MILITARY TRAINING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 2 November 1926, Page 8

MILITARY TRAINING.

KAPONGA CENTRE. Warrant Officer Howe returned to Stratford on Saturday morning after ■opening up a training centre at ivaponga. There were well over I(X> present, and/ ad were keen and enthusiastic to perform military service. Major JBremner, M.C., staff officer, and Lieut. Sugden, Adj., of the 2nd M.R., were present, also Lieut. Adam, Ist Tara-uaki-s (states tJie. Stratford Post). Those present, after registering and enrolling, were divided off into Mounted Rifles 25 strong, infantry 60, and cadets 30. The cadets will parade on Monday evenings, the infantry on Friday evenings, and the Mounted Rifles on Tuesday afternoons. Warrant Officer Rowe, in the course of his remarks to those present, made mention of the fact that military training of a compulsory nature was no new thing in New Zealand, that round about 1870, in addition to the .13 Imperial regiments stationed in New Zealand, there were 25,000 New Zealanders mobilised for active service. The agitation for compulsory military service spread like wi'dfire through New Zealand in 1906, and in 1909 Parliament introduced the Defence Act, ‘ making service compukorv. In 1910 Lord Kitchener inspected the. volunteer systems and gave his verdict in favour of the present- scheme, which came into activity in 1911. Another statement of interest was that made; by General Sir lan Hamilton, then Inspector-Gene lal of Overseas Forces, who inspected the New Zealand forces after the 'nception of the scheme. His confidence was strong enough. After seeing the Territorials he remarked : "That if the day ever came to lead forces, 'he- would be only too pleased to have New Zealand forces under his command and' lead them.” That day came, soon after, when the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and New Zealand Infantry were sent to Sir lan Hamilton at Gal'ipoli, and right proud of them he was. Another statement of interest to Taranaki Territorials as a whole was also made by Warrant Officer Rowe —that- the 2nd Mounted Rifles. Ist Taranaki v,Reg.). and No. <B. Regt. District Taranaki Cadets were at the top in New Zealand in their respective classes/ for musketry shooting. Kaponga had something to 'ive up to, not only in shooting, hut in team efficiency.

The Kaponga Territorials were unanimous in their decision that a few more championships would be finding their way hack to Kaponga.