DEFENCE POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1920, Page 5

DEFENCE POLICY.

HIGHER EXPENDITURE. TRAINING PERIOD REDUCED. ' ' j NO CAMPS FOR SOME YEARS. ! (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The estimates of the Defence Department, considered by the House of Representatives to-day, propose expenditure to the amount of £550,593 for ttie current year. The total vote last year Was £528,725, and the expenditure was £502,465. The Minister for Defence (Sir Heaton Rhodes) forestalled criticism by telling the House that economies were going to be effected, but many members had something to say on the subject. The Minister gave some additional information regarding the new training system. Sir Heaton Rhodes reminded members that he had been merely a few weeks at the head of the Defence Department. He had told them already that a new training system, designed in part by his predecessors in office, was under sideration. The estimates in the meantime, were based upon the old system, but he was hoping that the new scheme would be satisfactory to the country, and would at the same time reduce the defence expenditure. The Ministers were fully aware of the desire of the community, that defence expenditure should be cut down, and they were prepared, as far as possible, to cut it >down, and that would be their purpose during the coming vear. It was very likely that some jpf* the items on the estimates would not appear again, or would be reduced substantially. ECONOMY DESHiABLE. Mr. T. M. Wilted (Hutt) agreod that economy in defence expenditure was highly desirable. They believed that the Dominion should not bo called upon to pay increased military bills at the present time, and that reductions were possible. Mr. Wilford urged that the. rifle clubs should be encouraged. The Rifle Association was willing to assist in the training of the .territorials, and the Minnot to moke an apparent reduction in defence expenditure by transferring control of the clubs to a new department outside the Defence Department. The Minister said it was thought that the rifle clubs had bettor manage ibeir own affairs through the Rifle Association. The English Rifle Association was a very strong and well-managed body without any military control. If the New Zealand Association managed its own affairs, the young men in the territorials could join it and learn to shoot as its members. Tt was intended that additional concessions should be given to members of rifle, clubs. Mr. Wilford: "Then yon will say that thp defence estimates are less." Mr. Massey: ' : Tliey will be less." The Minister for Defence said that it was proposed to cut the period of training in tho territorials down from seven years to three rears, and it would not extend beyond the age of 21 or 22 years The cadet training up to the age of 18 year's would be retained.

CADET TRAINING. "It is suggested that at the end of the cadet training we should give tho youths a period in camp, and then draft them to units, giving Ahem their own choice, as far as possible, as to which branch of the se'rvice they will join. It is proposed then to give' them training of so many days each year in camp. There will he no barracks syslem and no training for periods of months. That has never been proposed, and is not under consideration. Now it has been suggested that the period in camp for cadet training should be from a fortnight to six weeks, remitting training as the man proved efficient. I think myself that a fixed period in camp will be better. "The half day and whole day parades have made the training system irritating to employers, and we propose to do away with them entirely in the country. It may be more convenient for members of the territorial forces living in towns to hold half-day parades, and very likely they will have an option. There can be no camps this year, and I think we probably will have to dispense with training camps for the following year, and the year that. It is proposed in these years to train non-commissioned officers and officers in the r camp3. A man can be trained in a short period, say three or four months, but officers and non-commissioned officers cannot be trained in that time. An efficient staff of officers and lion-, commissioned officers is essential for the success of the general training system." The.Minister added that the increase in the estimates was accounted f)»r chiefly by the higher cost of small arms ammunition. The Department was paying, roughly, £IOO,OOO for ammunition that used to be bought for £28,000.

THE DISCUSSION. LABOR MAKES ITS PROTEST. MOTION TO REDUCE VOTE. By Telejraph —l>res» Association. Wellington, Last Night. All the afternoon sitting of Parliament was occupied by the debate on the defence policy, which was continued in the evening. j Mr Htlland complained of the enormous amount of money required for defence purposes in peace time, as compared with war time. No information could be obtained as to the number of officers now employed, nor could they obtain any information regarding what the future policy of the Department was going to be. He urged the Minister to tell the House whether he was prepared to adopt Sir James Allen's plan for sending boys into camp for four months in the year. In order to give the House au opportunity of.protesting against the huge expenditure he moved a reduction of the headquarters' vote of £8979 by £l. The Minister replied (as reported in the foregoing message from our Parliamentary reporter). Messrs Sidey and Hanan also urged a reduction in expenditure. A CIVILIAN HEAD. Mr. Lysnar considered the position of the defence expenditure was entirely satisfactory. They could accept the Minister's OMurance that expenditure would