MILITARY CAMPS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 62, Issue 4378, 15 January 1941, Page 4

MILITARY CAMPS

NO PICKING AND CHOOSING. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. The difficulties in the way of arranging for men engaged in farming to undergo their three months’ territorial training in the winter are referred to by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, in his reply to a resolution forwarded him by the Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union.

Winter camps, says the Minister, are scarcely practicable in that theweather would interfere with training, and to get the same results as obtained under the present arrangements a much longer period would be required. The nomination by trainees of the period most suitable to undertake their training is definitely not workable, he continues. The position would arise of trainees nominating different times for training, with consequent lack of co-ordination in training. It is pointed out also that the success of the training scheme must largely depend on the maintenance of some form of military discipline and control, which would obviously be lost were men allowed to . please themselves as to when and how they attended camps. The Minister also points out that farmers’ representations are met as far as possible.

CAMP AT ROTORUA. RELIEVING CONGESTION ELSEWHERE. Following discussions between officers of the Defence Department and the committee of the Rotorua Racing Club it is expected that a large detachment of the Fifth Reinforcements now camped at Papakura will arrive shortly to encamp at Arawa Park, Rotorua. It is understood this action will be taken because accommodation at Papakura is fully occupied, while additional drafts are expected from Gisborne and the East Coast this week.

Delay in the completion of the full scheme at Waiouru is also believed to be another factor. It is not known how long the camp will remain at Arawa Park, but it will probably be for several months.