COMPULSORY TRAINING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 6, 1 July 1911, Page 4

COMPULSORY TRAINING

PROSECUTION IX WELLINGTON, HEAVY FINE THREATENED. By Telegraph.--Press Association. Wellington, Friday. The first case brought under the' Defence Act of having failed to register as a territorial under the universal obligation to be trained, came before the court to-day. Defendant, who pleaded guilty, said he had passed his eighteenth year, and the r«asou he had not joined was because of his trade. He was a cabinetmaker. The Magistrate said that was not the slightest excuse. He would adjourn this case until Tuesday, and if defendant registered before that date probably he would not inflict any penalty, 'but lie warned defendant and others like him to distinctly understand that he would inflict a heavy penalty in future.

TRAINING CAMPS. The Director of Military Training (Colonel K. S. Heard) has addressed a general memorandum on training for the information of the young men who have lately been enrolled in New Zea T land's citizen army. He urges the supreme importance of elementary training and discipline, ami then makes the following remarks about training camps: "Since the training during the year is to he progressive, culminating in'the seven days' continuous training in camp, it stands to reason that this eamp should take place as late in the year as possible. Each quota of first-year men are posted at the same time", in May, to the several units and corpa, and these are to be brought on gradually to a state of efficiency, so that they may obtain the greatest 'advantage possible out of their training in camp with their unit or corps. There mny be cases where local circumstances and -the vocation of individuals may demand the training of units in camp at other times than at the end of the year. It k possible that, as a special ease, this may be conceded. But it must .he borne in mind that a camp held near the beginning of the training-year cannot be so advantageous for training as at the end. and for this reason: At the commencement of the training-year there )n a quota of first-year men to be considered, and these go into camp with their unit. Their training must be progressive, and they are only at the commencement of it, therefore thev cannot take part in the higher training of their unit in the field. But because, during their time in camp, thev cannot lie allowed to remain while "their unit ia carrying out this higher training, n proportion of officers and non-commis-sioned officers must be detached from the unit to train the first-year men. This means that the services of these officers and non-commissioned officer* arc lost to the unit, and not only that, but these same officers and non-com-missioned officers lose the benefit of the training in the field with their unit which they would have had otherwise. Thus it is obvious that every effort should be made to postpone the training in camp to as late a date in the train-ing-year as possible, having regard to the convenience of the employer and the vocation of the individual.""