GOVERNMENT'S DEFENCE PROPOSALS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81872, 23 October 1906, Page 3

GOVERNMENT'S DEFENCE PROPOSALS.

OFFICE OF COMMANDANT ABOLISHED.

PROPOSER COUNCIL 01' dei-ence. RADICAL CHANGES. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, October 22. In the liou-e iliis altemoon, Sir Joseph \\ aid moved iiu' second reading of an Defence Act Amendment Bill. He said it » proposed under ciiis liill io place the Def' e.ce Department of the colony un a much better footing' t.ian it had oce upiecf fur many years past. There lu-i! been coiHdnabl' - difficulty. a« members knew, in connection with ilie administration of a Department 1 fiat was really a double Department, for there was a military side and a civil side to it. Tie: experience of every Minister of Defence in this countrv had been that whatever requirements lie desired to bring about on the volunteer side or 011 the permanent artillery side, he usually had to work 11 oppo-ite directions to the Commandant. Under thi< Bill it was proposed to form a Council of Defence of five, consisting of an Imperial officer with the rank of Major, two Officers Commanding districts, a finance member of the Council, and a secretary to the Council, who would also be a member. It was proposed to pay the Imperial Officer from £SOO to £550 a year, 110 would be an up-to-date officer, and he would keep the colon'y in touch with things which no local officer, as General Babington had pointed out in a memorandum 01 the whole subject, eould have any experience of. It was propused to tlic services of Colonels Robin and Davies. One of these officers would be the Insjpceior-Gencr.il; (he other would be one of the military members of the Council, the otlier being the Imperial officer aforesaid. Between these there would be the representative of finance, independent and untrammelled. It was not intended to appoint an under-sccretary as the machinery would be complete without him, nur would there Ij-- a Commandant. Proceeding lie explained that the Department had determined to do away with the system 01 submarine mine*. The Japanese war had exploded these and proved the superiority and great efficiency indeed of the blockade mine, which, being taken out by suitable ships, couid be placed eight or 10 or 12 miies from shore, forming- a complete bar to the advance of shipping beyond the etxreme range of their guns. A suitable vessel had since been found by the British Admiralty, the Iphigeniu. That vessel had made such wonderful trials thai it had been said of them and of the experience derived from experience of Uic Japanese during the late war. that 110 change so startling in naval warfare had taken place since the encounter oi the Monnor and the Merrimac in the days of the American War of Secession. For the latest i n land defence, two Imperial officers would be imported for the purpuse of giving Tegular instructions 10 the leolon-a! forces. Capitation would be paid in future on individual perloimance, not company average. A new held battery of mos.t modern design had be-n ordered in August last, and the four new guns would be stationed one at each ot the four centres. It was, 111 short, tile intention of the Government to liav a well equipped and high.'y educated volunteer system. I'lie speech was inienupted by the 5-i',o adjournment.

The Premier, resuming in ihe evening, explained tho need for improving- the equipment of the forces, and the steps to be taken lo do so. He detailed tin; small arm supply, t.wrty thousand four hundred .303 tilt's, 4750 Martinis (Mr llornsby: Make a bontire of them), 10-700 Sni-clcr-s, altogether with carbines. 4''.000. They propositi to contract every year with the colonial I'aciorv for ihiee million rounds a year, which would be used for encouiaging every colonial soldier to make iiimself a gs'od shot. The Commandant's memorandum recommended this Army Council, and the system outlined. The Government intended to make tiie citizen army a- perfect as possible under the circumstances, capable without aggres-iveiie.-s to give a good account 01 it-clf. in much with tic Imperial system at iveiy point, well equipped and well educated.

Mr J. Allen thought it a pii'y the IVmic-r liad not devoted the lime to detail and more to the explanaoon of the Council system, lie agreed wit., him in his preference fur volunteers ar,B the desire to foster the best spirit, but no amount of spirit would

avail without thai free hand to the Commandant wnich had never vet been granted in New Zealand. There should also be no political influence. O 'tiling to details, he admitted that Lie System ot divided control had been abolished at Home and in Australa, but whether the details were the same the Minister had not explained. He had said nothing i ■ lie position of the Minister, who apparently would be supreme. That nt'ghi be an even worse system than i.ie present one. Ai Jioijie, again, tiey had set up a stiong adminis'.rame body, and a strong executive buci'y. the bill did not provide an executive council at all, and he doubted if ihe admini-tiaiive body was as stiong as the Hume cones]i■■•■nding body. lie fai.ed to see h>v, tiie Mui|st.. r n ,ade live membeis ..I Council on! of tiie four |;i»vidcd in lie- Dili. Would t.ie Inspeetoi-Cieiv el.I. oe the hi,;, m ,- m \ }i - t ; (The l't.m:er: "Xo. ) M, Aden -;od | K . was glad to hear ,i. He lail'd io |'i.' ;n;-> tne best men ccuid be taken iioin li.eal command- lor the Lounu', or how the scheme ,>ukl ever -ucceed without ncre tiun or how the necessary suppiy was going to be kept up, or tnat four rv.nibeis of Council weie enougii. He was afraid that die style of imp'li'i ofiicer to be comuiauded for ,'Jiuu a year V "iild not be equal io Hie position.

.Mr Honisby thought tlicte was too much disposition to keep soldiers in tutelage, and to bow too much b'h n the imperial nifictr. lb- thought <ii:.!" should be univcisal service, and h j; ihaiiglit if the people objected they v.i'i' 1 not worthy of tbi'ir countrv. The .:a,c would come' when the Asiatic U"ti!d seriously attempt the conquest o: tin- country, and we should have l<> be prepared to keep hint out. \V< had lite be*l lighting material in the world. JJanio Palc»on had told him Cat the li.il-. if 111.-y had had s,„ I, a country a- thk a enuivnv of eon

turning ni'ivrm' in-, air - ihcv would li'-vn li;tv<- l.rni ljratcn. The British "I'liccr wanted (•■ muk" a Ti.nim'y Alkin- "f 11v>- -nU'i'-r- and .Ik ii.l.inial l)»v would nut aland bnni;' mack aT< ininy Alkin-. We "U.ejil I-, li.ivr a l'.eal man as Commandant, after tin: example af tin' Ki'a 1 mililarv minims, Germany, Frame, and

:'.:.",;,„. nunc "f which had a Board. j,u'l!. iln- I!"nrd ini K -;u lorn mil well, li depended .hi ih.. mm appointed. •-fniv.-rsitl -,1-ivin" «,i- ih«: real panacea, however, and without the ■piiii ihin would :«ci'pl thai ideal we h-ukl n.-v.',- hav.- a (i K iiiin K bure 111 this country, so well worth tiglitin;, r '''\ir Fi.ii.'l C in.inalc.l th". M">-i-nr on propce-ine, me eourr.ll -y_;t.lll. ]|i. did nni a.L'ii-i' with til.' rhttiouM in hnd miK.i-is. ill.- ex-p.'ii'-n.c in At'ri.-n mid him thai them mi. ;: nimln-r of ea|e,h'o men who v.. id.l lake ii„.i, ~!■„, , ;l ,„d.'i-under dm Cimu.-il. rinn was filing to take the place l.f ;> ];,-,- ef ill I 1,111 pel - en' ('. mmandani-. 11,- read i-oino iiviircs la- had . .onpiiod, .lew:,-; 111.-l! il'.ll'illt! tl"' 1.1-l 22 veat- the

..iillliv had -11-11 l -imithi:',; over ,;,:«■<■ and ndialf millam- tvi lint;-. -(,,, -nil, had -howii ihem ihe fuiilily "t 'i, L .-f. i vtieniiiure. Th" miii-t.,!-y -ide .'t ill.' e^,e ; ,d;i,ire hid 1 i--,1 'fll'in ./ViJ.O I VIII lo /i.ri.noe. -.-.1, i;.. ;|," L-.ilaiio d'-feiic.' liad~l,iilen ol V..,,",',. Ih- cliffei'd fmni i'ii' I'ii'miei about til- u-el.-M,-> , I" -a- ---,„ na;. time-, and n-ad fuel, a ,i'pi.,i r ~:r., nit h. The l'l-c-rnicr: "Whai damMr Kidi-r: "l<).o.'■ Th.- I'lcmlcr: "Vmi a'" out ul da!"." Mr Fislicr differ.'' a'-: ' alvm! ca-;■';;-mi,. if a ceip'. w-nld no! I).'-i-.ini. efficient, a enrps uas not iee.dred ''dm md : 'a..- t.ib'nr there I i'linu'd b; cflcouiagcd to t.ak' 1 to rille

|clubs. ll« detailed possible iniprovcj mcnts in organisation, dccentrai ii>ai:i;n, and equipment, lie suggested one holiday evciy year lor dci;'i»' purposes, Hiving- every man liic "pponunily (if handling a rilic. A liisi-t-la.-h iitlc. plenty of ammunition, and plenty of practice; these were I'ae essentials of defence, not

accoutrements and uniforms. Mr Fisher closed with congratulating the Government.

Mr Sidcy, Mr Buddo, Mr Thomson, Mr llannan, Mr Symcs, and Mr Rutherford carried on the discussion. The Premier replying-, said the fifth member of the Board would be the Minister of Defence, but theie was no fixed number. There were plenty of men who had had experience in South Africa, and they would be utili-ed. The object of tin- Bill was to accentuate the capacity of the people of this eountty, quite equal to the capacity of the Boer population, to keep up the defence traditions, and :>iganise an adequate service. The I louse must not be carried awa'y by the critics who knew better than anybody else, and differed about everything but they must give their own officers credit for some common sense. The la-t Commandant, one of the fines men who had ever come II this country, who did his work with a courtesy which always maintained his individuality had recommended this system as the ground work of a useful system of defence. The second reading was passed on the voices.

In committee. Mr I. Allen urged that the addition of the Defence Minister to the Council ought to be specified according to the usual custom in connection with the service of' the Minister on a board. The Minister held it to be unnecessary. On clause 3, Mr Alien moved to add the words after Minister "shall be a member of the Council."

The Minister could not accept, as that would practically be limiting the appointments by name, whereas the Bill left that point quite open. On division, the amendment was lost by 45 to 12. The Bill passed without amendment, was reported, and read a third time and passed.