DOMINION'S GROWTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 14

DOMINION'S GROWTH.

VIEWS.

SETTLEMENT ON THE! LAMD.

TRAINING OF TERRITORIALS. NUCLEUS OF WAR FORCE* ' [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN COEEBB:PONO3Sjrr.] WELLINGTON, Frldtiy. Reference to soma of the riiiitters that had come under hiis observation while in New Zealand was made to-day by the Governor-General, Sir Clliarles FertciMson. who was the chief guesii. and speaker at the New Zealand Club luncheon. His Excellency said ho wanted to make it perfectly clear that hi? was not speaking with a wish to trespass on controversial matters, or to comment on or to criticise what must be thei policy ol 1 the Government, or to dictate his opinions to the people of New li'ealand. Vifhat he did say were simply reflections on matters of general interest. One. thing that had struck Mm daring his .trips through the country, stud Sir Charles, was the master of the development of the land. He supposed that everybody must be struck witlh the onormous field of opportunity for young people to go on the land, H>nd of dev<slopinjr the land of New Zealamd to a great extent. He knew at the pre!ientr--and it wuu quite understandable, ancl no doubt pcrtectiy sound—that outsiders were not encouraged to come to the country. He was tliinking not so much of the present moment as the general policy in th<» years to como. Placing Boys on Faririsu Sir Charles said he was delighted, as others must be also, to see that thfi Government had really taken the subject in hand and was doing wibat it could to train and persuade New Zealand boys to turn their attention to the land, ancll away from the town. After referring further to this branch of his subject, His Excellency said there was still ample , room' for .young people to come from Home and be settledio© the land here. He hoped, as sioon jib this great problem of unemployment was settled, that the policy of encouraging young people suitable to the land! could be cpnltiffliUed. He referred to the work of Flock House, the Salvation Army., the Church of .England scheme and the scheme of thii .Public Schoolboys' Association, aind said in relation to the latter that it had been estimated that of between 81)1) to 1000 boys, 70 per cent, were classified At. The number of failures was v«ry small. Territorials aad War.

One other matter which Bir Charlib referred to, and which he characterised as being verv delicate, was that relating to soldiering. He said • that on& hejuxl a. great deal about the question of defence and disarmament. Whether it was necessary to havo a defence iiorce or itot, or what form that should take, was no matter of his. It was a matter of policy on which it was not his. province to express an opinion. One read in the newspapers, said His Excellency, criticisms about t.bio amount of training that territorials did. He joined issue with the statement; that territorial training was of no use. Before the war he used to say the same thing, but ha had not been at the war more than fix months before he had to swallow his ivprdsi. The, amount of training was quite sufficient as a . nucleus for a force', thai;. collet be made efficient' for war :iia 'a' very short., time. Whether or not a Jorce was .wanted at all was another matter.: In conclusion Sir Charles made reference to the cadet system, the value of which, from a physical point of vitiw, he emphasised.