JUNIOR CADETS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10592, 22 October 1910, Page 1

JUNIOR CADETS.

THE ADMLXISTR YTIOX ASSAILED

MOTION TO REDUCE COMMANDANT'S SALARY. EXTRA MANOEUVRES- THIS YEAR. _" -' J"'\ J X By Telegraph. ', -(Fiom Our Own Correspondent.) . "'-'i - Wellington, October 21. During the consideration of the Estimates'" to-night, on the vote of £7103 toi the pmioi cadets, Mr C A. C rluid\ mined that the item of -£450, Co mm and .int of p.ulets should be leducod by £23, as an indication of dissatisfaction at the conduct of th" Dopaitmput Theie was, he said, a dancer of limning to extiemes in connection with the woik of the cadets Throughout the vhole counti\ thcio was an outci> against the piacticc of Itakfng the bo\s -away fiom then homes and turning them into tents, whcie thc-\ ficquentlv contiacted very serious illnesses." He was of opinion that "tin's -cadet business" was a very grave business. It was not to the Commandant that he was directing his criticism, but "the whole system. Mr .T. P. Luke .said that the amount .estimated was not too much to pay tor the work to lie done. Mr C. H. Poole 'said, that ho could not -support the amendment, because ■the training of the cadets was of prime importance. Mr A. L. lierdman said that if the junior cadet force was under the Minister of Education, the officer m comniand would not be responsible to the new Commandant. This would bo highly unsatisfactory. ' Mr F. M. B. Fisher said that the statement made by Mr Hcrdman would lead to endless confusion. Two branches of the defence system were being established under separate Ministers. He intended to move 'that both branches should bo amalgamated. Mr E. H. Tavlor said that the placing of the cadets under the Dolenec Department would bo repugnant to parents, and would be impossible, because all the cadet officers must remain under the Education Department. Mr G. M. Thomson said that lie would support the reduction because, while it was inadvisable to amalgamate the two forceSj the existence of ,two bodies of officers would lead to chaos. The cadets' review in Duncdin had been a, most painful displav and a perfect fiasco, because the officer commanding the military had had no hand in the, .review. Sir Joseph Ward said the trouble in Dunedin was due to the fact that the Commandant of the Cadets, had nothing to do with the arrangements. He was absolutely opposed to the proposal to put junior cadets under the Defence Department. It would be a very grave error indeed. Pie had refused to put it into the Defence Act, and. would' continue to do so. Mr Hardy had been quite wrong in his statements regarding the camp. For one thing, no cadet camps had been held since the present Commandant was appointed. In addition to which, it was not intended to hold any m the future. The work of the Department was being carried out well, and the Commandant "-was going on very successfully. " He had, for one thing, effected a saving of £3967, while the number of cadets had almost doubled'. _' - ,«._' .