COMPULSORY TRAINING

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 October 1939, Page 7

COMPULSORY TRAINING

FOR AUSTRALIAN MILITIA. [by cable —PRESS ASSN. —COPYEIGHT.] MELBOURNE, October 20. The Australian Wai- Cabinet, decided to-day to reintroduce compulsory military training. Single men on attaining the age of 21 years during the year ending June 30, 1940, are to be called up for three months’ continuous camp training. This is in order to keep the militia strength of 75,000 men. In making this announcement Mr Menzies, Prime Minister, emphasised that there was no intention to send the militia soldiers abroad. He said that recruits were required to fill vacancies caused by militiamen volunteering for service at home or abroad in the second Australian Expeditionary Force. Under the compulsory plan, now adopted, he added, a new draft of men will be available each year to fill such vacancies. The Cabinet has also decided to increase the allowances for the married militiamen to 3/- per day for wife, and 1/- for each child. The previous rates were 2/6 for the wife and 9d per child. The new rates will mean that a married man with two children will receive approximately the basic wage while in camp.