THE DEFENCE FORCES

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 5, 30 September 1922, Page 4

THE DEFENCE FORCES

COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR REDUCTION DISCIPLINE AND TRAINING Tho Defences expenditure had been reduced to tho danger point, said Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) in the House last night. The country paid for a big machine, ho said, but did not pay enough to enable that machine to function. There were so many Territorials and Cadets—on paper ; but the country could not reckon their number as the number of trained soldiers. available. The standard of training and discipline was lower than it had ever been. The only bright spot was to bo found in the efficiency and discipline of the .Cadets' at some of the secondary schools.. It was most necessary that everything about defence on land and sea and in the. air should be clear and definite at a time such as the present. What did the. Government intend to provide in the way of sea and air defences in particular? An infantry force could be improvised, but naval and aerial forces could not. Mr. W. S. Glenn (Rangihkei) deeply regretted that the naval defence, vote was smaller this year than it had been last year. He approved the statements of the . previous speaker. He was sorry to witness the discharge of valuable "officers from tho Defence forces. Men who had spent all their lives as soldiers could scarcely be expected to bo capable of turning their hand to a new kind of work. He appealed to the Government to help these men. . . The Deader of the Opposition (Mr. Wilford) asked for the Government’s air policy. He condemned the Government 'for having dismissed good soldiers from the forces without making some provision for them. Mr. Clutha Mackenzie (Auckland East) agreed with Mr. Mitchell’s view of the Defence force. The Minister'of Defence (Sir Heaton Rhodes’) said that the yob'ev of V’’’ Department had not climmed.. Hie Department was hamne’-cd by jack of funds. When the House saw fit to vote sufficient money the work could ho .expanded; but in the meantime Parliament had imposed a rule of economy. Ho did not admit that the training and discipline ware unsatisfactory. Tho Department was coming to an understanding with the flying companies for the training of pilots. Ib was hoped that trained men now in tho country would bo kept efficient by refresher courses. He regretted that good men had had to be discharged f~om the, service of tho Department, but his Department had merely had to follow the Sanio course as the others.