THE DEFENCE BILL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 217, 16 December 1909, Page 5

THE DEFENCE BILL.

[ What was practically the second read* [ ing of the debate on the Defence Bill ! took place on Monday night, when Sir [Joseph Ward moved that it be committed. The Prime Minister considered that the changes in the present system proposed by the Bill would be of considerable value to the country. The Bill did not propose coropol tory military training, with which he was not in agreement, tinder these proposals the first year's expenditure would be £352,600 as against £202,000 at pros-, ent entailed. The difference between these proposals and entire compulsion was that the latter would cost £I,BOO, 000 and be did not feet that he could propose any such scheme. The volunteer system bad proved inadequate. The increase for the past year bad been £1632. It was next to impossible for the men in charge of the corps to get anything like continuity of attendance over a number of years, and before many of them became folly efficient they had left the corps, the result being a weakening of the system, and of the appreciation of the system by both officers and men. There was only cma thing to do and that was to Chang# the system. There was no jurisdiction for the belief that the Imperial authorities could call on oar forces to serve abroad, besides which the Government of the Dominion retained full control of its forces. Sir Joseph went on to acknowledge the good work done by Colonel Davies at the sub-deference of tbe Imperial Conference, and remarked that at the conference the number of troops considered to be requisite for the defence of the Dominion was 30,000 highly , trained men. That was a very much smaller number than bad been considered necessary by those who had discussed the subject in New Zealand. The Bill proposed certain alterations. It was propca*) to reduce the Council of Defence to three members, and the carrying out of their policy would devolve on heads of various branches. The Council would consist of the chief of general staff, the Minister of Defence, and a financial member. The general headquarters would be reorganised. The present volunteer force would be reorganised and the perman ent force would become more «f an instructional force. There would be a coast defence force and a mobile defence force in each district, besides wbicb there would be a special service section. The force would be armed, equipped, and organised on the lines set forth at the Imperial Conference, viz., a properly constituted garrison artillery, defence field battery, and engineers, brigades of mounted rifles, and infantry, signallers, field ambulance, etc. Payment would have to be made to those called upon for compulsory doty fourteen days in the year, and he thought it should be 3* per day. Tbey would be receiving free rations and ammunition, and employers would not be called upon to pay the men for the time they were away. The population of mates, as at December 1908, that the bill would affect would be 87,600, of whom 3»,1 12 were between 11 and 13 years and 31,022 between IS and 21 years. He could not say definitely what the total number available under this bill up to 21 years would be but probably between 40,000 and 50,000. The reserve after the first two years would begin at about 9000, and would gradually increase. The Bill provided lor the establishment of arms and ammunition factories. At the moment neither step was contemplated. The present arrangements sufficed for present needs, but later on it ihight be necesary.