ARMY MOTOR RESERVE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 11 January 1913, Page 6

ARMY MOTOR RESERVE.

THE NEW SCHEME. POINTS FOR AND AGAINST. NOT PRACTICABLE, (By Amphius.) The military authorities have recently devised a schenio to organise a motor reservo, tho detailed arrangements of which wore published yesterday. The idea .amounts to a suggestion that motor-car owners who aro eager to further the territorial defence operations shall . place their cars at the disposalof tho military authorities of their particular district for the benefit of staff officers.. Tho owners of tho cars shall be" enrolled as territorial officers and their duty will be 'to drivo their cars whither the staff officer wjlls. They will apparently havo no other duties. They will take no part in any operations at which they may. be present. Their sole duty will be. to crank and drive theiryown cars. For doing this they will be paid tho usual officer's pay, according to their rank, and also a certain amount per day for car hire.. This amount will be in proportion to the class of their cars, according to the schedule; prepared by the defence authorities. As an idea, a theoretical idea, it looks very well, but will the'owner of, a good English touring car rise to the occasion and risk'his car over bad roads "for the love of the game," as tho defence authorities can hardly imagine ;that the £2 ,a day will be looked upon as a profitable investment? ■ \ ' ' ' Simple Enough on Paper.

The arrangements on paper appear to be simple enough, and classify the. various cars according to their carrying capacity and thoir horse-power. The allowance, of £1 per day ; for 'touring cars is adequate ; enough as on average under good motoring conditions, but in districts where, the roads are bad or even doubtful it is questionable whether it would cover tho general expense of tho wear and .tear; on the engine and on the tyres.' In many .'cases, even with the'best : motoring-conditions that the country can supply the allowance would not meet with the oar-owners' estimation of the he would be subjected to. .'A'.four days' tour of 340 miles would inflict a severe test on the best of curs, especially 'if'the .weather' was bad and the cars not well housed at nights. '■

The' most important questions .to be considered in regard to" this proposal is the practicability and value of a motor reserve. Granting that the car allowance is adequate and' would cover running expenses, what would induce owners : : of motor-cars to join? The class of men who own cars in New .'Zealand are not the class to bo induced to join the motor reserve by the glamour of af uniform. If they wished to hold commissions in the .'New Zealand military forces .they would join in tho ordinary, forces."' they active' officers, and : fill positions - where they wonld like .an active. part in the general scheme of national' defence, rather than act tho part of chauffeurs at the command of staff officers ' engaged .'in a staff tour, in whioh they, themselves; would have no immediate interest.' As to.the actual .value of the .scheme there is no doubt that as a comfortable'mode of transit'for staff officers it would be most' expedient. But its practicable value is hard, to see. ■":'

( ' Will It Appeal.to. Owners?: , r ; •: In timer of war the:ears,-as'a matter, of course, would be at the disposnl nf the military..- This has lately ; been'illustrated by the- Turkish War Offioe in; Constantinoplo. In time of peace, however,., the value of' a motor reserve in New Zealand would be very doubtful. As an instance, take' a brigndo camp in the' .Wellington district at Oringi. There are few rodds, and the manoeuvres! would be, mostly ocroM country, where motors are, useless. (As transports for- materielnh'nd • value of motor traction. cannot be overestimated, as has.been recegrii?ed in England, but as. yet there are hardly, enough motor wagons in Zealand to warrant 'a' similar' organisation;'.;' Ijater, when motor lorries, steam'tractionsyetn., become more numerous, a.system*by. which 'they could be classed- and' allocated- to. different districts in 'the event of '/sudden mobilisation would be invaluable; Such a scheme is at. present in 'force iri 'England, and list mobilisations of districts have proved the advantago of motor traction. ' Considered as a working proposition in tho general defence of the country, > the motor reserve as proposed bv the military .headquarters staff will no't' ; appeal to motor-car owners, and it is no'. 'rash prophecy to say that few owners will join. r>garded from the stnndnoin.t of the staff offioor, the idea' is delightful. But the average motor owner will not jump at a proposal that makes him risk -his,car. for the very, doubtful distinction of being allowed to •, play the part 'of military chauffeur. : _; '■ .■..