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Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1922, Page 8

Owing to the need for economy th» Government considerably reduced the Defence vote this year, and this has meant that Territorial camps have! been cut out, and with them has dis-l appeared one. of the most important means of attaining efficiensy in the training of the New Zealand youth It is now suggested (states the AuckJand btar) that an effort should be' made to promote the holding of camps i for a week or a fortnight on the basis' of the employers paying the Terrftorials during their absence.and the Government finding the'equipment and making a grant of a lump sum towards other expenses. The idea was placed before Territorial officers in Auckland on Tueday, ana they were strongly in favour of camps. Thep pointed out that m the old volunteer days there was no doubt that the men learned more from a week o ra fortnight's en-' campment than in attending evening parades. The" whole syllabus was gone through, and even shooting was carried j out. Besides the men, the officers got I a great deal better training, and learn-' ed to handle large bodies of troops with; confidence and certainty. From a social I point of view alone" the old volunteer ! camps had many attractions, and to old ' "campaigners" they brought back mem-1 ories of many happy days when each took a pride in his company and endeavoured to make it the best in the battalion. From a training point of view, were the surest means of reaching efficiency.