Hokitika Gaurdian & Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 30th. 1919. THE DEFENCE POLICY.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Gaurdian & Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 30th. 1919. THE DEFENCE POLICY.

' .4. very important statement was made ) to the House on Friday night when the Estimates were under consideration i- regarding the internal defence policy of the Dominion. With its general proposals there will be agreement, as the the new Minister of Defence promises a reasonable course of action. There is e the first genuine announcement of definites economies, and a scheme of retrenchment outlined whereby such will 8 be possible. The Government is to be congratulated on this sincerity, and it is to be hoped events will rapidly unfold ’’ themselves to demonstrate the reality of the sincerity. In referring, to this question previously we have considered the maritime defence of New Zealand of paramount importance, and the Government policy on this phase has been in that direction. With regard to internal defence and the constitution of the military force-to he trained and available, we now have a definite idea of its composition. The Dominion is very rightly going to lessen the official or' - headquarters side of the control. At > present a very large staff quite outside of the necessities, is being maintained to dominate the territorial system, which as a defence force is of course rather playing at soldiering. The territorial system is merely a training sys--i tem, end it does not require Staff officers at from £7OO to £I2OO a year to direct it. The total salaries prdvidfor in the Estimates are £298,490 and there are other changes enumerated which total £252,103. There is thus a total expenditure of £550,593. hast j year it cost over half a million to I run the Defence Department, and one | r'’n only wonder what all this great expenditure is for. The reduction of military districts is a good one, and should effect a great saving. At present the Headquarters staff costs, £50,061; Auckland Military District £50,057; Wellington Military District (which has its headquarters adjacent to Headquarters) £55,098; Canterbury Military' District £38,210; Otago Military District £30,986. Tlfe general outlook suggests that this class of expenditure can be retrenched very materially, and the Government will be expected to carry out the promises in that direction without loss of time. The new' Minister is taking up the cadet system which Sir James Allen refused to do so far as it affected the schools, t It is in that walk where a good foun- 1 dation can be laid and the best spirit j cultivated. At school the pupils are ; under proper discipline and if given the 1 taste for military training in those j years, territorials ranks will be filled r with more enthusiastic to-operation. c In the old days of the volunteer system p ther was no difficulty in securing rank- ] ers who were intelligent and enthusias- - tie about their training, and there was c no thought to the limit of their c service. It was a. retrograde move to p depri from the voluntary system, and p its absence has been a costly mistake for 0 the Dominion. For the young, the discinlinary side of the military training lias its advantages, and tliis branch can be carried on effectively and econo- '» mically without employing officers at I high salaries and with resounding titles, -

who at the best appear to supervise only from afar off and do not have that intimate relationship with those under them which should obtain for practical results. There is room for marked retrenchment in the Defence expenditure, and Sir H. Rhodes will deserve, well „f the country if he tackles the job as he promises to do.

The Borough Council has been in labour again, and a very tiny offspring has been the result. For months past the Council has been grappling with the question of Town Hall repairs or a new Town Hall. After sundry rumours on the’ question we have at length got to the length of a bold and unconvinc-ing-report. The Mayor’s critcism of the report resulted in the document being consigned to the waste paper basket, and the sub-Committeehas to commence de novo, and bring down something more concrete. -Moving with the •snail-like rapidity of the past we may hear from the Committee again somewhere in the dim and distant future. Whether in the meantime the present creditable building the Council occupies will fall down about members’ ears remains to be seen. But it does seem a pity that a striking and ornamental i structure such as the present Town j Hall should be allowed to remain in its present" ill-kept condition for ‘ the sake of £4OO. To replace the Town I Hall with n Municipal Hall (why the I change of name) will cost £IO,OOO or £15,000 according to material used and I the scope of the design—and then we I venture to say the architect will not I eclipse the prepossessing front adorn- ! ing the present structure. If there is any difficulty in financing the cost of repairs, as one gleans from the finance report at the meeting, how is the Council going to finance the larger sum required for the more ambitious building. If the Council went to a poll on a loan for the sole purpose of a new hall, which would mean the abandoning of the present building, the ratepayers would rightly tell the Council there were other pressing municipal mattery calling for attention first. There is the need of a more adeguate water supply, and road and street improvement to smarten up the appearance of the town, to claim first attention. Given these urgently required works and there would be more in favor for a new Hall, but till the Council first grapples particularly with the urgent question of water supply, the folk will be prepared to put up with the existing hall which with all its historic associations can fill the bill here for a long i time to come if kept in presentable repair for. the public reputation of the town.

The local Council, according to the Finance Committee’s report, has got into deep water and has resolved to retrench. This is very praiseworthy jn the face of it, but understanding why it is in deep water and the measure proposed to relieve the tension, we can only marvel at the Council seriously discussing the subject on the lines it did. The Council is in debt, therefore it reselves to sack the casual labour! This •reminds us of another local body which got into straightened circumstances and one of the members proposed that the typewriter should be sold and the amount applied to the reduction of the hank overdraft—which by the way stood at some thousands. The laborer would be costing about £ls a month, and the Borough Councillors seem to seriously expect that this “saving” will relieve the position. Doubtless the man was only employed because he was necessary, and sacking him now will mean, so much more work undone—so how does the “saving” come in. The liability will go on piling up and the work will remain to be done sooner or later. The Council has been attempting too much out of its general rate. - This is limited and cannot be expected to pay for permanent work. The municipal law never contemplated that it should, hence the limit to the general rate, and the power to strike special rates (with the sanction of the ratepayers) to pay for loan money. That ia a proper • safeguard, and the Council when it had the opportunity to put such a proposal- into practice, turned it down. The Councillors are responsible for the position and it would servo them, right, if the ratepayers generally were not also suffering. The ratepayers, however, do not show much dispositon to get out of the rut, any. more than the Councillors do, and after all we have got to remember again that the Council is just what the ratepayers care to make it.