THE TERRITORIALS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 6, 16 December 1911, Page 6

THE TERRITORIALS.

A meeting was held at Waverloy yesterday of the officers of the ic-.viy-

coustituted squadrons in the Taranaki group under the new L’emtarial system. There were present: Color.el j Davies (Officer Commanding The 2nd i Regiment), Captain Morrison (Crm- , mending the A Squadron). Lieut. 1 McDonald (representing B Squadron), Captain Sutherland ■ C Squadron), Lieut. James (I) SquaJrm), Captain Cardale (Adjutant tf the .Mounted Regiment), and Li arts. Craovshaw, J oil, Johnson, and Wvor. 'i'be most import int business discussed v,as the fixing of the date and site for the annual camp. It was decided that the e nip bo held at Wavorlay from May Boh to May 22nd. A camp, purely voluntary, so as to comply with the rogid icl.ms, v.ill be held seven days previous {«» tins, so as to admit of ad men n the milking districts especially being practically free from parades or drills during the months of February to April inclusive, except for special parades, such as would be occasioned by a visit from the Governor, for instance. Other business included the constitution of the squadron’s areas, and a mass of detail incidental to the formation of such a big camp, including rations, forage, transport, oto. The local officers who! attended the conference arrived back to town this morning, and Captain Carbery very kindly spared a “Stratford Evening Post” reporter a few minutes to discuss the scheme, and a few details of the camp. Referring to the voluntary camp, Captain Cardale said that the compulsory parados which have to lie put in are 30 of 14 hours duration. 12 half-day parades, and 'six whole day parades. A drill equals 1 4 hours, half-day parpara three hours, a whole day six hours. The whole matter is interchangeable. • That is to say, if a quadron is required to put in,two parades a month, by turning out for 3 hour once in a month they have comI plated their obligation. So that it can jbe seen by attending the voluntary ‘camp for seven days they are wiping off their obligations for a good many months. This is intended for the benefit of those who cannot leave their work for odd days scattered throughout the year, but can conveniently leave their work for a fortnight. It is an example of the manner in which the Defence Department is endeavouring to make the burden to the farming community of compulsory military training rs light as possible.

Captain Cardale was very enhusiar.iic over the good qualities possessed by the sits of the camp both from a military and economical point of view. “The site,” he said, “is ideal. Wo have the rightto manoeuvre over about five thousand acres of land. Except tier high hills and rocks every conceivable class of land of military value is available. The sandy soil is eminently suitable for the camp itself. From tlio economical point of view, there is a minimum cost of transport occasioned by the train passing through the camp area. The biggest hurdle we have to surmount is the cost of forage.. The farmers of Waverley, however, have promised us two oxen, and some 20 cm SO head of sheep' as a contribution towards the camp. This will not only reduce the expenditure .of. the camp, hut’,'if copied throughout tlio country, would reduce the taxation as a whole, which the public have to pay.