OUR PEACE ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1919, Page 4

OUR PEACE ARMY.

NEW TRAINING SYSTEM. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. In a statement regarding territorial training, Sir Jas. Allen said it appeared that many of the public were opposed to four months' concentration of territorials during the first year. The public must be the ultimate judge of what was best, and if four months was unacceptable, he would suggest two months' concentrated training in the first year, and two weeks each year for the next two years. This would give much better results than the present system, and cost no more money. His judgment, and he was supported by those who knew best, was that the present system was inefficient, and if they wanted to get the best results from the expenditure it certainly should be improved. Sir James Allen added: "The improved scheme, which I now put forward for consideration, involves three years' training instead of seven. It does away with afternoon and evening parades, and asks for two months' training at 18 years, 14 days at 19, and 14 days at 20, after which a territorial is passed into the reserve. Instead of 24 days of one hour each year for 7 years, there will be 60 days the first year and 14 days in each of the next two years. Camps should be available in both islands, and as they will be open the greater part of the year for territorial training employers and employees could select times to suit their convenience."