving in the former and 74 in the latter corps, and all but a few of these had made themselves efficient. The average attendance at voluntary parades is reported to have been more than twice the number required by regulations.
The Commandant further states that, "acting on the advice of the Colonial Defence Committee, two 15-pr. B.L. guns were ordered last year," and he trusts that it may be possible during the current year to order the six others required to complete the rearmament of the two batteries.
The Colonial Defence Committee last dealt with this subject in connection with the general question of the armament of field artillery in the Australian Colonies in their Memorandum No. 65 M., dated the 12th June, 1896. They there recommended that the Western Australia field artillery should be formed into one battery, armed with four 15-pr. B.L. guns, but might continue as sections at Freemantle and Perth in time of peace. The total strength proposed was 100 in peace and 125 in
war.
The provision for field artillery that has been and is proposed to be made is just double what the Committee recommended, and it seems for consideration whether this provision sufficiently takes into account the relative importance of the various arms with regard to the form of attack to which the Colony is liable, viz., a raiding attack by one or two cruisers on the strategic harbour of Albany or the commercial port of Freemantle. In the former case, R.M.L. field guns used as guns of position and manned by garrison artillery answer all requirements, while such guns as could be landed from ships in an attack on Freemantle and Perth would be sufficiently met by one properly equipped and complete four-gun field battery.
The Colonial Defence Committee are unable to recommend the purchase of new equipment beyond what is necessary for this purpose. They would also point out that it is on infantry and garrison artillery that the defence of Albany and Free- mantle must mainly depend, and that an authorized strength of 200 field artillery is altogether out of proportion to a total infantry establishment of 580.
5. From the fact reported by Colonel Wilson, that in 1897 fifty non-commis- sioned officers and men voluntarily attended a four days' course of instruction at Albany, it would appear that it is contemplated utilizing part of the field artillery in war as garrison artillery. The Committee look upon it as generally preferable to train and organize men in peace as much as possible for the duties they will have to carry out in war.
The permanent garrison artillery, with an authorized strength of twenty-eight men, is certainly inadequate for working the three 6-in. B.L. guns and movable arma- ment that has been provided for Albany, and the Committee are strongly in favour of the Commandant's proposal, which has apparently been approved, that a company of partially paid garrison artillery, sixty strong, should be formed as an auxiliary to the permanent artillery at that station.
6. The Committee fail to trace in either of the Reports before them any allusion to artillery practice carried out by the Perth and Freemantle field batteries. The statements of expenditure, attached as Appendices to the Reports, show none on gun ammunition. It is scarcely necessary to point out that no artillery can be regarded as efficient which does not carry out annual practice.
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