14 OCTOBER 1916, Page 14

THE VOLUNTEERS.

To TRH EDITOR OF TRH " SPECTITOR., 8m,—When I commanded a Volunteer battalion, in order to get over the "fourteen days " difficulty I required every recruit to sign a personal agreement with me to make himself efficient for three years, in default (unless excused by me) to pay a certain sum recoverable in the County Court. The battalion was always full The system was adopted elsewhere, and I believe some Highland battalions required a four years' agreement in -consequence of the cost of uniform. Some such sc.home, mutalis mulanclis, might meet the exigencies of the present situation.