CAB9-1_PT1 — Page 348

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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. December 23, 1895.

SECRET.

NO 1L4 R

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

No. 19443.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Report by the Military Commandant for the Year

1894-95.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Commandant has only reported briefly on the state of the military forces in the past year, as a Bill, which will radically alter their organization and conditions of service in the future, is now before the local Legislature. These alterations have been chiefly rendered necessary by the financial depression still existing in South Australia. Pending the discussion of the Defence question in Parliament, the Government of the Colony decided in April 1895 to reduce the annual military expenditure from 17,000l. to 7,000l. To do this, drills for the Militia, other than the Militia Artillery, were to be discontinued; the rate of remuneration to the Volunteer Force for attendance at drill was to be reduced by one-half, and to cease after six months unless Parliament sanctioned a further expenditure under this head.

Such measures must necessarily detract seriously from the efficiency of the Defence Forces of the Colony. The Colonial Defence Committee recognize, however, from an examination of the revenue and expenditure of recent years, and of the Estimates for 1895-96, that the sums of money that can be made available at present for military purposes must necessarily be moderate, and they trust that some compensation for decrease in establish- ments will be found in the improved organization which the new Act is intended to supply.

The Committee hope that this Act provides, or that the organization that will be adopted in accordance with it will provide, for the formation of a Reserve to the Permanent and Militia Forces. If such a Reserve could be formed of men who could be occasionally exercised, and who could be absolutely relied on to join the colours fully equipped in time of emer- gency, then temporary reductions in the strength of the Active Forces would be of less serious consequence than they are at present. In the existing depressed state of the Colony's finances, it is recognized that the South Australian Government cannot at the present time provide money the formation of a Reserve, but this is no reason why certain necessary preliminary steps should not now be taken in the matter. Such steps would be the preparation of Returns of all men passing through the Permanent and Militia Forces, the compulsory registration of their addresses and changes of address, and the organization of arrangements for calling them to their former corps in time of emergency.

for

It is scarcely necessary for the Committee to point out that an efficient Reserve can only be formed from men who have been efficiently trained while serving in the active forces. They assume that such training will again be given at the earliest periods when the financial condition of the Colony admits of it. They also assume that the Colonial Government is

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