THE MILITARY SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 176, 26 July 1919, Page 7

THE MILITARY SCHEME.

EDUCATIONAL ATJTHOBITY SPSASS. THE UNIVERSITY STANDPOINT. Following is the pronouncement of the Rev. A. B. Chappell, 11.A., Registrar of the Auckland University College, upon the proposed scheme of territorial traißine that is now so prominently in the public eve. "Personally, while I look for one outcome of the war in the limitation of the possibility of subsequent war, nevertheless I feel that it is entirely premature to dispense with preparations to ensure national safety from hostile attack. Consequently there is still a justification for an expenditure of time, energy, and money on military preparations. I also recognise that a high valne attaches to many military eiercisea from the point of view of physical health and social advantage. However, apart from these things, the proposal to introduce four months' continuous military training seems to mc entirely unwarranted. The need can be better met by a. graduated scheme of training extending , throughout the year, and making merely email periodical demands on the time of th.c trainees. There is no doubt in my mind. that both a personal and a national hardship would fae entailed in the operation o£ the scheme now submitted. Speaking particularly of the educa» tionai aspect of the question, and confining myself to the viewpoint of the University, I am sure that the demand "would make serioua inroads upon the education of the most promising section of our colonial community. To take one-third of the year for the purpose of continuous military training would prejudicially handicap students striving to qualify themselves for better positions in liie and better service to their fellows, students who for the most part, 60 far as thk university district is concerned, are able to give to study only 3uch time as ie left to them after the day's work had been completed. An inquiry made last year concerning the number of students able to give full time to university work revealed that only 75 out of 558 in the Auckland University College were so situated. This proportion may be increased steadily with changing conditions, but ; there wQI be for many year 3to come a preponderance of stu'dente engaged during the day in earning a livelihood or learning a profession. The work of these students cannot be confined to the 30 weeks of the year devoted to lectures and examinations. Time must be taken, from vacation weeks by these students in their reading for degrees and diplomas, and to demand that four months of the year be given to continuous training involves a hardship for them. It is also doubtful wisdom for the nation whose progress depends upon the high efficiency of its university-equipped young people. Consequently, while desirous of assisting , as far as possible all legitimate defensive effort, I am of the opinion that the proposal must be considerably modified in .1 order to obviaxe serioua educational loss."