Defence.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 1, Issue 4, 15 December 1910, Page 9

Defence.

(By S. ROSOOE.) It would be well for the workers of this country if -.hey would look carefully into the Government's so-called defence scheme. They should remember, in the first place, that they have nothing more to defend than they would be able to force from any other capitalist Government; secondly, they should remember that these islands are so isolated that there is a very remote chance of anybody trying to attack them. Now, the defence scheme at present before the country is, in my opinion, a very clever scheme, destined to impress on the rising generation a spirit of bloodthirsty militarism, with its officers' uniforms and other embellishments, which appeal to all that is brutal in mankind. Also, it may prove very dangerous to the interests of the working class. What is to prevent a capitalistic Government from calling out a few corps of trained militia to help their class (the capitalists) in industrial disputes? All the older lands have had experience of that sort of thing. I hold, moreover, that military training, with its necessary accompaniments, appeals to all that is brutal in human nature. My object in writing this, however, is not to prove the viciousness of the proposed system, but to suggest an alternative, which I think would be much more acceptable to the workers. The following is a crude sketch of the lines on which I think the defence force should bf» created, it is merely an extension of the present rifle clubs :■ — (1) To establish rifle ranges in every district where there is a population of, say, 1000 or more, the ranges to be not less than 20 miles apart, except in cases where the population exceeds 25.000. (2) That every range shall have a stock of rifles and ammunition and sufficient attendants. The range- should be open every day as long as is found necessary, so that anybody may go and practice. (3) Prizes should be given for the highest scores in a given number of shots, such prizes to be so regulated and conditions so framed as would tend to produce the greatest number of proficient marksmen. (4) To give the workers every opportunity to become proficient, their employers should be compelled to give every employee at least one extra halfholiday every fortnight on full pay, providing that the! employee spend the afternoon at the rifle range. I think that a system on the above lines would be mtxch preferable to the present one 3 as expert marksmanship, and not military drill and organisation, will be the only effective means of defending the country. It would also have the following advantages :— (a) It could not be used by any governing body to coerce the workers in case of industrial disputes. (b) There would be no parasitical officers, thereby effecting an immense saving. (c) There would be no uniforms or vainglorious trappings, which only excite the brutal passions in men. (d) Also., the winners of the prizes would find them very useful. I expect that it would be necessary to limit the number of prizes that any individual might take in a given time., otherwise a few would live on the game, and the less skilful or fortunate would become diseoii raged. The different labour unions could regulate the days on which their members should practise, so as to ensure that the ranges should not be overcrowded one day and deserted the next. I think that I would be well within the mark if I estimated the cost of the above at one-fourth the cost of the present system, as most of the rifle butts are already in existence.