DEFENCE FORCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 229, 27 September 1930, Page 15

DEFENCE FORCE.

UNCERTAINTY OF FUTURE. RETRENCHED OFFICERS. MINISTER QUESTIONED. (Br Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The Minister of Defence, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, was bombarded with questions regarding the future of the Defence Force and the fate of retrenched officers when the defence vote came under review in the House to-day. He was limited in time, as the adjournment was close, and little information was elicited. '"How many officers are being retired on superannuation ?" asked Mr. J. A. Nash (Reform, Palmerston North). He was also anxious to know more about the reported arrangement regarding openings for officers in the English service, and said he understood one officer had left for England. Mr. W. Nash (Labour, Hutt): What will the officers do now you have abolished compulsory training? The Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, asked the Minister to state what military training would be undertaken, and under what authority he could work. Many people were concerned about the indefiniteness of the Government's action and policy, and the Minister should relieve public concern. He wished to know whether the Minister considered he had enough power under the regulations to cany out a different form of military training from that prescribed by Statute? The training for the coming year, replied Mr. Cobbe, would be carried out with 600 officers and non-commissioned officers, and 2000 men, while school cadet training would continue as usuaL As for retrenched officers and the Home Government's openings, he was not in a position to answer questions, as the matter was still under negotiation. He could not say how many officers were retiring on superannuation. Mr. J. A. Nash: Can you tell approximately? Would there be a hundred?. The Minister: I do not know. Mr. W. J. Jordan (Labour, Manukau) said that 50 officers and'men of the 21st Battery were prepared to continue their training voluntarily, but the officers stated that they had no power to do so. The pendulum had swung away from compulsion, and he wondered if the present situation was not part of a move by the Junkers of the country to prevent any voluntary system being operated. No further comment came' from the Minister, as the House adjourned without completing consideratica of the Defence estimates.