THE DEFENCE REGULATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15692, 26 February 1913, Page 6

THE DEFENCE REGULATIONS

FREE PLACE AND SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS. A WARM PROTEST. (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, February 25. A memorandum issued by tho Education Department imposing fretsn conditions m regard to free place tenure and making this conform to tho defence regulations was considered by the Education Board to-day. The niomorj;idiuu, which was signed by the Assistant luspector-gene-ral of Schools (Dr Anderson), read lows;— '

As amojjs the large number of boys who obtain free placcs and scholarships granted from tho funds of tho fltato thero are probably some to be lound .who decline ol fail to oarry put the obligations imposed upon them under j.s Defence Act, I have, by direction of the Minister of Education, to intimate that, in the opinion of the department, tho conduct of a free pupil should not bo held lo be satisfactory if the re quiremente of the defence regulations are not observed, and to request ■ accordingly that in future, in the periodical reports upon the holders of free places and scholarships, this matter will receive the necessary consideration among the conditions of the tenure to bo fulfilled.

Mr A. W,. Hogg said 'lie desired to enter a protest against coercion of this description. Tho authorities had been imposing punishment after punishment upon the young people of this country who appeared to have violated tho defence regulations He knew that throughout tho district where he came from there was a growing feeling that these defence regulations were going to be a most infernal nuisance. Settlers to whom he had talked lately had complained bitterly. Two years ago the defence vote was £205,000 i this year it had grown to £480,000. In addition there was £200,000 due for the Drst'd nought and £102,000 for the naval subsidy This year we had only 200,000 wage-earners in New Zealand, and it meant a tax of £3 or £i on every adult earner. Money had been thrown away in a most extravagant manner. There was also a school of 17 New Zealand officers receiving instruction in the Old Country costing £8000 a year, each officer getting from £300 lo £750 per. annum. He looked upon the whole position- as being very serious. They had arrived at a period when they would have not merely compulsory military training, but conficrjiraon—a thing to wrucii peoplo were entirely opposed. He noticcd that no less than 80 men had been summoned at Oamaru for not carrying out their defence duties, whilst there was a sort of strike amongst tho young miners of Greymouth against tho defence regulations. Now they found that young men woro not only being fined and imprisoned, with loss of franchise, but their education system was being interfered with. It simply meant that those who wanted superior education were to be debarred unless they believed in the defence regulations. In a short timo New Zealand would be rendered too hot to live in.

The department's letter was received and referred to the Finance Committee for-re-port at next meeting.