MILITARY FORCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1922, Page 5

MILITARY FORCES.

NEW ZEALAND'S STRENGTH. LABOR OPPOSES THE VOTE. MINISTER EXPLAINS ECONOMY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The evote in the Estimates providing £467,043 for military forces and cadets provoked a debate in the House to-day. Mr. T. K. jSidey (Dunedin South) made an appeal for consideraton for cadets whose term at Duntroon College had been suddenly cut short, declaring it was in the nature of a breach of faith on the part of the Government that these young men should have been treated in such a manner. Mr. Holland said the House was being asked to vote £205,000 more for defence this year than was done last year, and he moved a reduction of the vote by £200,000 as an indication that the House does not desire increased naval and military expenditure. He contended the people throughout the country would welcome such a reduction.

Tlie Minister pointed out that last year’s expenditure on defence was £509,947 out of £600,198 voted. This year the Government provided £467,043, which the finance committee had insisted should be reduced by £lOO,OOO. He regretted the step taken in regard to the Duntroon cadets, but in the absence of a chance of being given staff appointments it wMs better to let the boys go into other professions while they were young enough to do so. The Defence Department staff in all branches was reduced by 809 since las year. The total received for the sale of military stores was £267,000, and the value of stores and equipment in hand at present was about £1,500,000. Training camps for territorials could not yet be re-established, but his personal opinion was that the sooner this was done the better for the young men of the country. If the amendment was carried the country would be left with a very inadequate" if not a practically useless defence system. New Zealand spent very much less than any other country of the Empire on its defence. The proposal to cut the vote down to £150,000 would result in putting the country in a position that would simply invite a raider to step ashore and take possession. It was proposed to cut out training in country districts where there were only a few trainees. Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) complained of waste of hutment material at the camps, which /might be sold with advantage to farmers for buildings. •Mr. T. Seddon (Westland) criticised the manner in tfhich the reduction of the defence staff had been carried out, saying fit men had been discharged while unfits were retained.

Mr. V. H. Potter (Roskill) said if the Liberal Party had supported the old volunteer system better there would have been no need for the present territorial scheme, the expense of which had produced the difficulties of to-day. It was, however, essential that a skeleton defence force should be maintained in readiness for any emergency. The Minister said that under the reduced vote proposed to be allowed an amended scheme of training would be carried out, providing for the skeleton force advocated by Mr. Potter. Fit officers had been "dispensed with, but the question of fitness was not the only factor in the decision in their case. The Minister added that the material from buildings dismantled at Featherston wius intended to be used at the headquarters of the Northern Command at Ngaruawahia. Mr. Holland said that the practical effect of the carrying of his amendment would be to leave the vote equal to last year’s expenditure. It was too much‘to ask for the large increase provided for in the estimates.

On a division Mr. Holland’s amendment was defeated by 40 votes to 12. i Mr. R. W. Smith (Waimarino) moved

a reduction of £1 to indicate the committee’s disapproval of the absence of business methods ip the department, which was primarily responsible for the ■present position. This was defeated by 37 votes to 23 and the item was passed. The rest of the defence class was passed without opposition.