MILITARY ECONOMIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21296, 24 September 1932, Page 13

MILITARY ECONOMIES

DEPRECIATION IN EQUIPMENT URGENT NEED FOR REPAIRS AIR FORCE HANDICAPPED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Friday The depreciation of military armaments and equipment generally 011 account of the severe economies enforced during the past yeeir is emphasised in the annual report of General W.'>L. H. Sinclair Burgess, officer commanding the New Zealand Military Forces, which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. "The demands of economy during the year," states the report, "have prevented attention being given to necessary repairs and replacements, and, unless action is taken soon, the department may be faced with cumulative heavy expenditure to place material again in serviceable condition."

The lack of technical accessories has militated against the training of the permanent and territorial Air Force, and against the utilisation of the Air Force in valuable public services, such as survey. Commercial aviation during the past year has been at a standstill. Nevertheless, there was an appreciable increase in the number of pilots who qualified for licences, and a steady improvement in the condition of existing aerodromes. This progress is almost entirely duo to the efforts of existing aero clubs, to which subsidies for A licence pilots were paid to the amount of £1795. A steady increase is recorded in the numbers of the territorial force, and the general expresses himself as well pleased with the response in the first year tovoluntary enlistment, in spite of the difficult economic and industrial conditions. Almost every unit in the Dominion carried out more than the minimum training prescribed, and the results were most satisfactory. The spirit was good and the work was carried out with great keenness, although the time in camp was still insufficient. The departmental vote for 1931-32 was reduced to a net amount of £215,000, but by the exercise of the strictest economy, the net expenditure for the year amounted to only £182,974. NEW MAORI MEMBER SWEARING-IN CEREMONY SPONSORED BY LABOUR WHIPS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday Although elected as a Ratana candidate, Mi-. E. T. Tirikatene, the new member 'for Southern Maori, evidently has leanings toward the Labour Party. When sworn in to-day he was sponsored by Mr. E. J. Howard and Mr. D. G. Sullivan, Labour Party Whips.

COALITION CAUCUS LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT YEAR OF OFFICE COMPLETED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL IIEPO P.TER] "WELLINGTON. Friday Continued loyalty to the Coalition Government was expressed in a resolution passed at the caucus of the Coalition members at Parliament Buildings to-day.

The text of the resolution was as follows; —"On the first anniversary of the formation of the Coalition Government, this caucus of members expresses its entire satisfaction that the course adopted was in the national interest and records its continued loyalty to the Government." In a subsequent statement, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said that the work of the session had been discussed. An explanation of the agreements made at Ottawa was given by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, leader of the Dominion delegation, and the caucus expressed its satisfaction at the manner in which Mr. Coates had represented New Zealand. Mr. Forbes said the whole caucus proceedings were harmoniously conducted. SALE OF TOBACCO PETITION FROM RETAILERS TRADING DISABILITIES , [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER] "WELLINGTON, Friday The removal of tobaccos, cigarettes and cigars from the operations of the Commercial Trusts Act is sought in several petitions presented to Parliament to-day ' oil behalf of tobacconists in various parts of the Dominion. ' The petitioners refer to "the deplorable ' state of our trade, in view of the grievous disabilities we are suffering in view of the inclusion of tobacco in the Act. r is held that the wording of the legisla- ' tion shows that such inclusion was 1 foreign to the purposes of the Act. J MENTAL HOSPITALS r

MORE PATIENTS ADMITTED CONCERN AT HIGHER NUMBERS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL I!EV< >RTEII] WELLINGTON, Friday A progressive increase in the numbers of patients in the Dominion's mental hospitals is noted in the annual report of the Director-General of Mental Hospitals, which was presented in the House of Representatives to-day. "It is impossible to view with equanimity the steadily-mounting number of patients in our hospitals and their increasing ratio to the general population, states the report. The figures show that the average annual increase has grown from 79 in the five-yearly period 1876-80 to 239 in the period 1926-30. In the period 1891 to 1931 the ratio of registered patients and boarders in mental hospitals to the general population has increased from 1 to 341 to 1 to 209. -In view of the increasing shortage of accommodation and the relatively expensive kind of care and treatment pro vided." continues the report, the question arises whether the best and most economical use is being made of our mental hospitals. In December last there were 500 people of 70 years and more n mental hospitals, of whom at least,3so did not require the kind of care provided. The total number of P ati enj£ creased from 1849 in 1891 to 6922 > and the report draws attention to the shortage of accommodation and to the need of maintaining a steady programme of building. , » . 1 Further figures are given of the pio portions of first admissions to the geneial population, showing that during the last 20 vears "there has ■ been a definite although irregularly in the incidence of mental disorder in New Zealand*