The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1920. TRAINING PLATOONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1920. TRAINING PLATOONS.

The scheme evolved by the Defence Department for the training of senior cadets and territorials so as to provide a supply of efficient officers and non-commis-sioned officers for the future citizen defence force of the Dominion, appears to be framed on satisfactory lines. The model platoon at Sling Camp has been adopted as the type most suitable for the purpose, and, theoretically, this should certainly prove a success in New Zealand, besides being economical. There is, of course, all the difference between theory and practice.. Atay scheme of thjs nature is dependent on the material employed in its development, so that the selection of instructors, as well as the trainees, will make or mar the system it is proposed tb adopt. If the officers appointed to carry out the training are of the right stamp of experts for this particular purpose, and possess the desirable temperament, enthusiasm, and skill, they will be able to create a body of officers and noncoms. that will be a credit to the Dominion, and ensure the efficiency of the defence force, besides making it attractive. The essence of the scheme should, therefore, be merit and suitability.. This becomes evident when the details of the proposal are considered. Special training platoons are to be formed at secondary schools, and at group and area headquarters, to consist of selected volunteers from the senior cadet units who have had at least two years' efficient service and passed the required test for entrance into the platoons, besides which they must be prepared to attend the special platoon parades as well as the cadet parades. This should give a direct stimulus to senior cadets to enter zealously into their training, as membership of a platoon unit is to be regarded as a great honor and privilege, also the wearing of a special badge. If the organisation of these training platoons is arranged on businesslike lines, the staff of instructors need not be large, as the periods of instruction could be so arranged that the instructors could tra-j vel round and be actively engag-i ed throughout, the year. By this means it would be possible to obtain the services of the very best instructors and yet restrict the expenditure to reasonable dimensions. There should be no place in this scheme for any but thoroughly qualified and up-to-date instructors. Unless this is absolutely carried out, there will be a great risk of the scheme proving a failure. The opportunity presents itself for making a new departure consonant with the spirit which is the mainspring of the scheme, and if the Government is in earnest over placing the future defence force of the Dominion on a strictly democratic basis, it will be necessary to reorganise the Defence Department in such a way as to ensure that basis being real and not theoretical.

THE PRICE OP BUTTER. ; The Butter Prices Inquiry Committee has brought down its report recommeml- ! iiig .that the re (.ail price of butter be I fixed at 2s 3d per 1H cash mid 2s ad booked, a sufficient quantity being re-; cuisitioned for the Dominion's require-! menta at 2s Od, equal to the Imperial j Government's offer. This will mean aj payment from the Consolidated Fund of j no less a sum .than £(500,000. The i Prime Minister has promised to give; effect to this recommendation, but plainly stated that the subsidy would not be carried on indefinitely. The decision j will be Jegarded as sa/tisfactory by the producers, who will thereby obtain the market price for their produce. It was suggested by certain sections that prices should bo kept down to the old level, and an equalisation fund set up again under which producers supplying the local market would be assured of the same prices as those exporting. It was suggested as an alternative that an export tax be imposed, thus keeping down the price in the Dominion. Both would have been highly dangerous and unfair courses, and it is satisfactory to know that the committee had nothing to say in their favor. Whilst the public will get their butter at 3d per lb under market price, the same public will actually have to find the difference in the long run. The subsidy, like that on wheat, comes out of taxation, and though the great bulk .of the people do not pay taxes direc/Iy t'(ey do so indirectly, for high taxation is synonymous With high cost of living. Britain subsidised bread to the extent of a great many millions, 'but found from experience that .the subsidy did not iessen the cost of living in any way, but rather increased it. The subsidy policy ie economically unsound, though as an expedient it has many attractions to the politician who is harassed by a vociferous public, who are feeling the pinclv, jynd, naturally enough, perhaps, protesting against further increases. It may be pointed out, however, that the 2s 6d the farmer will, receive is, after all, no better than the Is* (id he obtained a few yeavs ago, for the purchasing power of his money Ims also gone down, though, to listen to some people, it might be assumed that the dairyman is at present the greatest profiteer in the country. As a matter of fact he is the hardest worked and poorest paid of any