FEDERAL DEFENCE SCHEME.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9550, 24 July 1909, Page 4

FEDERAL DEFENCE SCHEME.

The defence scheme of the Federal Government will probably be laid befor Parliament at an early date. The military policy of the Government is understood to combine a compulsory cadet scheme, with the establishment on a proper footing of the paid militia. In pursuance of this policy proposals will be made to place the military forces of the Commonwealth upon a full strength peace footing with provisions which will render the arrangements for mobilisation of tne war strength cotnething mora than the dream which they are at present. The increased cost of maintaining the forces at full peace strength, under the organisation provided in the Defence Act of 1904, will we about £40,000. The Estimates for 1908-09 provided £625,946 for expenditure on military forces, cadet rifle club", and associations, and about £580,000 of this amount represented the cost of maintaining the existing strength of the forces, which was then 14,800 field forces and 9,300 garrison troops, a total of 24,100. Adding the increase of £40.000 entailed by bringing the forces up to the foil peace strength of 25,J00, the total annual cost is shown at £620,000. The full peace strength of 25,600 will include 16,000 field forces and 9,600 garrison troops, and these will form the basis of war establishment of 32,000 field forces and 16,000 garrison troops, making a total of 4,000 officers 2nd j men. No account has been taken in the figures quoted for the cost of equipment, which will probably be spread over a number of years. The cost of a compulsory cadet system, as an extension of the present voluntary arrangement, must also be added to the yearly expenditure, and the whole of the data in this connection are hardly complete as yet.