NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 4

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

THE CONFERENCE CONCLUDED,

TRAINING THE RIFLEMEN.

Tlio conference of delegates from the various branches of the N.Z. National Defence League was concluded yesterday; Captain (J. P. Murdoch (Auckland) was voted to the chair.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Tlio office-hearers for the past year were » !) c " e V !ct ™ tts .follows President, Mr. W ,11. Leyland; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. C. alaclcy and John Fawcus; lion, secretaries, Messrs. AY. 11. Leyland and It. M. Hacket hon. treasurer, Mr. E. Horton; executive, Messrs. AV B. Leyland, J. C. Mackav, John !! awcus, W. H. Leyland, R. M. Hacket,' E. Horton, Wooller, and Captain C. P. Murdoch ; General Council, Revs.' Canon Mac-' murray, Archdeacon Caldor, AV. GrayDixon, J,, A. 1 Luxford, AV. Beatty; Captains Allan Bell and 11. C. Allen: Messrs. J. J • O'Brien, AV. D. AVhite, A. Hosking, AA r ! Coleman, F. Gover, J. AV. Tibbs, R. R Ma ,l J ' . J ; Ba S llall > E. AV. G.Rathbono, and AV. F. Mason. It was resolved that the next conference be held at Wellington, at such time as shall be decided by the executive; the dato will, it is understood,. bo about.Easter.. . ' ENCOURAGING THE RIFLEMAN' The following remit from" the AVainni branch was tabled by Mr.; Findlay" That with a view to making rifle-shooting a national object,' this ; confcrence -urges the •2 ven ? n ! ont to issllc " fles to -members of riflo clubs oil the same terms as to Voluntcijrs." -Speaking to the motion, tho mover said that if they were v.'illing to train themselves in rifle-shooting, ho thougfit that the Government ought, to lend the guns. The .terms offered to Defence Rifle Clubs at present wero absurd. • Tho Government sold the: rifles at £3 155., and v.'hcn a man had' shown, ail averago of .three- hits out "of , seven shots at 500 yards ho received a free gift of 120 rounds; in other words,- when a man had taught - himself-'-to'- shoot, the Government,, with magnificent generosity, gave him'l2o rounds a, year. .. Before tho National League .canto' into existence': the amount of .free ammunition to riflemen was 100 rounds, but the Defence Minister had sincc recognised the importance of the matter by making an increase of 20 rounds. Mr. Boddington said there was a considerable number of,men,who were at present debarred from joining defence rifle clubs .because the regulations respecting membership insisted, on .Volunteer service... They had, ' in Macterton', - encountered the difficulty that members ~ show :A r oluntcer service. , . Liout.-Colonel. Goring said that it was no use having rifle clubs unless they were part and parcel-- of. one controlling : organisation.; He- referred to the question .of conscription;, They, had - nothing. to do. with conscription, but what tliey did want was somo definite scheme of universal military training. ,; Captain M thought that-.the', Question required careful consideration. , With regard to the point which ,bad: been raised by a previous .speaker .with-.regard ,to the restrictions - imposed oii those,, wishing .-to; form rifle, clubs, he would pointout/there was a reason for certain regulations which had'heoii,laitl;down. Ho would-, say, how-, ever, that new regulations.,would shortly, be framed-with regard to this question. If the League desired to get a strong membership from- all parts of the communitv it. mustconsider tho ..matter, from-the Volunteers', point of viow. " . . The motion, ion'being put, was lost on tho voices. : THE RIFLE IN SCHOOLS.' Mr. Wooller. iilovcd: the following remit from the General Executive: — " That riflo shooting should' ba included- in-the, syllabus•of tho' l manual 'training classes, of-.the, public schools."- Ho said that' the_ 'best !way. in ■ which"'te''achieve Hh&'gbneral'iilevclopment ..of a citizen' army .was to- begin , with' tho school-, boy.'-'''Ho«rofef'rcd.oto(ttlioiioKdellohtuT.'ork - of' tlio school cadet-corps, but-''in"'iriany.'cases,' ho contended, these'oorps • suffered from sori-; bus' disadvantages. -• Their . riflei ■ ranges-: were frequently' so far .removed..fromi'their -schools ■■ 'that\practico •in .the use • of:, the ,riflo ; .;was: iV regular; and unsatisfactory: A boy took'to' th'-r rifle as ; a duck to tho water. ; Manual; .and' tecjuiical- instruction was .'based 1 !oti "theprinciplos- 'or. hand and eye' training. . 'Wood work was-not -iii schools in order to produce carpenters—it Vas taught as a convenient medium for training "tie 1 hand,and th'o eye.- Swiihmihg-arid life-saving, was an-' 'other subject in. the manual instruction .syllabus. Here the-preservation,of the. individual was aimed', at;- .With' tho rifle,' the preservation' 'of '.'the; community,- was /tho object' in view; ' Captain M'Naught had very much pleasure in secondingVthe motion. He-had frequently" had opportunities of observing the' methods adopted; by/teachera' in . instructing hoys - in tho'uso of the rifle; . In a great many cases', there was ho ; instruction;given'-- at.all.. The. boy.was simply -handed.his.rifle and ammunition, and'told to-lie down on. the range and firo." ,- ■' i Liout.'-Colonel : Goring suggested that, instead';of having two l or three different 1 systems' of drill' in, the schools,- there should be' ouo' uniform system. ' ■'. y ' ... .- , ■ 'Mr; Hosking, speaking;as a pointed out'that thero was already- a uniform system of . drill in schools—and it . was -'the most up-to-date- system in vogue. ~ ■ Mr. Escott disapproved'of any further-ad-dition t-o an already overloaded educational syllabus'. There were already teachers who objected, to/having- to teach military-drill. Mr. . Kinsey supported ,; this contention, and suggested that thero .be added to the motion a rccohlmendation to tho effect that the Government be asked to provide instructors in military drill.-' . ' ; '. Mr. Wooller, replying, said, that the cadet' movement was purely voluntary, so far.as tho shooting was concerned., He agreed to the suggestion of, tlio previous speaker that a r'ecpriiniendation referring t'o'tho appointment of competent military instructors stand as part of his motion.,' Liout.-Colqnel Goring was emphatically of opinion, that they wore making a inifctako in going into details'or .tlie internal economy of such matters. It, was quite apart from tho aim ofithe League,-which' was to educate tho community on the question of universal military training. Tho motion was then put and carried.' . Mr. Wooller then moved that, a deputation, .consisting of all delegates who'could convoniently 'attend, wait upon tlio Proinier and place the. matter before, him. This was carried. , ■ . It was; agreed to resume at 2 p.m. for the purpose of 'arranging for an interview with the Premier. : ' , ', Votes of thanks to tlio Wellington branch of the League for their hospitablo welcome, to tho AVelliiigton Press for. the manner in which the proceedings had been reported and commented upon, and- to Messrs. AV. H. Turnbull and Co. for tho u'so of tlio firm's rooms were passed. The Conference then concluded. ' y ! . . ' ; It was found impossible to arrange for an interview with tlio Premier in the afternoon.