DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1920, Page 5

DEFENCE.

FUTURE TRAINING SCHEME. 10 COST £600,000 YEARLY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Following is tlie Defence Committee's report brought down in the House this afternoon:— Your committee has the honor to report that it has considered the proposed scheme of the organisation and training of the New Zealand military forces, prepared by the General Officer Commanding (Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor). 'flic cost of the seTieme when fully established will be close on £600,000 per annum, and while the present high cost of all commodities continues it cannot be much reduced without loss of efficiency. This estimate provides for harbor defence, which is a naval as well as a military requirement, and for the physical training of those unfit for service in the Territorial force, which is a "national efficiency" and not a, "defence" requirement. It does not, however, provide for the cost of aviation. For the next two years it is estimated that the cost will !>e under £500,000. SYSTEM OF TRAINING. The*system of organisation and training as finally agreed upon, with the concurrence of the G.0.C., is as follows: Liability for training as senior cadets from fourteen years of age, or the date of leaving the primary school if later, to eighteen years "of age as. at present.

General or recruit training from eighteen to nineteen years of age. Cadets classified as (A) will do two weeks' training for the arm of the service to which they are posted. Those classified ae (B) and (C) will train until they reach the (A) standard, and then do two weeks' training for the arm of the service to which they are posted, the maximum period being six weeks. Those classified (D) will do a physical training course of six weeks' duration, unless certified by a medical board as unlit to benefit by such a course.

The required number of recruits will be selected and posted to the Territorial force. Those who are fittest and live nea.Test the drill centrcli are to be selected, but every consideration will be given to a man's trade and his personal wishes when deciding to which branch of the service he is to be posted.

It is estimated that about 4000 will be required each year, and that this number will be found from among those classed as (A), or who pass into that class within two weeks, so that the remainder will train for a period, which will largely balance the (subsequent training of those posted to the Territorial force. It will be much cheaper to complete their training in one year than to call them up for a short period in each of the three following years. Youths who follow a seafaring life should he trained with the naval reserve when established. In the Territorial forces an annual training camp for officers and noncommissioned officers will lie held for thirteen days, and for the men for eleven days. In the cities or centres where efficiency can be secured, eight hnlf-day parades, twelw drills, and the prescribed course of musketry to be substituted for the first four days in camp. The whole keynote of success lies in providing efficient officers and noncommissioned officers. SCALE OF PAY. A proportion of the rank and file should he encouraged to extend their service beyond the age of 21 If at any time the Government wish for more thorough training, and are prepared to pay the increased cost, the first increase should be to the training of officers, the next to the period of recruit training, and lastly to the period of territorial training and to the peace establishment of territorial units.

So long as the service is universal the scale of pay is not so important, since service may be looked upon as a duty paid to the State by everyone; but whore only a portion are required to serve or to undertake an extra liability their pay should he on a fair scale. It is therefore recommended that the pay of those undergoing "recruit" or "general" training be at the rate of 2s an hour per day, hut that those posted to the territorial force should be paid on a sliding scale at slightly higher than the present one, which is 4s per day for privates, and giving a fair increase for each higher rank. Pay is to be given for each day in camp, or for each day or half day on which a man is called away from his employment. It is recommended that New Zealand bn divided into three instead of four districts or commands, namely, Auckland (or Northern), Wellington' (or Central), and South Island (or Southern). At the present time the population of these districts is in the proportion of 10. IS, and 22, but in each of the North Island districts the population is increasing more,rapidly than in the South Island, while each of the North Island districts contains one of the two most important ports, and each is more liable tp aljack than the South Island. ORGANISATION. Territorials in each district, are to he organised an follows: Mounted rillcs, two regiments; artillery, a held artillery depot providing one section of mountain battery (two guns), one section ammunition column, and one field artillery brigade; a coast defence depot providing fixed batteries, heavy batteriea, and anti-aircraft; a field engineer depot providing one Held troop, one held company; a signal engineer depot providing one signal troops, one signal company; infantry providing foirr battalions; a medical depot providing one cavalry field ambulance, one field ambulance, one sanitary section; a veterinary depot providing two mobile veterinary sections; an A.S.C. depot providing one section T. and S company for mounted ride brigade, one-third divisional train. All units to have the same war establishment as' similar units of the British army, but the peace cadres are to be full establishment of officers, non-commissioned oflicers, artificers, and specialists, but only fifty per cent, of other ranks. Mounted rifles and infantry will be trained in machine-guns, and the artillery in trench mortars. Rifle clubs cannot be considered as a second line, to the territorial force on mobilisation. They do not possess the organisation to fit' in with any fighting force, while all their members are ofmilitary age and will be territorial force reservists, and would be liable to he called to the territorial force on mobilisation. Rifle clubs are an encouragement I of rifle shooting, which should be encouraged as much as the need for economy Will allow. Assiit»lta# givon ihcnild I

lie mainly in the form of cheap ammunition, but any assistance given should apply equally to members of rifle clubs and territorial,; who wish for further practice in addition to their compulsory musketry course.