361.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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For various reasons it was determined in 1874 that no liability should be incurred in regard to payment by grants of land beyond that already undertaken and to be anticipated in the prospective issue to volunteers then in the force, and maturing service towards such orders. Accordingly, by the stoppage of recruiting, this further liability was avoided.
The staff maintained latterly under this system differed but little either in cost or personnel from the present staff, except that three additional officers, acting as fully paid adjutants to regiments, have since been added to meet the altered and more stringent conditions of service obtaining under the new organisation.
After deduction on account of absence, death, incapacity by age, infirmity, &c., there may be said to be possibly 2,000 men of the old force remaining in the Colony trained to the use of heavy guns, and possessed of certain skill in the use of the rifle, who could be utilized for defensive purposes, provided their services could be secured.
Since the introduction of the land order system 3,439 orders have been issued, and the cost otherwise of the force from 1868 to 1878 inclusive has been 148,1237. for an annual average of 2,884 of all ranks. It will thus be seen that for the period above named, and calculating each land order to cost the country 601. (Government upset price of land with departmental expenses for surveying, &c.), the total expenditure equalled 354,4637., or Îll. 3s. 5d, per head per annum.
After the cessation of the land order system, the volunteer force, for the third time, commenced to wane, and considerable difficulty was experienced in getting together sufficient numbers for drill, as may be seen by letters addressed to his Excellency the Governor by Colonel Scratchley and myself, under date 26th and 13th December 1877. This, in conjunction with the frequent references to Parliament by members of the force and the publication of a mass of correspondence, disclosed the existence of a litigious and insubordinate spirit, incompatible with the usefulness of the force as a military body. Added to this, Parliament itself, over and over again, demanded its re-organisa- tion on such a basis as would secure increased discipline and efficiency. So urgent indeed had the matter become, that Sir John Robertson, the then Colonial Secretary, directed me to submit recommendations for the improvement of the military forces, which I accordingly did, by nemoranda dated the 21st April 1875 and the 16th December 1876. In submitting my views, I could not ignore the fact that the requirements of the Colony urgently demanded that the small body of regulars, as represented by the permanent artillery, should be supplemented by a force possesse of such an organisation, and undergoing such a training during peace time, as would enable it to assume the exceptionally prominent position (as compared with the English The volunteer force) it might be called upon suddenly to occupy in time of war. re-organisation of the volunteer force was commenced in the latter part of 1878, the system of training being in accordance with the principles advocated by Sir William Jervois and Colonel Scratchley, and as embodied for the most part in the memoranda above quoted.
The principal causes of these successive failures to maintain the purely volunteer force in an efficient state for any considerable period is not, I think, difficult to arrive at, viz., that men as a rule are not willing to make considerable inroads on their business and leisure hours, to go through a monotonous and troublesome curriculum of military duties, and to submit themselves to it, may be, unpalatable discipline for nothing.
The present strength of the permanent and volunteer military forces of New South Wales is as follows:-
General staff
3 batteries of permanent artillery
All ranks.
320
VOLUNTEERS.
Permanent staff, unattached
8
Medical staff
3
6 batteries of artillery
300
1 corps of engineers
60
1 torpedo and signalling corps
100
3 regiments of 4 companies each and 2 detached companies
of infantry
1,228
2,028
The distribution is as follows:-
The permanent artillery occupies the Victoria and Dawes Battery Barracks in Sydney, with detachments at South, Middle, George, and Bradley's Heads, Steel Point, and Newcastle.
The volunteer force has four batteries of artillery, the engineer and torpedo corps, and two regiments of infantry in Sydney; one regiment of infantry, consisting of companies formed at Windsor, Paramatta, Bathurst, and Goulburn, in the western district; one battery of artillery and one company of infantry at Newcastle, and onc company of infantry at West Maitland, in the northern district; one battery of artillery at Wollongong, in the southern district.
The general staff for the above forces consists of a commandant (an ex-Imperial officer) of the rank of colonel, a major of brigade (also an ex-Imperial officer), who performs duties analogous to those appertaining to the departments of adjutant-general and military secretary combined, a brigade pay and quarter-master, and an officer instructor of musketry. Included in the above return are non-commissioned officers and
persons employed as clerks, &c.
The permanent artillery (as also the volunteer artillery) are under the command of an ex-Imperial officer of the rank of colonel.
The officers of the general staff, and the permanent artillery generally, are subject to the Army Discipline and Regulation Act for the time in force, the Articles of War, Queen's Regulations, and to such other orders, regulations, and rules of whatever nature or kind to which Her Majesty's army is, for the time being, subject, so far as the same are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Local Military and Naval Forces Regula- tion Act of 1871, and the regulations thereunder, to which the force above quoted is also subject.
The officers of the artillery are appointed and promoted by the Governor in council, and the non-commissioned officers by the Governor, on the recommendation of responsible officers. The examination of officers for promotion is carried out under modified conditions as compared with those in force in the Imperial service, and necessarily so, as, with the exception of the officer in command, none have had the advantage of the usual preliminary artillery education at Woolwich, or of the scientific training which obtains with Imperial artillery officers.
The pay of the various ranks is embodied in the estimates, and it is to be noted that no such rewards for service accrue as in the Imperial army, in the shape of gratuities, pensions, half-pay, and retirements on full pay, except in case of persons killed or wounded in action or on duty.
Men between the ages of 18 and 40 are enlisted in the permanent artillery for five years, and may re-engage for a further period of two or five years. The lowest rate of pay is 2s. 3d. for gunners, in addition to which is granted free rations of bread, meat, and groceries, free kits on joining, annual issue of uniform, barrack accommodation, fuel and light, and medical attendance. Special rates of working pay are issued, as also increased rate of pay for re-engagement. Rewards are given for good conduct, as in "the Imperial service, but no pensions.
The annual cost of this corps, inclusive of proportion for staff, is about 94/. bead.
per The volunteer force is subject to the Volunteer Regulation Act of 1867, and the regulations thereunder. The Governor is Commander-in-Chief, and, with the advice of the executive council, may accept the services of persons desirous of being formed into a volunteer corps, which are thereupon organised as regiments or individual corps, as the necessities of the service may indicate. Regiments and corps at head-quarters are consolidated, as also those in the country districts, as far as practicable, and each possesses a proper regimental staff. The Governor may disband corps. He may appoint officers to the permanent staff, for the command, inspection, drill, exercise, training, instruction, and equipment of the force. The officers generally are appointed by the Governor in council, but any volunteer corps may recommend to the Governor any enrolled members thereof to be officers of such corps of a rank not higher than captain of a troop, battery, or company, provided that no corps may so recommend any persons to be officers of the volunteer permanent staff. Candidates for conmissions must, prior to appointment, have passed the civil service examination of the Colony, or an examina- tion of a higher degree. The appointment and promotion of officers is also regulated by stringent test examinations on military subjects. Promotions up to the rank of captain are made by seniority, subject to examination, beyond that grade by selection and examination. Non-commissioned officers are appointed by officers commanding regiments and corps, subject to the approval of the officer commanding volunteer force, and test examinations.
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