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4. The Report under consideration announces the appointment of four District Adjutants, apparently for the Mounted and Cadet Corps only, and with head-quarters at Pietermaritzburg, Greytown, Durban, and Port Shepstone. These stations are also the head-quarters of the Natal Carbineers, of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles, of the Natal Mounted Rifles and Natal Field Artillery, and of the Border Mounted Rifles respectively. As far as can be judged from the Report, and from the Returns of Resources on the 31st December, 1896, the Carbineers have detachments along and in the vicinity of the lines of railway north of Richmond Road, in the Klip River, Weenen, and Pietermaritzburg counties, and the Umvoti Mounted Rifles in the County of Umvoti and in the Umsinga Division of the Klip River, while the Natal Mounted Rifles and Field Artillery are stationed in the Durban and Victoria Counties, or the south-east of the Colony, and the Border Mounted Rifles in the Alexandra and Alfred Counties, and in the Ixopo Division of Pietermaritzburg, or the south- west of the Colony.

This distribution is not, however, very clear, and it would be convenient if the Commandant would furnish a map showing the stations of troops and the limits of the four military districts to which Adjutants for the mounted corps have been appointed. The Returns of Resources show troops both of the Carbineers and Border Mounted Rifles stationed at Polela. It would seem advisable, if this is not already the case, that each corps should be stationed in one military district, which should correspond as much as possible to civil divisions of the Colony.

5. Difficulties appear to have arisen with regard to keeping up the strength of the Natal Mounted Rifles, which have their head-quarters at Durban (No. 3 District), partly owing to the enforcement of the Regulations requiring each volunteer to possess a suitable horse in a large town where the use of horses for purposes of business or pleasure is no longer necessary; partly owing to difficulties in the way of men leaving business for ten consecutive days in order to put in the training in camp required for efficiency; and partly owing to other causes discussed at length by the District Adjutant (pp. 14 and 15 of Report). Similar difficulties, but to a less serious extent, are reported from Nos. 1 and 4 Districts with regard to the Carbineers and Border Mounted Rifles.

A suggestion is made in different terms by all four District Adjutants to the effect that Government should advance to recruits a portion of the purchase-money for their horses, the advance to be repaid by instalments. The Commandant makes a further proposal that the Capitation Grant should be increased to 3., which would enable corps funds to provide all requisite uniform free.

With regard to these two proposals the Colonial Defence Committee desire to direct the attention of the Natal Government to the methods of dealing with these subjects proposed by the Cape Defence Commission in the Report referred to above. It is there proposed that, for men unable to provide their own, horses should be hired for them for peace purposes, and purchased in war from horses previously registered, while those that can produce a horse shall receive horse allowance on certain con- ditions. With regard to Capitation Grant, the Cape Commission proposed that officers commanding corps should be relieved from all financial responsibility regarding uniforms, equipment, and other indispensable charges at present paid for from the grant, which should in future be met by Government, and that "officers commanding corps should draw merely a small contingent allowance of 15s. per efficient per annum, to cover the many miscellaneous incidental expenses such as markers, refreshment on field days, and other small items, the nature of which should be clearly defined in the Regulations, which have to be defrayed.”

6. Another point requiring the consideration of the Natal Government is the present constitution of Rifle Associations and the relations between them and the Volunteer Force. While there is difference of opinion as to whether the facilities now offered by Government to the Associations acts prejudicially on recruiting in the Volunteer Corps, the Commandant points out that, without some form of Govern- ment supervision and organization, no use can be made of these Associations for defence purposes. The Colonial Defence Committee entirely concur in this view. As long ago as 1890, dealing with the similarly constituted rifle companies in the Australian Colonies, they stated:-

The Colonial Defence Committee are unable to regard the rifle companies as, at present, fulfilling the conditions of a reserve, for while it is undoubtedly most desirable to encourage proficiency in rifle shooting by means of these companies, they appear, in some cases, to be only private associations assisted by the Colonial Governments, and not under a general obligation to serve in the ranks in case of need. It would be a

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