DEFENCE MATTERS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1949, 8 March 1919, Page 3

DEFENCE MATTERS

JMEORTAXT STATEMENT. INCREASED AL ROMANCES AND (IRA TUITIES. Dunedin, March (I. Speaking to a reporter, (ho Minister for Defence referred to the allowances and gratuities to soldiers. He slated that the amount to he given in lieu of separation allowance to married. men who left before (he Military Service Act came into operation had been described as £4-10,-000. Cabinet had now agreed to increase the amount to £-195,000, thus allowing the Minister to make the separation allowance of the wife of a soldier who volunteered 3s per day. He had asked the Defence Department to advise him of the machinery necessary to put that into operation as soon as possible. He told Parliament that Cabinet had agreed on a sum of £125,500 for gratuities, but he was not yet in a position to say anything dfinite regarding the distribution of this, and lie wanted a little more time to be sure that he was doing right. Difficulties arose when he came to details, and he wanted (he whole thing to be clearly defined before he made a statement. A proposal had been made for a certain amount of pay for a certain period of service. He might have to reconsider that as being a matter that should not be neglected. He advised soldiers to exorcise patience in this respect.

THE TEIMHTOIHAL SYSTEM.

Speaking’-of a resolution favouring the abolition of the Territorial system, the Minister said that the local bodies supporting it were making a grave mistake, because (hey did not understand the situation. In the new system of defence he merely wished to have a system sufficiently organised militarily to bring into existence the defence force for use, and to keep sufficient staff for training men for defensive purposes. It was desired to make more efficient civilians physically, mentally, and morally, and prepare them for defence if they were required. He thought the men should enter camp at eighteen years of age for four months. Training camps were being established in both islands, so that the men should go through a course similar to that undergone by the Expeditionary Force with physical drill. Extended dental and medical arrangements would be provided so that a man would bo improved in camp and shown how to take his physical improvement into his own hands and continue it himself.