DEFENCE PROPOSALS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20279, 23 August 1937, Page 8

DEFENCE PROPOSALS

LITTLE CHANGE IN PAY. TWO UNIFORMS PROPOSED. EFFICIENCY BONUS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Monday. The Hon. F. Jones, Minister of Defence, questioned about the new defence scheme, said there would be no alteration in the rates of pay except in the case of the -six days’ instructional course, when the men would be paid ordinary camp rates. An efficiency bonus would be given to encourage a high -standard of work. Badges would also be awarded on the results of examinations. The Government considered that two uniforms would be necessary for certain units where the work made for untidiness. An extra uniform was needed for ceremonial occasions. Style and colour were not yet decided. He said motor-cycle platoons were proving very popular. Motor transport would be a feature at the camps supplemented by commercial vehicles. Mr Jones announced that after lengthy negotiation a complete agreement had been made of a fairly uniform set of conditions for workmen engaged on the Naval Repair Base at Devonport. COMPULSION ESSENTIAL. BUSINESS MAN’S OPINION. (By Telegraph.—pres* Association.) DUNEDIN, Monday. Commenting on the defence proposals, a business man who from the ranks won a high command during the war, said no voluntary system could be successful from the viewpoint of economy and efficiency. Properly balanced units could not be built when the trainees could gravitate to the ami they most favoured. Even in pre-war days when there were fewer counter-attractions It was found necessary to establish the compulsory system and even apart from the military aspect the expenses of the compulsory system were justified by a stiffening In the morale and physique of youth, in which obvious deterioration was evident to-dav through no fault of the youths themselves. It was a- strange complex that the Government was prepared to impose compulsion in so many matters yet evade bringing into effect what was obviously the only satisfactory system in a country without a standing army and having a sparse population.