NOT ENOUGH DRILL-HALLS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1208, 17 August 1911, Page 7

NOT ENOUGH DRILL-HALLS.

DEFINITE PROPOSALS PENDING. "The existing drill-halls are totally inadequate, both in number and, as a rule, in size, for the increased numbers of men and boys who will be trained under the new scheme. It is indispensable that there should be drill-halls, for use in winter and in bad weather, at all centres which ure the headquarters of a troop of mounted rifles, a section of infantrv, a company of senior cadets, or any larger formation. These buildings should be put. in hand at once, and .should be the absolute, property of, the Defence Department'. The present'system, by winch many of the drill-halls are in the hands of trustees and aro used for purposes other than drill is unsatisfactory and is a great hindrance to efficient training. I will shortly submit definite proposals for the erection of a simple and inexpensive type of drill-hall at those places where they aro required; also for the acquisition by the Department of thoje now in existence which are of saifiicient size and which are held on unsatisfactory terms There liavo been sot apart 23,800 acres in the \Vaimarino district in the North Island, and. 8811 acres in tho Waimakarm district in the South Island as training arras. If. is not intended' to innld permanent liufnwnt.s or camps on these areas; they will lx> reserved for manoeuvre purposes in the future The principle of the. Citizen Armv that the men shall do their training terriloriallv and (he practical elimination for tho present of the (ieneral Training Section makes tho establishment, of permanent standing camps unnecessary."—.Extract Irom General Oodley's report to Parliament.