CO129-336 - Governor Nathan & Public Offices - 1906 [11-12] — Page 16

lay stress on the principle that the officer responsible

for commanding troops in peace should be the Officer who

will exercise command over them in war. Even, however,

if

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there were no Commandant but independent Volunteer Officers

commanded the Artillery and Engineer units these Commanding

Officers would not be in charge of their units on mobiliza-

-tion, the Artillery Companies being broken up into

detachments told off to the 4 sections of the defence and

the Engineer Company being split up into small parties

detailed to the different engine rooms and electric light

emplacements. The appointment of a Commandant does not in

itself involve the violation of the principle on which the

Committee lay stress while it is a distinct advantage that

there should be a Head Quarter Volunteer Staff to raise,

equip, and train the additional Volunteers that will come

in and to organize the Volunteer Reserve Association as a

fighting unit when its members are enrolled in time of war.

7.

I am addressing Your Lordship in

a separate Despatch on the matter of filling the appoint-

-ments of Commandant and Staff Officer of Volunteers.

I have the honour to be,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most obedient,

humble servant,

9.813 Y

M. Battersby

Governor,