PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 August 1931, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

DOMINION DEFENCE POLICY. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, August 5. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The Reprint of Statutes Bill was put through the remaining stages and passed. Moving the second reading of the Defence Amendment Bill, Mr Cobbe said it provided for drafting members of the Territorial Force into the reserve. on attaining the age of thirtyfive instead of twenty-five as at present. It was considered that this extension of age would, by the inclusion of a number of older men, have the effect of stiffening up the various units. Provision was also made for drafting a Territorial into the reserve at any time on his having completed three years’ efficient service, although ho might not have attained thirty-five years of age. The Minister pointed out that a Territorial might require for business reasons to retire from active participation in training, after he had served for a time, and the provision gave the necessary authority to enable this to be done. The Bill also provided for the extension of the age for training in the reserve from thirty to forty. Referring to the Government’s defence policy generally, Mr Cobbe said it was. intended to spend annual amounts of £200.000 6n land defence, and £40,000 on aviation, and these sums would provide a force which would be creditable to the Dominion. The number, of recruits attested to July 10 were: Mounted Rifles 367, Artillery 757, Engineers 149, Signallers 117, Infantry 1091, Army Service Corps 143, Medical Corps 127, and up to date fifty per cent of the number required to complete the establishment had attested. The Bill was read a second time. Moving the second reading of the National Provident Fund Amendment Bill, Mr Donald explained the provisions, on the lines of his pievious statement. He said that the Bill would place contributors io the fund on the same basis as civil servants, this provision having been made necessary as the result of salary cuts. The Bill was read a second time. Mr Langstone, moving the, second reading of the Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill, said it aimed at conferring on the directors of the Bank appointed by the Government, the same powers as those enjoyed by the directors representing the shareholders It also provided that directors appointed by the Government should not be connected with other banking, commercial, insurance, or other finan. cial concerns. Mr Forbes said it would be difficult to obtain men with the necessary qualifications for appointment, who were not connected with institutions of the kind to which Mr Langstone had referred. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment of the house at 5.30.