MILITARY TRAINING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 166, 15 July 1910, Page 7

MILITARY TRAINING.

OBJECTIONS TO THE BILL. j WIDER SCOPE WANTED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. A meeting of the Wellington supporters of universal military u-tiuain-j waa held this evening Colonel Hume oeing Lv the caair. Tne new Deiencc ihll was considered, and the following resolutions were earned unanimously: — 1. "That whereas ii. was only alter years of strenuous and seif-cfenyuig efforts on the part oi the pioneers 01 the movement ior universal military training that provision therelor was adopted by Parliament last year, and whereas tne prospects of national benefits in the way oi discipline and development of character to be expected from such training have not .been in any way diminished since the passing of the Defence Act of last year, this committee earnestly protests against tlio want of definite provision in the new Defence Bill for maintaining the universal training of young men between the ages of 18 and 21, which was provided by section 41 of the Defence Act, ISO 9, aoid respectfully suggests that the application of so important a principle as that oi compulsory training should be definitely fixed by the Legislature, and not left to the discretion of the Executive." 2. "That whereas, in paragraph 45 Lord Kitchener recommended the definite rates of pay therein set out, this committee views with great regret the statement of the Prime Minister in his speech at Winton on May 5 last, to the effect that the Government proposed to make 'some slight alterations with respect to the suggested rate of pay of the higher officers, and that the Government considered that the amount of remuneration suggested (i.e. by Lord Kitchener) was somewhat in excess of what a small country like New Zealand should be expected to give, aud further that this committee' feels satisfied that the country would gladly pay several times over the small amount that could be saved iv this way, rather than attempt to alter so vital a part of Lord Kitchener's scheme." 3. ''That with reference to the proposal to train a quota only of the young men between the ages of 21 and 30 in tiie general training sections iv the reserve, this committee is satisfied that no system of selection by ballot or otherwise will be satisfactory which does not proIvide for some equivalent service by those young men not comprised in the quotas." Great dissatisfaction was expressed with the new Court of Appeal proposed in the bill, the opinion being that all that was required could be attained by the adoption of the procedure in the territorial forces at Home. A sub-committee was set up to draft amendments to the bill, and report to a later meeting.