COMPULSORY TRAINING

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 238, 2 March 1910, Page 3

COMPULSORY TRAINING

What the Act Intends.

The new Defence Act came into operation on March Ist. All male inhabitants of New Zealand who have resided here six months and are British subjects, are liable to be trained, as follows: —12 to 14 years of age, in the junior cadets; 14 to 18 years of age in the senior cadets; 18 to 21 years of age. in the general training section; and 21 to 30 years of age in the reserve. The Aft thus affects only youths under 21 years of age.

Junior cadets train for not less than 52 hours in each year. Senior cadets' training shall not exceed six whole-day drills or their equivalents. The training of youths of 18 to 21 years of age includes 14 days in the training camp and 12 half days training in their own districts, except for the artillery and engineer branches, in which 14 days in camp and 20 half days is the period allotted. All persons liable to serve shall, within three months after the Act is in force, make application in writing to the prescribed officer to be registered. In Auckland it is expected that the registration office will be the Defence Office. In the country it is not considered likely that registration will be called for yet, but probably the nearest post office will be the place where registration will be accepted. It is understood the towns will be worked first and the system gradually extended. The volunteer forces will be merged into a territorial force, of which probably 20,000 will be the number on the establishment. The militia includes:—l. Unmarried men, between 17 and 30 years of age; 2. marriedf men between 17 and 30, and unmarried men between 30 and 40; 3. married men between 30 and 55, and unmarried men between 40 and 55 years of age. There are certain exemptions, including most civil servants, railway employees, medical men, school teachers and persons certified to be medically unfit. The militia will be only called upon in time of war, or extreme peril.