MILITARY GAMPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12688, 9 July 1919, Page 5

MILITARY GAMPS.

DISCUSSION BY PRESBYTERY. REPORT TO BE PRESENTED. A brief discussion ensued at this morning’s meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery when a letter was received from the Council of Churches enclosing copies of the resolutions adopted at a recent meeting of the council, when t ie proposals of Sir James Allen that e present system of Territoiial trainmg should be abolished and that a new syllabus, providing for a four mouths’ period of training in a camp, should be substituted. Ihe council asked the Iresbytery to consider the question and if possible to give support to the resolutions.

The Rev Dr Erwin, who was in the chair at the time, suggested that a committee should be set up to take the whole matter into consideration and bring-their proposals before the Presbytery.

Tlie Rev R. M. Ryburn moved that a committee should be set up. He asked if the Presbytery had received copies of Sir James Allen’s proposals, as it was necessary to have the whole proposals before them if they were to discuss the matter with an open mind. the moderator said that no copies ot the proposals had come before the Presbytery.

The Rev Ryburn, continuing, said that it seemed to be generally recognised that the allegations made at the meeting of the Council of Churches were rather extravagant, and it was t eir duty to protect the. boys who had been in camp from such strong accusations as were made against them. His own son had been away and had told him that the moral conditions in camp were not as bad as they Were said to be at the meeting of the Council or Churches. Men with strong character were not afraid to put down smutty ” talk, and he thought that the moral conditions at Trentham were better than they were in the Territorial camps. Regarding the need tor such camps it was a question whether they wanted anything or nothing, and it would be th© work of tli© committee to consider this matter carefully. He

had had experience of Territorial camps and he believed that Sir James Allen’s proposals may he better than the Territorial system- He thought, however, that the Government should go slowly in the matter, and it .was their duty to go carefully into the matter before passing any decision.

The Rev J. S. Reid (Dunsandel), in seconding the resolution, said that he hoped the committee would bring down its report quickly, as it was possible that they might be too late to do anything in the matter if they did not act promptly. He. questioned, however, whether the Government should have the right to interfere with the parents’ control over their sons, by taking them away to a camp for four months. He felt keenly about the matter, as he had a son who would have to go into camp under tho scheme, and he trusted that the committee would consider the matter very carefully.

The Rev J. Dickson supported the appointment of the committee, and hoped that the Government would he induced not to act too hastily in the matter. There were, of course, many men with sufficient moral courage to look after themselves, but there were also a great number of weak men, who might be unable to resist the temptations which would confront them in a training camp. It was most essential that the whole matter should be most carefully considered to find out if it was necessary for the system of military training'to he forced upon them. The motion that the committee should he appointed was carried unanimously. It was then decided that the committee should consist of all the Christchurch members of the Presbytery, with power to add to their number, and that the Rev Dr Erwin should be the convener.