CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 233, 11 March 1915, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH RATES. To the Editor. Sir,—ln Tuesday morning's News I see the Mavor forecasted an increase m rates, apart from proposed loans. I understand New Plymouth is rated on the annual value. Can you inform me and others interested what the rate 3 are in the pound on the present annual value, and what would be the equivalent rates on capital value —I am, INTERESTED. (New Plymouth borough is rated on the annual value, which is based on 5 per cent, of the capital value. The rates comprise general rate of Is Id in tlie f, special rates totalling U (id in the £, soecial rate of 3d in the £ for the new hospital levy, and a water rat;i of (kl in the £ on dwelling-houses and 3d in the £ on business premises. The total rate, therefore, on residential property would be 3s 4d in the .€, and on business property 3s Id. ISased on capital valuation this is equal to 2d in the £ on residential roperty. The general rate includes subsidies'to reserves, parks, etc., hospital and fire board levies, amounting to a total of £IG4B, or equal to 4d in the £.)

CONSCRIPTION. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Much publicity has been given this subject recently," both in the press and elsewhere. In England th c custom hitherto lias been to enrol only those who offer themselves for voluntary! enlistment, and out of a selection of 'these men to form the regular army. This plan has answered very well so far. But in view of the enormous armies that are now maintained by the Continental Powers, the vast extent to which tlie British Empire has*grown, and its vulnerability from several different sides at once, a doubt .has been expressed as to whether the present method of recruiting our army affords sufficient protection to our national and Imperial interests. The question, therefore, has arisen, should ■we follow the example, of Continental Powers and resort to conscription? If conscription were introduced in the place of voluntary enlistment, is it likely to create a better army to what we have already, or better than what we might have if we made the best use of existing materials? Conscription certainly * -ace? numbers; so if multitude is the only thing needed, the question is closed; there is no scope for discussion. But in these days what is most needed for efficient fighting is not multitude, but mobility and good shooting—i.e., quickness of movement and accuracy of aim; and neither of these requisites is secured by vast numbers. A small, highly trained force is more effective than a large one of inferior training. Military critics in Berlin and Munich begin to have unpleasant doubts as to whether the two years' term of military service, through which every man in the country is forced to pass, is sufficient for the complete education of the modern soldier, and whether the lack of efficiency h at all compensated by the large numbers secured through conscription. Excess of numbers, far from being useful, may in certain positions contribute to disaster, as harroened at Spion, Kop, in Soutli Africa—a hill on which 4000 men had been placed, when there was space for only about 500 to move with facility and effectiveness. A huge army h not necessary to our insular safety. If the different Powers on the Continent find it necessary to maintain enormous armies, that is no business of ours. Our borders are not eo-tcrminous with any of theirs. We have no great land frontier, as these nations have, open to attack at any point along the line; but we have a sea-Frontior to 6e defended by our ships. Our main safety, therefore, depends, not on our possessing a huge army, but on our having the command of tlie sea and maintaining the safety of our coasts; and it is good to sec that this procedure is at present being successfully carried out.

Now," it may: be asked, "If for the defence of our Empire we eanot raise as large a voluntary army as we require, what is there to' fall back upon except compulsory enlistment V The answer would be, "Raise the pay and improve the conditions of the soldier's life and you will get as many men as can be needed." The army should be made attractive in point of salary as any other occupation open to men of the same class. The objector may still ask. "What about the cost: If the pay of the army is to be raised in order to get enough men and the right class of men, will not the nation complain of the cost, and find it too heavy a drain on its resources." The nation will never complain of what it sees to be necessary to its safety and to the honor of its flag, and the cost of a well-paid but select and voluntary force could not be more, and would probbably be'less tian that of a huge army, raised by conscnp-tion.-I am, Mt. Messenger. March 9.

WANDERING STOCK.

(To the Editor.) Sir —Some twelve months ago the engineer of the Clifton County Council gave the surfacemen of the TJruti byroads orders to report all owners of wandering stock.' Since then the roads are regularly grazed by dozens of horses, and nobody'scems to care. The Mangaliia, which is a blind road, at present w the dumping ground for the metalcart 'horses, especially on wet days; as many as fifteen have been seen ploughing up the mud, and I think it is about time somebody put a stop to this prac-tice.-lam,ctc, wffAm