THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21198, 2 December 1930, Page 10

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

REDUCTION OF PERSONNEL. WIDESPREAD RETRENCHMENT ANTICIPATED. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 1. It is anticipated that a statement will be made within the next few days by the Minister of Defence (Mr J. G. Cobbe) upon the Government’s intentions concerning widespread retrenchment in the defence forces. Interviewed to-day, the Minister said he was not prepared to deny or confirm a report in the Dominion to the effect that it was proposed to reduce the personnel of the forces to almost half their present strength. He said that the whole question was being finalised,- and he added that he would review the position within the near future.

In spite of official reticence upon the point at the moment it is known definitely that ‘ a large number within the forces will be affected by the retrenchment proposals. Every possible avenue of bringing about economy has been exploited ns far Ihe territorial force is concerned, and the decision to postpone the camps for the skeleton force of volunteers has resulted in the complete, although possibly only temporary, annihilation of this branch of the Defence Department’s activities. Numerous staff officers, have already been informed by the department that their services are to be dispensed with, and it is unlikely that retrenchment will stop there. A close investigation toto the stalling of the forces has been, carried out since the appointment of the new Under-secretary of Defence, and it is understood that the revision has almost been completed. It is also expected that the Minister’s statement will embrace the question of the Defence Force policy and the lines upon which activities will be carried out for the re mainder of the year. Opportunity is being taken of the clause in the Finance Act of this year to force certain members of the staff to retire, even although their term of service has not been completed. The clause was framed with the object of bringing about the compulsory retirement of members of the permanent staff, the permanent force, or the clerical staff of the Defence Department who would normally have five years’ service to run. According to its provisions a member of the department may be compulsorily retired, but he will receive a pension of an amount which would have been payable had he completed his term of service.