NAVY AND ARMY ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 10

NAVY AND ARMY ESTIMATES.

SEVERE ECONOMY. £301,000 LESS'MILITARY EXPENDITURE. • The Navy and Army Estimates for 1908-9 wcro issued oil February 24. Tlioy are alike in showing'(says tho "Standard") tho spirit of drastic economy with which the Government havo approached tho important fluestions of national defence. '■ ' .. The chief points in the Naval Estimates are as follows: — , Total sum required ... £32,319,500 Last year ... 31,419,500 Net increase ... ... ■ £900,000 Number of men ... ... 125,000 Last year ... 128,000 No difference. NEW CONSTRUCTION. 1 • ' ; Total ... .... ... ... £7,545,202 Last year ... ... ... 8,100,000 ■ V ■' • * Not decrease ... ... •. 554,798 . There is thus a saving on now construction of half a million. SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMME. The shipbuilding programmo for 1908-9 is as follows:— 1 Battleship (improved Dreadnought class). 1 Largo armoured cruiser. • ... G Fast protected cruisers. 16 Torpedo-boat destroyers. ' A 'number of submarino boats, estimated :. to cost £500,000 in all. . ■ The; Estimates, as above summarised, show a net increase for the current year of only £900,000, in spite of tho fact that there, are automatic increases-as follows:— :' Improvement in pay , ... £150,000 ~" Pension ... ... ' ..... ,70,000 Cooling magazines ... 300,000 Cunard subsidy ... ... ; 150,000 Price of coal' ... ... 284,000 , Annuity -Loan' Acts . ... : 1,2(54,000 ■'" £2,218,000 In order to meet these automatic increases and !■ n6w requiremonts so far:' as possible, large savings have been mado in the'following • votes: Royal -Navy - Reserve, Contract (repairs, etc.) ; Armaments, and Works, Although new ships are -progressively coming into commission,-there is no increaso in" tho personnel. .. ■ <' ' / A' sura' of only £35)000, part' of which is revoted, is to bo expended upon the new naval baso at Rosyth. ' ■ . The intended abolition of the coastguard is to be postponed, so far as tho current year, is concerned. - An increased provision- for repairs—only. £700,000 —is to ba' voted; and £700,000 is required for-stores. It is stated' that,,;."owing ; to tho large. redundancy' of stores created by the reforms in dockyard administration and ,by tho redistribution of the! Fleet," the Admiralty has been able to: reduce by about a million a -year] the cash provision for stores during tlio last threo years.' The process by which a' saving of this nature was effected is, hot' explained; but, "of these-.'surplus stores' about 'half a million's' worth still remains, and. will. be : exhausted during the coming, year.", : ' : COLONIAL. CONTRIBUTIONS. Tlie Colonial contributions to . tho Navy will 'be as undor-during 1908-9:— " ; India'' / ;.. ... £103,400 • /'Australia;, ... ... ... £200,000 . '/' New.'Zealand. ... ...\ :£40,000 ' .' Capo Colony' / ...;, • £50,000 .'.// Natal. . . .... /;, ... ' £35,000 ■'/■ Newfoundland // ... . £3,000 ' : : THE ARMY. ■'-. ,'SOOO MEN TO 13E ,STRUCK OFF. -, ■ Tho Army Estimates for 190S-9 show- a ' decrease- of . 5000'. .'Regulars ion tno.: establishment and £301,000. in • comparison with /the current Estimates. The chief points ate as follows:r- . . -,' -■ ' Estimates; 1908-9 '• V Estimates' 1907-8 .->O. £57,700,000 • Net saving in: various'votes v,"/ 1 £940,000. ! - Net increase in various votes , £048,000 . : " • , Decrease, £30!,000./ ' /,. i • Grand. total establishment -799,610 1 'Last' .Estimates . / ;.„ ' 893,141 V . Decrease, 93,531. ; ' . Homo and ■ Colonial Establish- , : ment' ! .Cßegulars) . ... .185,000' . Estimates,,- ... ... • ;... ~190,000 ' '- ' ' . - . Decrease, 5000.' j ;/;;,, Indian-Establishment ... ... 76,155 . Last Estimates ...- ... 75,967 , Increase, 188. -'! ; : Territorial. Force, Establish- ... . . '' ,'meiit : ... 314,063 Volunteers and Yeomanry last' ./•Estimates,' /:! ... 364,391 ■ Decrease, 50,328. . . . Special- Reserve -Establishment - , :• (Old Militia) . ... ; ;:v: 80,850. Militia, last Estimates.... 130,737-.,'; • . Dccrcasc, 49,887. ' . ,/' : . Mr. .Haldane. has -saved nearly a . million on various, votes, but incurs -extra' charges' for,,the new Territorial scheme, ; which-;re-duces the amount; The reduction, by 5000 men is qualified ,by-a'provision'to retain 1700 6n the Estimates as supernumeraries until they can be duly\absorbodi. This, of course, does not affect the- actual number to bo' reduced. • '■ '; . , ,-, It is proposed'to increase the -Army Re-' serve from 129,000 : to 142,1300; by sending, more men from-tlio Colours. The Militia- reduction has ' already been dealt with, but the new Territorial Force is to have an, establishment 60,000 fewer. than is now tho case with the Volunteers and Yeomaiiry, who are to form t-hat : force;!' Tho total reductions, in . the establishment of the British Army,, including all its! auxiliary branches,' amounts to no foweir than 1)3,531, which, of course, does not mean /actuah men; but mai:imuin recruiting numbers allowed. The figures in themselves are; a big reduction. On. January 1, 1907,' tho total Army was 753,077 in actual, moh; it "is now 739,045, a loss of. fourteen thousand. . ; . - , ■ • THE EXISTING : ■ The following is the effective! strength of tho British Army by the last retiiriis, mainly, dated January 1, 1908: — .Regular Forces, Homo and Colonial , 161,302 Colonial and native liidian corps... 9,251 Army Reserve ... ... ... ... 128,984 Militia ...' ' - - ...• ... , 90,138 Militia Ro,servo .Division ■ ... 2,321 Militia, Channel Islands ... , ... 2,921 Militia, Malta and Bermuda, " arid . Bermuda Volunteers ... , ... ' 2,349 Imperial Yeomanry,... 2-5,812 Volunteers. . ... ... ...' ... 239^876 Total Homo and Colonial Establishments ~.. ' ... • ... 662,954 Regular forces on Indian Establishment ... .... ... ... 76 091 Total .... ... ... ' ...,.739,045 ■ The total of tho Army Estimates for tho new financial-year'is £27,459,000, and compares with the totals for tho three years as follows:— -° .1905-00 ..j- . £29,813,000' ' 1906-07 ... ... ... 29,796,000 1907-08 .... ... , ... ,27,760,000 ■ 1908-09 ... ... . ... 27,459,000 showing a progressive reduction on tho'votes of £2,354,000. There has thiis been a reduction in votes and loans for military expenditure, since 1905-1906, of close upon 4} millions a year.