APPEAL TO FARMERS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1934, Page 3

APPEAL TO FARMERS

VOLUNTEERS AT RAHOTU. FACILITIES FOR TRAINING. • - A strong appeal to farmers of the Rahotu district to support the voluntary system of military training by placing facilities in. the way of their employees and sons to attend camps and parades and encouraging them to join if they were not already was made at the annual meeting of the Rahotu branch of the Farmers’ Union on Tuesday night by Sergeant-Major J. T. R. Bell, New Zealand Permanent Staff Corps. . It would be a good thing if military training cpuld be dispensed with, said Sergeant-Major Bell. It would also be a great advertisement for the country if it could do without the police force. Military training and the police force were on a parallel. The training was for defence, not offence. A number oj trophies had been presented to the Queen Alexandra Mounted Rifles Regiment, to which the district belonged, and from that for the best squadron down to the best trooper. The district (Tiko-rangi-Rahotu-Opunake-Okato) had won the trophies nearly every year. Rahotu - had the best shot in the regiment. Trooper Pepperill. It was an indication, j of what training could do. Of' the greatest assistance to the training was the employer. Without his co-operation the volunteer could not get to parades. These as carried out in teaching the men to use modem weapons could not be done at any period but > day-time, Rahotu was slipping a little and he had , had to displace a tow boys because they had not attended parades. Some said, they could not get away. His experience had been that the employer only wanted to know that the boy was actually going to parade and there were . then few cases where a volunteer could not get off. The biggest advantage was the six-day camp. .In this again the biggest strain was on the employer, who had to do without his employee for a week. It depended on. the attitude of the employers whether the Rahotu troop was kept going or not. There was a possibility of matters advancing to the stage where volunteers would be paid for halfday parades at the camp rate of 4s a day or 2s for the parade, while boots might also be issued. *■ '..•-?*/ The meeting assured the defence authorities through Sergeant-Major Bell of its support. ' . >