COUNCIL OF DEFENCE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8934, 27 September 1907, Page 3

COUNCIL OF DEFENCE.

Ibecided Action to be Taken. ? "■ _•. Compulsory Military Training. (Per Press Association.) **""" * Weut,tnciton, September 25. Tho New Zealand Council of Defence tas decided that it is imperative to call ?L tbe militia to tote a more active St in the defence of the' colony than Zv have hitherto been doing. The ?2 are to bo compiled forthwith and to that end have been desSAed to each defence district of the rL f during the last few days. There EJr has been adeauate machinery for Spiling these lists and it will be Eiiry td depend upon what local Kdea there may be - . Consequently §T*ork of. compilation will be slow, fjjt will bo persevered with until its %„lction, and then the militia will h called upon to perfect them*Lj in all the requisite military J,je3. The Council of Dcfenco desires '{to interfere with commerce or trade . py way but to train up a detenco La that will be capable to defend the JJJitry should the need arise. The Vjtia will bo divided into three classes JJjely, class 1, unmarried mon between Ijgiil 30 ; class 2, married men between l stai SO, and unmarried men between jiafll 40; class 3, married men between m Uriel 40 and unmarried men between I ind 45. The Governor, for the purJLjs of the militia, may from time to •jj, by any general order, divide any Mrict constituted under the Defence uj into a regiment, battalion, or indoLdent company corps or other division S amy designate such divisions by such ~L 0 and number as he may think h Work preparatory to the fix- ■", of tho boundaries for such dis!i.(s as those above specified j. B ow going on and when tho work !; completed the districts will be de-clin-d. That will bo a matter of some gtUe time and anyone who feels anxious ■t tho prospect may take comtort in the •hoiHit that sis months must elapse before the acting training of the militia «n be entered upon. After that time Us elapsed it will be necessary for any pirriud man below the ago of 30 who •ishes to escape drill duties to take unto Mrasclf a wife. Thas ho will escape, for titnrally it is class 1 of the militia that j 3 called upon to bear the brunt of trammi; and service. The statutory exemptions from training ,nd fictual service in the militia ore as Slows :-Judges of the -Supreme Court, "mibers of the Executive Council, mem,rs of tho General Assembly, officers of •eneral Assembly, secretaries and underarotaries of the General Government, hikes of the Native Land Court, Public Trustee, resident magistrates, telccmph «3> postmasters, mail carriers and i erryLj; all oilicers, clerks, or other persons Tjliig in the management or collection of Xgtoins revenue, persons employed on railways open for traffic, clergy and minisMsof all religious denominations who shall M the time being be the officiating ministers within the meaning o£ the Marriage fet 1880, the professors in any college or jjjjyersity, all sheriffs and constables, all larders and keepers and guards of public •risons and lunatic asylums, attendants on the sick in every public hospital, teachers t f schools actually engaged in teaching, uafarin? men (other than watermen and batmen) actually engaged in their calljj, all volunteers enrolled under any nj&ntcor Act for the time bsing in ftrce within the Colony, all persons liiclcd with lunacy, deafness, blindness, 6 r irith any other disease or infirmity tiatinay render them unfit for service, such disease or infirmity being duly certiW to by a medical man appointed by lie Governor and paid by the Government. For that purpose each such ceriificate shall state tho nature of tho iisease or infirmity under -Miich th 9 Oaimant is labouring, and distinguish. Aether it incapacitates him for actual jrriee and training and exercise, or for isaal service only. An estimate prepared by theKegistrarleneral's Department gives the approximate number of men in New Zealand iutween the ages of 17 and 30 years as 125 911. It is the unmarried portion of Shese who will constitute the first class If the militia and be first called upon to are. They number 104,371.