THE DEFENCE FORCES

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1931, Page 4

THE DEFENCE FORCES

EXTENT OF RETRENCHMENT. AIR FORCE SLIGHTLY INCREASED. The- strength of the New Zealand Permanent Defence Forces at March 31 was 349, comprising 86 officers and 263. other ranks, according to the annual report, of the General Officer Commanding, MajorGeneral W. L. H. Sincliar-Burgess, which was presented to Parliament this week. Included in the report was tho first official statement showing the extent. ot the compulsory retirements made as 'an

economy measure under the Finance Act of last year. It is shown that the compulsory retirements totalled 169, including 19.. officers,. 117 other ranks, including temporary military personnel, and 33 civil emiployees.;; A. total of 76 officers and other j Yanks was retired on as . •ffpm Alarch 31, 1931, while , the suspensiOii of military training' and the reor- ; ganisation. of the work. Of . the Defelice Department permitted of the retirement of 67 members of the staff who were not entitled to, a superannuation allowance. A total of 74- members of the Army Ordnance Corps was transferred to the civil staff. lii paying- a. tribute to the work of the Defence’ Force officers and men during the Hawke’s Bay earthquake, the report states that the total' value of the stores, issued from the ordnance stores at Trentham was £35,000. , Dealing with Air Force matters, the report says the strength of this arm of the service is 10 officers and ,45 other ranks, this representing a slight increase lover the previous year,- .Owing to presIsure of economy, the liasion officer at the Airi . Ji-iiiristfy,. Squadron-Leader ,T.. . M. I Wilkes, who had been carrying out valuable.''work, was. recalled.- Since last ! August, the Territorial Air Force had 'bean- oi-ganised as a wing consisting of i four squadrons, and although tliis organ■isation was somewhat premature, it ■facilitated both administration and ; training. The strength of this section iwas 63 officers, including six aero club, .trained pilots who had recently gained f commissions; . Much valuable work was done by the Air Force during the Hawkes Bay earthquake. Between February 4 and 15, .22 light aeroplanes flew approximately 45,600 miles, carrying mails, urgent stores and passengers. In addi- ' Ition, large quantities of mail -were car-. ried. ■ The position of. civil aviation is illustrated by the following statistics: Pilots, A license 152, B commercial license 27; aerodromes, 17; aircraft, 59; ! ground engineers, 39. Practically no progress was made during the--year in the° development of commercial air activities. A total of nine aero club received assistance from the Government scheme of subsidising light aero clubs. These clubs, operating 30 aeroplanes, of which 16 were on loan from the Government, had themselves trained 190 pilots for the A license; They had received £3OBO on account of subsidies for trained A license pilots. • • “The total amount voted by Parliament for the vear 1930-31, less credits-in-aid, was £332,200, which was to .be reduced by economies to be effected during the year, £57,200, to the sum of £275,000,” the report says. “The actual net expenditure for the year amounted to £277,799, being £2799 in excess of the net sum voted. The net expenditure on military and civil aviation for the year was -£48,749, as compared with £55 102 expended during the previous year; while for other defence purposes the respective amounts were £229,0t0 and £389,726.”