CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7449, 25 May 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

UNIVERSAL TRAINING SYSTEM. Tho '‘‘personal touch"’ policy being pursued by tho local military authorities with a view to bringing about a right understanding of the newly-adont-od compulsory training system is serving a useful purpose, sa} T s the t "Otago Daily Times/’ Bat there are still some points with regard to which the public is under a misapprehension. Captain Hickey, D. 5.0., Assistant-Adjutant-General, has been engaged for some days past in* getting into personal toiicli with the principals of firms employing labour, in order to make tho conditions of service clearly understood. Amongst a large number interviewed he has not mot one employer who expressed disapproval of the principle of compulsory military training. A misapprehension that was common, however, was the belief that all vouths between the ages o* 14- and 21 will be required to go into camp annually for a period of training. It should be understood that boys from 14 to 18 years of age (known as Senior Cadets) are not required to go into camp. Major-General Godley has expressed his approval of tho local staff s plan of asking the employers to send in to the Defence Office lists of all those in their employment who are liable for service. The purpose of securing such lists is to enable the staff to distribute (he employees of one establishment into different branches of the service, so as to avoid the possibility of a large number of fellow-employees getting into one, branch of the service, and thus requiring to go into camp together. Such a contingency would, of course, spell chaos in the case of some employers. At the same time, as the infantry is bv far the largest section of the Defence Forces, it is inevitable that, however careful tho distribution, there will be cases in which several members of one firm may have to be absent from their occupation at due time in order to attend the infantry camp.

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. "I do not wish to convert my address into a political speech, but I feel that I am forced to touch upon some matters bordering somewhat closely thereto' remarked Mr T. Ballinger, Chief CohnniEsioner of tho Wellington Industrial Exhibition, at yesterday’s opening ceremony. “We ha've,” ho continued, one of the finest countries in the world, and one'most richly endowed with mineral ’ wealth. We cannot,* however, claim to be anything like 'self-supporting.* Importations play by far too great a part with us. Personally (and there are doubtless many holding similar views) I have a very strong leaning towards manufacturing. It is gratifying to a manufacturer to be* able' to employ skilled labour, and to assist in the development of the country. Legislation surely should tend in.the direction of assisting manufacturers and thus provide opportunity for such employment. There is something wrong with a young country like ours when a falling away in our industrial life is shown. Last year the increase in the number of iac- . tories was only 262, whereas for the preceding nine years the average increase of factories was 622. Owing to representations made, the Government has appointed Mr Cameron to visit all the principal cities and towns in the Dominion to inquire into the conditions of the iron trade, which is reported to be in a languishing condition.” THE KILTS. Major-General Godley, Commandant of the Forces, speaking at Invercargill on Saturday night, referring to the kilts question, said he was very chary about embarking on this matter, but the point was that they could not, from a military point of view, have ono company in a battalion dresod differently from all He others. He would like to see a kilty battalion in Invercargill. He was not a Highlander, and he was not going to say he was sorry for that, because, be was proud to be an Irishman, though ho had an enomous regard for Highlanders and Highland regiments. Still, it would not bo the thing to have seven companies dressed one way and another quite differently. He had mentioned the question because be wanted bo speak on tho whole matter of full dress. He was afraid it was quite impossible to think of. having full dress at present, for it was a question of money. They must first of all get the force provided with working dress, in their khaki dress, and bring them to a proper state of efficiency; then" it would be time to consider the question o fsupplying full dress uniform. It would take them all their time bo got tho force clothed in khaki by next year, but all the contracts had to bo fufliled in this country, and the manufacturers were working as hard as Uiey could.