“CUT” IN DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1922, Page 5

“CUT” IN DEFENCE.

BIG REDUCTION OF STAFF, TRAINING THE AGE REDUCED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 29. The Minister of Defence, speaking of the reductions in his department, said that the taak was difficult because » large number of excellent officers had epent the beat part of their lives in the service and were handicapped in taking up a new career. In many of these cases they had been given the option of stepping down and taking positions a little inferior to those they occupied. Much consideration had been given to each individual case. Notwithstanding the reductions, very fine work was being done by those left. The Minister said it was difficult to decide how to treat the territorials consistent with efficiency and carrying out the law. It was with great reluctance that he had to consider the abolition o; camps. Personally, he believed they were a wonderful aid to efficiency, and it was very difficult, especially in case of a mounted corps, to do without tbeSL. Units might give the trainees the option of consolidating the official drills in * seven days’ camp for which no pay would be given. Every effort on the part of trainees to hold such camps would be encouraged by the department. The sweeping reduction which had been made in the department had resulted entirely from the necessity for drastic economies in the public service, added the Minister, and not because of the desirability of reducing the staff owing to the end of the war. If the result of experience showed that enlargement of the personnel and the reinstalment of the conditions abolished at present was necessary to the efficiency of the service there would not be a great deal of difficulty in the near future in seriously considering the poai-S tion when the financial condition® improved. .' The reductionfl in the officers and other ranks of the Defence Department total over 1000. The civil staff has been reduced from 620 in 1919 to 95.. The training age for territorials wHJ be further reduced from 22 to 21, and there will be only three annual quotas under training. Last year the age was reduced from 25 to 22. The camps will be abolished and home training only conducted, consisting of twenty’ drills and twelve half-day parades. Rifle clubs will be encouraged by cheap rifles at £1 each and ammunition at one-quarter cost. It is stated that some 70 on the permanent staff of the department have received notice. REDUCTION OF TRAINING PERIOD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Tuesday. (From Our Own Correspondents One of the economies that ie being adopted by the Defence Department ia the reduction of the ten itorial training period from four years to three yearn. Youths will enter the territorials at 19 years of age as at present, but they will be drafted to the reserve at 21 instead of at 22. Thie will make a »übetantial reduction in the Bill for territorial training, since there will be three annual drafts in training instead of four.