The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-04-19 00:00:00

MEDICAL CAUTION.

TINE Special Treatment adopted and used
i. pith such great success by Dr. Hunter for the
last thirty year, can only be obtained at 44, Great
Charles Street, Birmingham. Book of Testimonials,
with advice how to regain Health and Manly Vigour,
and:Directions for Self Treatment, free to any address

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the merits of the controversy may be,
whether the field days were passively delight-
ful or actively detrimental, it is almost cer-
tain that the last of them, on such a scale as
those of former years, has been seen. It is
small consolation to the volunteers to hear
that" where there's a will there's a way,"
for they have abundance of will if the rail-
ways would only find the required amount
of way, but wishinc, for the desired end will
not make it come to pass, and the best thing
to be done is to see if there is no remedy, no.
alternative to the Easter Monday Review.
Field-days on a small scale every volunteer
is bound to attend in the shape of battalion
and brigade drills, but these, after all, are
only small affairs, and what the volunteer
wants is to feel accustomed to work with
large bodies, and to execute arrangements
of the field rather than of the parade ground.
This requirement is met by some corps by
means of an annual biennial encampment of
one or two battalions; but though infinitely
more is to be learnt by an " efficient" in a
week's camping-out than by a year's parades,
small gatherings, composed entirely of
Volunteers, du not answer the requirements.
Some years ago, when autumn manoeuvres
were fashionable, several corps in various ,
parts of the country had the advantage of
drilling in company often, fifteen, or twenty
thousand soldiers of all orders. For the
first time the rifleman found himself side by
side with the royal horse artillery, with .
lancers, with heavy and with light dragoons.
To him it was anew experience to be posted
on picket or sentry duty, to keep the same
hours, and to eat the same food as the regu-
lars, bivouacked tent by tent with him. The
"feather-bed soldier discovered that a
waterproof sheet and a heavy blanket were
not the most comfortable substitutes for a
four-poster ; and that a continual dietary of
bread, beef, and tea was apt to become
monotonous. Rising with the lark, he had
to be in his quarters about sundown, having
had in the meanwhile to strike and re-pitch
his tent, to toil fifteen or twenty miles before
dinner up hill and down dale, through streams
and over ploughed fields, and to fight in a
sham battle as arduous as three or four of
those of Brighton rolled into one. But
though the bare recital of these things seom
to prove that the British volunteer suffered
unheard-of hardships on Cannock Chase, or
Dartmoor, or Salisbury Plain, it is admitted
by those who went through such experiences
that for real, life-like acquaintance with
soldiering all the drills they ever attended
did not furnish their equal. This being so,
it seems well worth consideration whether,
even if the Government do not see their way
clear to a revival cif the autumn manoeuvres
in all their pristine splendour, some means
cannot be provided for the annual encamp-
ment of large bodies of volunteers at or con-
tiguous to the brigade depots, where they
would have the advantage of drilling with
those of the regular forces. Now that it is
thought desirable to bring the civilian arm
of the service under the Mutiny Act, with
all the attendant pains and penalties, it may
also le thought desirable to give itsmembers
a greater chance of ''(mining efficiency. The
movement has lived down a vast amount of
ridicule and opposition, it has proved its title
to existence; it is now for those in authority
to make its life worth living.