THE NAVY LEAGUE. PROCEEDINGS OF CONFERENCE. NAVAL RESERVISTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 64, 13 September 1911, Page 4

THE NAVY LEAGUE. PROCEEDINGS OF CONFERENCE. NAVAL RESERVISTS.

Th« first, New Zealand Conference of the various branches of tho Navy League in the Dominion sat througn yesterday in, the Town Hall. The foLlowing i« a report of ill© proceedings after The Post went to pt»se vMterday afternoon :— Mr. W. J. Napier moved— "That this conference is of opinion that those of the Territorial ftweee of New J&aland who Bo desire should be trained as Naval Reservists, and receive training on. th 4 warship* on this station, and that section 26 oi the pefenea , Act, 1908, he amended accordingly." 1 On thin question the voting w«seqtiftl. Five for and five against. The foflowing resolution was adopted m a ftt>mpromise !^-"In order to give «fteet to the resolution already jjaseed, rnibton Jft of the Defence Act, 1909, be amended aceofdmgly." A guta-committee we« eetsUp" to draft a echeine for the consideration of the conference on - the quwstioii of publishing & supplement to "The Navy," and a hope waa exprefised that the editor of the School Journal might see his way to iiwue the supplement through that publication. 11l regard to a proposal that the London office ho requested to establish a kinematograph film exchange for tho benefit of branches, the conference decided to approach pietuJfe fthoW "proprietors in tho Dominion, with n. view to their holding special Navy t,eagu« lights. The conference resolved that one reI pfesentative wreath or emblem should I lie procured by the whole of the New Zealand branches tor the Nelson column, on Trafalgar Day. The Rev. Mr. Chambers (Canterbury) urged that the school syllabus should be modified in the direction of providing for the further teaching ol naval history. After discufifiion, it was reeolv- j ed :— "That, in the opinion of this conference, there should be incorporated in the School Journal some further infoi" hiation regarding naval history." NAVAL .CONTRIBUTIONS. Mr. W. J. Napier moved :— "That the contribution of New Zealand to th« cost of the maintenance of the Imperial Navy should be based upon the relation which the population a>nd trade of New Zealand bear to the population and trade of the United Kingdom." The mover considered that New Zeft. land's annual subscription was mean and unworthy. The Chairman reminded members that New Zealand's defencfe cost during the present year on land and «ea including; interest on the Dreadnought, a sum of about £600,000 for a population of only one million. The conference passed the fliotien, ift thft following , amended form :— "That tlie question of th» adequacy Of New Zealand's contribution to the British Navy be,, referred to the branches and discussed by nest conference. It was resolved, on the- motion of Mr. J. "Allen :*- "That it is advisable to register atobers lining in New Zealand who. Are serving or have served m the mercantile marine, and who would be willing to eerve the Navy in case o f need. PARLIAMENTARY CAMPAIGN. It was further resolved, on the motion of Mr. Norton Francis :— "That, in the opinion of this conference, in ordef to bring the Work of the Navy League more prominently before the public m New Zealand, it is desirable that questions on the objects of the league be brought before all candidates for Parliament at the forthcoming elections, and that a committee, consisting of Messrs: Francis, Ar*oer, and Chambe™, be set up to draft such questions, which cadi branch of the league m New Zealand will bring forward at Candidates , political meetings.