"MILITARY TRAINING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 140, 16 June 1930, Page 10

"MILITARY TRAINING.

OFFICERS' POINT OF VIEW. SYSTEM IN DANGER OF BEING WRECKED. OBLIGATIONS; TO EMPIRE.' (BJr Telegraph,—Own Correspondent.) j : . BUNEDIN, tills'day. ' I At a meeting of the Otago Officers'.! Club the proposed changes m the defence system in the interest of economy were discussed. Lieufe.-Coh J. G. Jeffery, M.C., explained that the annual grant; to officers clubs had boon cancelled. Such action,, he said, would have ! a disastrous effect on the .activities of! officers' clubs throughout New Zealand.! with the result that these clubs would ] no longer'be-able to fuliil the purpose of their existence by providing means of education for officers, who, ip tho event of future war, would be called upon to train and leal the manhood of the country. jWifchp.ut a Government grant the club would find it difficult, if not impossible, to continue its lease. The value of officers 5 •clubs to the country was unquestionable. The speaker ■■ also touched .upon the precarious position in which territorial units, were situated. . Notification had been received by all unit commanders that all grants for regimental bands, as well as unit capitation grants (2/ per j t territorial and 1/ per senior cadet j 'had i [ been abolished. This, combined with the j proposed drastic reduction in the de- ; 1 fence vote, which included the abolition j j of training camps, would have a most ; . destructive effect and woald probably I'. result in the complete wrecking of thn present system of military training. "H«? j could not believe that loyal citizens ofj j New Zealand would be content to allow .. their Government to destroy the only means the : country possessed of .fulfilling ■■ its obligations to the mother country and the Empire. Mr., J. Morton, of Qhakuqe, .was j ; elected chairman of the ' Wairiuuiuo j*' County Council at' its meeting o& S&turday. ;'.. " ' '-