CO129-324 - Governor Nathan - 1904 [10-12] — Page 462

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in the Colony a number of men - senior members of Mercantile and

Frofessional firms and Colonial Officials of some stending who

being of a certain age and having many calls on their time are

unwilling to go through the training required by the present re-

gulations for efficiency in the existing volunteer force but

would be anxious to render service in tires of energency and for

this purpose would be willing to qualify 10 musketry. An offer to

form themselves into a volunteer Corps to be entitled "The non-

Kong More Guard" was made by some of these sentieren in 1900 and

1 annex a copy of the regulations by which they proposed that

this corps should be governed. After consulting your predecessor

Major-General Sir Alina Gascoigne, k.C.R.G.. and the Attorney-

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General Mr. (now Sir William) Goodran who considered that the

proposed nore Guard could not be brought under the provisions of "The volunteer Urlinance, 1898" without straining those provisions

and that it could not receive grants and allowances from the Co10-

nial Revenue under that Ordinance, Sir Henry Blake caused the

letter dated the rd. August, 1900, of which a cory is also antex-

ed, to be sent to the representative of the gentieren that had

offered their services. This letter practically prorised certain

assistance from the Government to a Rifle Club on condition that

its members should form themselves into a Volunteer Infantry

Company "in the event of serious apprehension of danger".

4.

No result appears to have followed this let-

ter at the time and it is now for consideration whether it is

desirable to have the proposals it embodied gain put before the

gentieren interested in the scheme. if this were done I should be inclined to suggest "The Hongkong volunteer reserve Associa- tion" as a suitable tilie which would becore "The Hongkong Volun-

Leer heserve Company" on the enrolment of its aercers under the

Ordinance, I would fix the ages of 85 and 50 as those within

which members would be eligible to belong to this Association

and