VOLUNTARY TRAINING SCHEME

Southland Times, Issue 23342, 28 October 1937, Page 6

VOLUNTARY TRAINING SCHEME

ATTRACTIVE CONDITIONS ADVOCATED (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 27. Suggestions for an improvement of both the defences and the defence forces of New Zealand were made by Mr J A. Roy (Nat., Clutha) during the second reading debate on the Army Board Bill in the House of Representatives today. “I admit that New Zealand would be a very difficult country to defend,” Mr Roy said, “but we as part of the British Empire would be failing in our duty if we did not prepare for defence. I at least am firmly convinced that the land forces must play a decided part in any defence scheme. I think the Bill means quite a good move in a certain direction, but I would like to see closer co-operation between the staff and the territorials. During the last war, while we had very good staff officers, it was the territorials who played the biggest part in the army and some of the territorial ''fficers rose to very high positions,” Mr Roy said he did not know whether the voluntary training scheme could be called either successful or unsuccessful, but he thought it would derive benefit from being made more attractive. In his opinion the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) should explore every avenue to nftke joining up with the defence forces as attractive as possible to the right type of young man. So much depended on the efficiency of the unit in the army that no effort should be spared to attract the kind of man most likely to prove a born leader. “I think we still have that type of man in New Zealand,” Mr Roy added, “because in my opinion we are not a decadent nation to that extent. Once contact has been made with the man an endeavour should be made to keep him by making conditions more attractive. The present rates of pay do not compensate young men for undertaking military training and the uniforms could also be made much more attractive.”