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5. They desire again to call the attention of the Government of Queensland to that part of paragraph 5 of those Remarks which deals with the organization of "A" Battery and to paragraph 6 which deals with the designations of the various branches of the Queensland military forces, and to the advantages of a homogeneous force over one composed partly of partially paid and partly of volunteer troops. The observa- tions of the Commandant under the head of "Queensland Rifles" on p. 8, as to the volunteers being unable to attend the annual camp without receiving the equivalent of the pay which they would get from their employers if they remained at their normal work, supports the contention of the Committee that an entirely militia organization is the most suitable for the Australian Colonies.

6. The Commandant's recommendation (p. 6) that "a qualified officer of the permanent artillery should perform the duties of Adjutant and Instructor to the Field Artillery "corresponds with the action which has recently been taken in the Colony of Victoria and is concurred in by the Committee.

Attention is called to the Committee's observations on the organization and armament of the Field Artillery contained in paragraph 3 of their Memorandum No. 145 M.

corps.

They consider the provision of proper equipment essential to the efficiency of this

7. The Committee indorse the Commandant's recommendation (p. 4) that there should be an Engineer Staff Officer on the Staff of the Queensland Defence Force. They distinctly do not concur in his suggestion (p. 7) that the Submarine Mining Corps should form part of the Coast Artillery organization, and they consider that the permanent section of Submarine Miners should be separated from "A" Battery of the Permanent Force.

With reference to the Commandant's proposal that a steamer should be fitted and made available in order to practise laying out the mines, they desire to repeat the statement contained in paragraph 8 of their Remarks, No. 174 R, that "without practice in laying out submarine mines the submarine miners can make no real progress towards efficiency."

8. The more complete battalion organization of the infantry of the Defence Force, recommended by the Commandant in his Report for the year 1896-97, and concurred in by the Committee in paragraph 10 of their Remarks, No. 174 R, does not appear to have been as yet carried out.

The remarks of the Commandant (p. 7) on the advisability of stronger infantry companies-seventy of all ranks in place of forty-nine-are in accordance with the views of the Committee.

9. The recommendations of the Commandant with regard to the Medical Staff Corps personnel, training, and equipment (p. 7) appear to the Committee to be sound, and to keep in view the efficiency of the Corps for war purposes, which is, after all, the only thing to be aimed at with regard to this, as well as to all other parts of the military establishment of the Colony.

10. In Appendix (A) to the Commandant's Annual Report for the year 1896–97, the Queensland Rifles (Volunteer) appear as a regiment of three battalions, of which the 1st (English) consisted of four companies at Brisbane, the 2nd (Scottish) of three companies, of which two were at Brisbane, and the 3rd (Irish) of five companies, four at Brisbane and one at Ipswich. With the exception of two of the companies of the 2nd battalion, which had an establishment of forty-two, the establishment of all of these companies was fifty-two of all ranks.

The Commandant considered that this battalion organization was too cumbersome for efficient administration, and recommended that it should be abolished, National companies (if considered advisable) being substituted for National battalions.

The Colonial Defence Committee, in paragraph 11 of their Remarks, No. 174 R, stated, that in the absence of detailed reasons for the substitution of a company for a battalion organization, the proposal did not commend itself to them.

It appears, however, from the present Report that the intention of the Com- mandant was to combine the three existing battalions into one. The Queensland Rifles now consist of one regiment of eleven companies, each with an establishment of fifty-two of all ranks. Two of these companies are at Toowoomba, about

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