TRAINING PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23863, 14 January 1941, Page 6

TRAINING PROBLEM

FARM WORKERS' POSITION [by telegraph press association] "WEI,LINGTON, Monday Difficulties in the way of arranging for men engaged in farming to undergo their three months' territorial training in winter are referred to by the Minister of Defence, the Hon, F. Jones, in his reply to a resolution forwarded to him by the Dominion executive of the Farmers' Union. Winter camps, says the Minister, are scarcely practicable, in that the weather would interfere with training, and to get the same results as the men obtain under the present arrangements a much longer period would be required. Nomination by trainees of the period most suitable for them to undertake their training definitely would not be wo rkable. The position would arise of trainees nominating different times of training, with consequent lack of co-ordination of training. The success of a training scheme must largely depend on the maintenance of some form of military discipline and control, which would obviously be lost were men allowed to please themselves as to when and how they attended camps. The Minister also points out that farmers' representations have been met as far as possible.