Military Training

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28537, 17 March 1958, Page 3

Military Training

Sir, —I am extremely surprised to read of people wanting compulsory military training continued. It is a shocking waste of manpower and money. I am absolutely sure of what I write because I am one of the thousands who have wasted time in one of the three services. During my first annual camp period of three weeks I was completely at a loss how to spend the time, as I couldn’t play “500*’ and the corporals who were supposed to be training me, weren’t interested in anything but “500.” I saw four so-called responsible men play cards 15 days out of 21. In wages alone this cost the Government approximately £lBO. A small example of how our taxes are spent.—Yours, etc., MORE TRUTH. March 11, 1958.

Sir, —I am one of New Zealand’s oldest conscripts, 1909; senior cadets—volunteer Main Body, three and a half years overseas. I find the letters of some supporting conscription as distinctly jejune in arguments. They belong to the puttee and the brass button era. As such they imply that “he” men are only to be turned out by text-book drill, rescued from such decadent influences as milk bars, etc. Rats! Half of them would be medically exempted, anyway. Now why not look to our swimmers, our surfguards, our Rugby and hockey players, our fire brigades, etc., and see the difference. The same is true in modern military art, which demands specialist units in air and sea, extreme elasticity and mobility on land; and a central directing command by radio, radar, and beam all in one.— Yours, etc., COLONEL PRIGG. March 13, 1958.