DEFENCE FORCES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 23, 20 October 1937, Page 4

DEFENCE FORCES

: Our Own Correspondent.)

Co-ordinating Legislation Prepared MINISTER'S OUTLINE

(From

WELLINGTON, Last Nigkt. Three Bills providing for tke contro! of tke air and land defence forces of the Dominion will be introdnced in the House of Representatives this weelc bv tlys Minister of Defence, tke Hon. F. Jones. Tke purpose of these measures will be very largely to give effect to tke policy of eontrol ontlined in tko statemeqt of tlie reorganisation of forces wkich was issued by the Minister ab'mt two months ago. The Minister stated in an interview to- night that the first of the Bills, tko Army Board BilT, provided for the setting up of tke Army Board. The Air Force Bill would give legisjative status to tke Air Board, which would eontrol the Air Force, and would also ptovide for the organisation of an fiir force on the lines recommended to tke Government some time ago by Group-Cap-tain tke Hon. R. A. Cockrane. Tke third Bill, tke Air Department Bill, would authorise the. establiskment of an air department. Tkis department would be chaTged witk tke administration of the Air Force and would .also cover civil aviation in New Zealand. ''Tke tkree boards already constituted — the Naval Board, Army Board and Air Board— will ko co-ordinated in tke National Defence Council," Mr Jones added. "This will really be an advisory body comprising tke chiefs of the tkree services and representatives of tke Government, and will make recommendatipns to Cabinet, which, of course, is tke final authority. I anticipate that tke system, when it is thus reorganised, will operate in an entirely satipfactorjr manner." ,