MILITIA SCHEME.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8935, 28 September 1907, Page 3

MILITIA SCHEME.

■ 4,110 Houso yesterday afternoon lb Premier referred to tho statement that tlio militia w to bo > a lled out. .Ho stated that the jonuci 1 of Defence on September I'ith rccoinraonclocl that tho necessary -Jops bo taken to carry ont the lections of tho Act relating to tho tfilitia, and it was referred to the .fillister of Defonco. The Acting Roister (Mr McNab) was not . re seut at tho mooting and had no inport unity of conferring with him gjr Joseph) upon this matter. • It T ., s neither authorised by tho Tctiug Minister of Defence nor by •ini«elf. Under tho clauses of the jefonco Act of 1000 referred to there ras no power whatever given to call tl |(; the Militia, and ho would like to .y that tbegGovcrnmont hud no ia,atiou of doing anything of the jnd, nor had it been suggested by j lo Defence Council. Ho bad no op,‘ortuuity of discussing this point cith Colonel Robin, but he thought ( wrong impression had been conned, and liero lie might say.that as fatter of future procedure, whilst ip aid .not reflect in tho slightest ijirrrec upon Colonel Robin’s judging because that officer’s integrity bcvoml question, such things 'lOuW only bo given out by the Govinjmeut, as misunderstandings were W c lv to arise, Jparticularly in tin's, we “ whore tho Minister of Defence IT I ’no knowledge of the matter so ir ns it had gone. What it was inIjklcil to do was an entirely different Mu"’ to wliat had been assumed, judev tho Act as it stood certain retirements in connection with lilitia matters wore provided for, tt d tho Defence Council ought to Ibtain without any expense being jenrrod through its own officers a lominal roll ox those taking part in bo Militia. Ho hoped ho had made i clear that tho Government was 'pi lost- conscription. Tho GovernieiiVwr.3 not in favour of calling afc tlio Militia, nor was the Defence lonneil in favour of it.