NEW DEFENCE SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14589, 27 January 1911, Page 6

NEW DEFENCE SCHEME.

GOOD WORK ALREADY DONE.

HELP FROM VOLUNTEERS.

[Ny TKI.V.GAI'II. —-OWN' correspondent.]

Stratford, Thursday. | A brief allusion to defence matters was I made by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph ! Ward) in the course of his speech here to-night. " The reorganisation of the defence system of the country, in accordance with the Defence Act," he said, has now been carried out.' The new commandant of the forces and his staff are busily engaged giving effect in a practical way to what is necessary under the Act. What is essentially aimed at is efficiency, with the requisite practical knowledge and skill to enable an efficient system throughout the Dominion to be put to the best possible uses, and I have every reason to hope that under the able commandant, who is now at the head of I the defence forces of the Dominion, the reorganisation will proceed energetically. A great deal of useful work has already been done, and the necessary organisation is proceeding rapidly. The commandant and his staff have already finished in the Auckland and Wellington districts, and they have now gone South to complete the work in Canterbury and Otago." " General Godley," continued Sir Joseph, " has spoken to me with enthusiasm of the help that he has received from | old volunteers and territorials, as | well as from citizens and civilians of all j classes, and I would like to take this opi portunity of paying a tribute to the valu- [ able work done by old volunteers, who | are now passing out of existence. I did i so, indeed, from my place in Parliament, ' but next session I propose to ask the j House to frame a resolution placing on rei cord an acknowledgement of the services I that have been rendered by men of all | classes throughout the Dominion. _ Tho j volunteers have done good work in the | past, and I realise, with the officers of | the Defence Department, how much the j success of the universal training system j is due to the volunteer organisation on j which it is based."