“ Comic Opera" Navy

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7007, 17 November 1932, Page 7

“ Comic Opera" Navy

Is New .Zealand's Expenditure Justified ?

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night

The naval defence vote in tho Estimates provoked an exchange in Parlia ment to-night on tho subject of disarmament, Rev. C. Carr pointing out that tho Estimate was £490,809 compared with £394,045 last year, and he asiceu whether this was iu accordance with tho declaration on tho subject oi disarmament. He moved that tho vote be reduced to an amount equal to that of last year. He regretted that public opinion was not yet educated to the extent that it was possible to wipe out the naval defence vote altogether. Mr. Coates said Mr, Carr's motion was utterly unjust and. ho hoped it would bo withdrawn. When it was realised that tho British taxpayer had to contribute something approximating 30s per head for naval defence while tho New Zealand taxpayer contributed only seven or eight shillings it would bo seen that this Dominion was doing little enough towards tho protection of its trade routes. No nation had done more than Britain to carry out the declaration that it was necessary to reduce expenditure on naval defence. Continuing, Mr. Coates pointed out that the increase in tho vote this year was purely for the purpose of maintaining existing vessels. He felt sure that there were many mombers of the Labour party who wished to carry out the undertaking with Britain in rcspoct to tho maintenance of naval equipment. Hon. J. G. Cobbe declared that there had been a progressive reduction in New Zealand’s naval vote sinco 1929. He explained that there was an increase of only £6OOO this year compared with last year’s vote whereas credits in aid totalling £51,000 had been deducted from last year’s estimate, while only £17,000 had been made available this year. The sale of a large quantity ot oil to Australia last year had enabled credits in aid to reach the sum o± £51,000.

Mr. W. A. Vcitch said if Mr. Carr’s wish that tho vote be wiped out altogether were carried into effect we wo'uld reach a position where it would be possible for half a dozeu Chinamen m a canoe to sail up Wellington Harbour and take possession of tho city. He had no doubt they would be met at the wharf by the member for Timaru with a typewriter. Tho member for Timaru would then call upon some of his friends to pass a resolution -whereupon the enemy would retire and the country would again be safe. Mr. J. Hargest drew attention to the expenditure of £32,000 on tho Philomel. He considered this vessel must be obsolete and he suggested that she might well be scrapped and tho recruits could receive their training on the Dunedin and Diomede.

Mr. H. J. Armstrong asked why it was not possible for New Zealand to reduce expenditure on naval defence. The Mother Country had substantially reduced her naval expenditure and so had every other Dominion. Furthermore, the National Expenditure Commission had recommended the reduction. Mr. Hargast had pointed out that money was being spent on an obsolete ship. Why should the money be spent on something which would not be a means of defence at all? He favoured au increased subsidy to tho British Navy in preference to tho “comic opera stuff we are engaging in.”

Mr. Carr said he had not advocated the total elimination of the naval vote under present conditions. He had regretted that world conditions woro not such as to enable this course to be adopted. He would bo prepared to withdraw his motion if he had the Minister’s assurance that tho votes were being progressively reduced. The Leader of the Opposition said he felt sure all the members of the House would welcome tho timo when ffuuu conditions would render it possible to regard the army and wavy as things of the past. Ho criticised the expenditure on cruisers when it must be recognised that tho only effective means of defence rested with aeroplanes. Mr. Carr did not press his motion which was lost on the voices.

Replying to Mr. H. M. Rushworth, Mr. Cobbe said tho navy did not specialise in aerial training but it had the help of one Fairey ’piano at Auckland which was associated with the warships in manoeuvres and it was intended to purchase a second Fairey machine.

The Leader of tho Opposition asked the Minister whether his attention had been drawn to a recent speech by a naval officer on political subjects. He said he did not desire to take away any right a naval officer might have in this respect but he desired to know whether naval ratings had the same right. Mr. Cobbe said he had not read the speech to which Mr. Holland referred. Ho had never heard of naval ratings being mixed up in political gatnermgs and he did not think they were 'greatly interested.

Mr. Holland: “But have they the same rights as officers*” Mr. Cobbe: “The general rule of the services is to avoid politics.”

Replying to a question asked during the consideration of the Defence Department Estimate, Mr. Cobbe said negotiations regarding the small arms contract were proceeding and he hoped

to bo able to make an announcement shortly. Replacement of Sloops TWO NEW VESSELS AUCKLAND, Last Night. Information has been received in Auckland that the naval stoops Veronica and Laburnum, which have been about 12 years on the New Zealand Station, arc to be replaced by vessels of similar design now being built in England. Tho new vessels will be on burners and faster.

The Veronica will be replaced m 1934 and tho Laburnum in 1935. The replacement is said to be a pait of the naval programme which aims at removing all wartime sloops from commission by 193 G. Criticism of “Arabia” Sloops TWO STATIONED IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS. United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph —Copyright. LONDON, Nov. 15. Mr Hector Bywater, the naval authority, writing in the Daily Telegraph, urges the scrapping of the Arabia class of sloops, built in wartime, of which the Veronica and Laburnum are in New Zealand. Retention of this class involves the risk of valuable lives as the sinking of tho Valerian in 1926, with the loss of 85 lives, proved. But for the dearth of modern cruisers, th( sloops class would undoubtedly have long since been scrapped.