THE TERRITORIAL SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1023, 12 January 1911, Page 6

THE TERRITORIAL SCHEME.

VIEWS OF A CANTERBURY ■ OFI'ICER. ' ,

(By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.! 'Christchurch, January 11. The recent memorandum dealing with the new defence schema, was the subjcct of some interesting comment made: by. Lieutenant-Colonel:, Cooper to a,."Press'' representative. ' : Ho' stated that it was a •pity' the'.volunteer system ■ had/toi, "be superseded by tho Territorial scheme, as everything would have gone smoothly if 'volunteering had received .'more ' assistance from.the Government, and there had been fewer pin-pricks/ One hcneficial. point about , the new . system, was that the men who were indifferent about the defence of their country,'and'those to hang about street - corners, would be compelled' to play : their' part in tho'Territorial, system, and this .would .result in ,aUhigher .standard of-, manhepd' being "attained' throughout the Dominion. . Asfar as Canterbury was concerned, the schemo-seemed to be, working admirably 7 'for: they'had practically 1 their full complement, ' wjth the exception, of ' one mounted regiment,' wliich tliero should tb-.no difficulty in' organising,' as the mounted branch of the, service was, one of - the most live in the province,.' being well officered and woll equipped.- The ,one point' that, was ..perhaps not satisfactory was the. garrison artillery, division, oiiiy orie.corps beitig'stipulated; for under the new; Scheme,, The carrying out/gf this proposal would/mean that the services of many efficient men- who had undergone years of training would be displaced by the area officers and non-commissioned officers' as provided by the , scheme; There wou]d bp .no exouse for any corps not maintaining a high state • of efficiency; and there' would: probably be' a- 1 large amount, of healthy:"rivalry between l the different' corps.-,', It, was to bo hoped ' that' the' Comnrandaiit .'of' the.' Instructional Camp' would exorcise ,/ver.y- strict supervision over the 'candidates' for. positions :as' area officers arid instructors; and that riityone manifesting in. any way ail inadaptability for'a'-'military career, or .who was .morally' or physically a weakling, should bo eliminated immediately, for on tho officers in authority (Trended ■the'success or failure of .the new scheme.