MILITARY TRAINING.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1930, Page 8

MILITARY TRAINING.

Since tho Government announced that economy in Defence expenditure had been decided upon and that one of the first fruits of that decision was the suspension of the annual camps for trainees there has been much discussion upon the present compulsory training system. By some the Government has been urged to scrap the whole scheme. Some maintain that its cost has not been justified by results; others that it is perpetuating a militaristic spirit among the young rather than teaching them that there are better means of settling disputes than by force of arms. The gravest charge has been that the training cahips themselves have had ill effects upon the moral and even the physical characteristics of the cadets who are obliged to attend them. In regard to this charge the opinion of the Federation of New Zealand Manufacturers, expressed at its conference last week is of great moment. Manufacturers and farmers more than any 'other section of the community know how inconvenient the absence of employees at camp may prove, and they have ample opportunity of judging, also the effect of camp life upon the trainees. The manufacturers were emphatic in their opinion that the compulsory system with its annual training in camp should be retained. They argued that the system was good in principle and with commonsense used in its administration need not unduly interfere with the ordinary work of the country. In their opinion the training was an aid to good citizenship, the aim and purpose, it must ■be remembered, of the nation’s education system as well. If that claim can be justified the opponents of military training camps must show juster cause for their abolition. For the present year the need for economy makes the suspension of the camps desirable, and the Government has yet to make public its proposals in regard to Defence matters. While these are . maturing the views of the manufacturers must certainly be given full consideration as well as of those who would see the whole scheme of military training abolished.