THE DEFENCE BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 257, 6 December 1909, Page 3

THE DEFENCE BILL.

Cu.vU'ULSORY TRAINING. GOVERNMENT'S MEASURE Blutui.. THE HOUSE. RAISING TERRITORIAL FORCES. PRESENT VOLUNTEER CORPS TO CEASE 10 EXIST. The Defence Bill introduced to the! House by the Prime Minister by Gover- '. hot's Message on Friday indicates the] Government's' general proposals for the, internal defence of New Zealand. J There is a Council of Defence set up Consisting of three members—the Minister of Defence (president) the Chief of the General Staff, and a Finance mem-

her, with an Inspector-General of Forces. THE TERRITORIALS. Power is given to raise and maintain a Territorial Force consisting of such number of men as may from time to. time be provided by Parliament, but it <■ not to be carried or ordered to go] out of New Zealand. If at any time' the establishment of the force is below that provided by Parliament, the Council of Defence can transfer from the General Training Section any number of men required to make up that establishment. The men. bo transferred are to fie selected either by ballot or in prefcribed manner, and become members of the Territorials. All commissioned officers in the Territorials are to be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a Boa o of Selection appointed for each district by the Council of Defence, after passing examination; if anyone fails to pass, the board ia again to consider the case for farther recommendation. All non-com-missioned officers are to be appointed by the prescribed officer. THE VOLUNTEERS. On a day to be notified by proclamation, not earlier than twenty-eight days after the gazetting of the proclamation, all volunteer corps (including reserves to such corps) and reserve corps then in existence under, the Defence Act, 1908, ■hall cease to exist. All arms are to be delivered up, and the assets and iia- ' bilities of volunter corps are to pass to " the Crown. At any time within six : months after the date so notified any ' member of a volunteer corps or reserve u to be entitled on application to be enrolled in the Territorials in the same lank as that which he held in the volunteers.

TRAINING. The training of the Territorials is in each year to be prescribed. At the termination of each year's training ending the last day of February each member of the Territorial Force shall be classified in the manner and by the officer prescribed either as "efficient" or "non-efficient," and those who are classified ae "non-efficient" shall be liable to special extra training in the year succeeding that in which they were son-efficient.

Every person uader the age of thirty years who has been classified as efficient for three years shall, in the prescribed manner, be drafted into the Reserve, unless, "on application, he is permitted to continue in the Territorial Force, provided that in the case of members transferred to the Territorial Force from the General Training Section efficient service in the latter shall be deemed to be efficient service in tie Territorial!?.

MILITIA. •All the male inhabitants of New Zealand between the ages of seventeen and fifty-five who have resided in New Zealand for six months are liable to be trained and serve in the militia, wits the exception of existing exemptions, to ■which the professors in the New Zealand University or any affiliated college are added. Exemptions also include those declared medically unfit by a medical practitioner appointed for this purpose. The militia may be called out by proclamation, and for thia purpose Parliament may be summoned if not sitting. The militia when called out is to form part of the defence forces.

UNIVERSAL OBLIGATIONS. All male inhabitants who have resided for six months in New Zealand and are British subjects are to be liable to be trained as follows: — From twelve years to fourteen years of age or to the date of leaving school, whichever is the later, in the Junior Cadets; and From fourteen years of age or the date of leaving school, as the case may be, to eighteen years of age, in the Senior Cadets; and From eighteen years to twentyone years of age, ra the Reserve. JUNIOR CADETS.

The Governor is empowered, on the recommendation of the Minister ot Education, from time to time to appoint a Commandant of the Junior Cadets and such other officers and instructors as he thinks fit. The training of these cadets is to begin on February Ist in the year in which the persons liable attain the age of twelve years; or in the case of persons who attain the age of twelve years, thirteen years, or fourteen years in the year in which this Act commences, and are then attending sfchool, the training shall begin on the first day of February in the next succeeding year; and in the case of each person shall continue until he attains the age of fourteen.years or ceases to attend school, whichever is the later. The training in each year is to be of not less than fifty-two hours' duration. The Minister of Education may at any time require attendance at such dnl 8 or parades and for such periods) as he i thinks fit. Non-commissioned officers are to be appointed from among those trained in the Junior Cadets, and officers of the rank of lieutenant or above that rank STe to be appointed by the .Minister of Education from amongst the male teachers on the staffs of schools or with the consent of the Defence Council from the General Training Section or Reserve. All persons liable to be trained are, on attaining the age of fourteen yean or on ceasing to attend school, to be drafted into the Senior Cadets.. SENIOR CADETS.

The t' •'-n>-z in the Senior Cadets, in the cast who are drafted into it from . >r Cadets, is to begin from the <i*j *>■ their being so drafted, and in all other cases, is to begin from Marsh Ist in the year in which they | attain the age of fourteen years, or .n i the case of those who attain the age of fourteen, fifteen, sixteen or sevent3cn years in the year in which" this Act | commences, shall begin on March Ist in the next succeeding year, and in the case of ii'-.-ii i'er-on is to continue until lie attains ill* age of eighteen years. The prescribed training m the Senior Cadets is in each year ending the last day of February is not to exceed »ix whole-day drills, twelve half-diy drills, and twenty-four night drills, or their equivalents. All persons liable, to be trained in the Senior Cadets are to be trained in discipline, elementary military exercises, and musketry or gunnery, an-I organised in military units and allo;;-

ted to the defence forces in each district. . . L . The training is to be carried out m the manner and at the times prescribed, and to the satisfaction of the officer commanding the district. Non-commissioned officers are to he appointed by the prescribed officer from among the persons being taauA r- the .Senior Cadets, and officers of the rank of lieutenant or above that rank by the Council of Defence; and •".very person so appointed is to net in the position to which he is appointed, rod his training while so acting shall he deemed to be training in the Senior Cadets, or the General Training Section, or the Terirtorial Force, as the case iiav be. , All persons liable to he trained r»i the Senior Cadets, including their offi-

cers, shall, while being so trained, he under the control of the Council of Defence. . All persons liable to be trained nr", on March Ist in the year in wlibh they attain the age of eighteen, tn be drafted into the General Training Sutton. GENERAL TRAINING SECTION. The training in the General Training Section in the case of those who are Jirnftcd'iiito it from the Senior Cadets 'is to hegin as from the date of their bein>» so drafted, and in all other caws is" to begin on March Ist in the year in "which they attain the age <.f eighteen, or in the case of those who attain the age of eighteen, nineteen or twentv in the year in which the Art commences, shall hegin on March Ist in the next succeeding w»r. and shall fa the case of each person continue un- . til he Is drafted into the reserve. The prescribed trainins in the General Training Section shall in each year tnding the last dn\ "' February be " fourteen davs in training camp and * tsrelre half-days, except in the nrlil-

At the end 01 each year's training in the General Training Section each person ig to be classified either as "efficient" or "non-efficient," and those wao are classified as non-efficient are to be liatife to be trained for an additional year for each year in which they are non-efficient, or to special extra training in the year succeeding that in which they were non-efficient. Every person who has been classified as efficient for three years is to be drafted into the reserve, in which the training is to con- j sist of two muster parades in each year.

DEFENCE RIFLE CLUBS. All defence rifl e clubs existing at the commencement of the Act are to le affiliated to the native and reserve provided that no person liable to be trained under the previous provisions (otherwise than in the reserve) shall be

liable to become or to remain a member of such a clu'o while he Is so liable. REGISTRATION. All persona liable to be trained are, within three months after the commencement of the Act, or in the month of January in which they "ie- | come liable, to apply in writing to be registered, provided'that if any such person is on the roll of any school it Is te lie accepted in lieu of registration. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The Commandant of the Junior Cadets shall at all times at which any school is open to have the power to enter that schuol and inspect and exam-

ine in physical drill all the boys and girls attending that school. Officers in the Junor Cadets, or Senior Cadets, shall be permitted (o present themselves for examination in the subjects prescribed for the examination of officers in the Territorial Force, or such other examination as may from time to time be prescribed; and, if they pass such examination, may be granted substantive commissions by the Governor and be included in the Reserve of Officers. The Council of Defence may froji time to time make regulations with

respect to the government, organisation, establishment, equipment, and discipline of the Senior Cadets and the General Training Section, and with inspect to the pay and allowances of the General Training Section, and with re •spect to the discipline, training, equipment' and maintenance of defence rifle clubs.

The Minister of Education may fron time to time make regulations with respect to the government, organisation, training, equipment, and discipine of the Junior Cadets, and the liability of teachers to act as officers therein. PENALTIES.

A fine not exceding £5 is provided for refusal to take the oath of allegiance. A similar penalty is to be imposed" in the case of refusal to register, accompanied by disqualification as an elector, and non-employment or non-con-tinuation of employment in any branch of the Government service. Non-co>(i-pliance with Senior Cadet provisions renders a person liable to a fine not exceeding £SO. Employers preventing training in th\e*'Senior Cadets, General Training Section, or Territorial Force, are liable to a fine not exceeding £lO, whether by deducting or reducing wagae, Or dismissing a person from employment. This section is not to be construed lo require any person to pay any person in his employ anv wages for the time when he is absent from work for the purpose of being trained. Penalties are also provided for failure to enrol in the militia when so required, and for failure to account for property issued to members of the defence forces. KELIGIOTJS SCRUPLES.

Nothing in this Act shall require *ny person to bear arms or perform or undergo military service or training if Hie docMnes of religion forbid him to do sc, but every such person shall be liable to perform as an equivalent to such service and training such civil duties as are prescribed by the Governor-in-Coua-cil. CANTEENS. The canteen at any encampment is to be under the control and sole direction of the officer in command of tl* encampment, and no intoxicating liquor is to be sold or supplied at any su-:h canteen to anv person under the age of twenty-one years.

OPPOSITION TO THE CANTEEN. Bv Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The executive of the New Zealand Alliance, while not now entering into the discussion of the general Subject of compulsory military training, resolved at a special meeting yesterday—"that inasmuch as the canteen in the military camps serves no useful nurpose, but is a source of dangerous temptation to many and has frequently led to scenes of reerettable excess and disorder, the executive of the Alliance enters its emphatic protest against the inclusion of canteens for the sale of intoxicating liquors in the Military Bill which is '.o come before Parliament during the corning week. It believes that when parents realise the danjer to which their sons will be exposed through the canteen, manv will rise in protest and decline the military proposals altogether, rather than ri*k the ruin of their sons. There are fathers who quite approve of the principles of volunteering as such f«r their sons who will have good reason to oppose the whole system if their boys are to be exposed to drinking customs. which destroy more livesthan a foreign foe has ever destroyed."