w there appears to be no end
to the wealth of metal lying below the ground waiting for the pick of the
miner. Millions of acres of wild bush land had been turned into rolling
grass plains on which millions of sheep browsed in peace. In the settled
districts along the Northern Railway line to Port Augusta paddocks after
paddocks of smiling and rustling wheatfields waited for the harvesting
machines each autumn time.

The question of the advisability of establishing the Defence Force of the
colony on a sounder footing was taken up by the Government, which came to
the decision that it would be in the best interests of the forces to
appoint a regular Imperial officer, thoroughly efficient and up to date,
who should be entrusted with the reorganization, administration and
instruction of the Defence Department and the forces under its control.
This decision met with all-round approval. Politicians, Press, members of
the then existing forces and the public generally all concurred. A
request was sent to the Imperial Government, asking for the services on
loan for five years of an officer possessing the qualifications referred
to. The selection fell on Lieut.-Colonel (now Major-General) M. F.
Downes, R.A., C.M.G., who is still alive and well in Melbourne, and whose
constant friendship I have had the privilege of enjoying from the date I
first took up my duties under him. He lost no time on his arrival in
carrying out his instructions, and submitted a scheme for the
Government's approval. The general lines of his scheme were as follows:
The military forces were to consist of (a) an efficient administrative
and instructional staff; (b) a number of regular (permanent) artillery
units to man the forts and maintain them in a state of thorough
efficiency; (c) a force comprising all branches of the service, inclusive
of departmental and non-combatant corps on a partially paid system; (d)
the maintenance of a volunteer force to meet the requirements of outlying
districts; and (e) the encouragement of rifle clubs.

The only part of this scheme which requires some little explanation is
the partially paid force, the backbone of the scheme. General Downes
proposed that instead of the three months' continuous training carried
out by the Militia at home, the partially paid units should be paid by
the day, the maximum number of days being fixed by Act of Parliament.
Eight hours a day or over constituted a full day for purposes of pay; up
to f