DEFENCE BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9667, 4 December 1909, Page 3

DEFENCE BILL.

COMPULSORY TRAINING. GOVERNMENT'S MEASURE BE FORE THE HOU3K. The Defence Bill, introduced to the House by the Prime Minister by Governor's Messnge a fan early hour on Frichiy morning, indicates the Government's general proposals f r tl:e internal df fence of New Zealand. Power is given to raise and maintain a Territorial Force, consisting of such number of men as may from time to lime be provide:! by Parliament, hut it is not to be carried or ordered to go out of New Zealand.', If at any time the establishment ot force is below that provided by7Parliament, the Council of UefenceTcan ; transfer from the General Training' Section any number of men required to make up that establishment. The men so tranferred are to be selected either by ballot ur in proscribed manner, and become members Territorials. On a day to be notified by proclamation,] not earlier]than~twentyeight days after the gazetting of the

proclamation, all volunteer corps (including Reserves to such corps) and Reserve Corps then in existence under the Defence [Act, 1903, shall cease to exist. All arms are to be delivered up, and the assets and liabilities of volunteer corps' are to pass to the Crown. At any time within six*months~after the dare so notified any membar of_a volunteer corps or reserve is to be entitled on application to be enrolled irTthc Territorials, same rank as that which he'held volunteers. The training ol tha Territorials is in each year to be as prescribed. At the termination of eachjyear's training' ending the -last day of February each the Territorial classified in;the manner an I by the offi .-er prescribed either as "efficient" or non-effi-cient," aid those who are as ''tion-ecrfiient" shall be liable to special extra training in tha year succeeding that in which they were non-efficient.

Every person under the age of thirty years who has been classified as efficent for three years shall, in the manner, ba drafted into the Reserve, unless, on application, he is permitted to continue inJUiejTerritorial Force, provided that in the case of members transferred to the Territorial Fores from the General Training Section, efficient service in the latter shall be deemed to be efficient service in the Territorials

All the male inhabitants of New Zealand between the ages of seventeen and fitty-five, who have resided in New Zealand for six months, are liable to be traintd and serve in the militia, with the exception of existing exemptions, to which the professors in tne New Zealand University or any affiliated college are added. Exemptions also included those declared medically unfit by a medical practitioner appointed for this purpose.

The militia tray be called out by proclamation and for this purpose Parliament may be summoned if not sitting, the militia when called out is to form part of the defence forces.

All male inhabitants who have resided for six months in New Z...-

land and are jjritish subjects are to be liable to be trained as follow :•

Froitf twelve years to fourteen years cf age or to the date of leaving school, whichever is the lat.r, in the Junior Cadets; and From fourteen years of age or the date of leaving school, as the case may be, ! to eighteen years of age, in the Senior Cadets; and From eighteen years to twenty-one years of age, in the General Training Section; and From twenty-one years to thirty years of age, in the Reserve. The training in the General Training Section, in the case of those who are drafted into it fiom the Senior Cadets, is to begin as from the date of their being so drafted, and in all other cases is to begin on March Ist in the year in which they attain the age of eighteen, or in the case of those who attain the age of eighteen, nineteen, or tweniy in the .year in which the Act commences, shall begin on March Ist in the next succeeding year, and shall in the case of each person (.'ontinue until he is drafted into the reserve. The prescribed training in the General Training Section shall in each year ending the last day of February be fourteen days in training camp, and twelve fialf-days, except in the artillery and engineer branches, in which the training is to be fourteen days in training camp and twenty

half-dayp, or the equivalent of twenty half-days. At the end of each year's training in the General Training Section each person is to be classified eithei as "efficient ' or "non-efficient," and those who are classified as nonI efficient are to be liable to be trained for an additional year for each year in which they were non-effi-cient. Every person who has been : classified as efficient for three years is to be drafted into the reserve, in which the training is to consist of two muster parades in each year. All defence rifle clubs existing at the commencement of the Act are to be affiliated to the active and reserve forces, provided that no person liable to be trained under the previous provisions (otherwise than in the reserve) shall be liable to become or to remain a member of such a club while he is so liable. All persons liable to be trained are, within three months after the commencement of the Act, or in the - month of January in which they become liable, tu apply in writing to be registered provided, that if any such person is on the roll of any school it is to be accepted in lieu of registration. j ■ A fine not exceeding £5 is pro-'i ;vided ioi refusal to take the oath, of allegiance. A similar penalty is | to be imposed in the case of refusal \ to register, accompanied by disqualification as an elector, and non-em-ployment or non-continuation of employment in any branch of the (Icverrment service. .Non-compliance with Senior Cadet provisions renders a person liable to a fine not exceeding £SO. Employers preventing training in the Senior Cadets, General Training Section, or Territorial Force are liable to a fine not exceeding £lO, whether by reducing or deducting or dismissing a peyson from employment. This section is not to be construed to require any person to pay any person in his employ any wages for the time when

lie is absent from work for the purpose of being trained. Penalties are also provided for failure to enrol in the militia when so required and tor failure to account for property issued to mem bers of the defence forces.

Nothing in this Act shall require any person to bear'arms or perform or ur.dergo military service or training if the doctrines of his religion forbid him to do so, but every such person shall be liable to perform as an equivalent to such service and training such civil duties as are prescribed by the Governor-in-Council.

The canteen at any encampment is to be under the control and sole dir ection of the officer in command of the encampment, and no intoxicating liquor is to be sold or supplied at any such canteen to any person under the age of twenty-one years.