THE DEFENCE BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2677, 6 December 1909, Page 5

THE DEFENCE BILL.

IMPORTANT PROVISIONS.

v The following summary of the Defence Bill, which was introduced by Governor’s message in the l House of Representatives last Friday morning, appeared in the “Dominion” : --A Defence Council and a Command- • ant. — The Bill provides for the appointment of a Commandant of the Forces and a Council of Deionce, to consist of the Minister for Defence as president, the Chief of the General Staff , who shall be responsible for tho administration of matters relating to organisation, disposition, armament, and generally the maintenance of the defence forces, together with a finance member of the Council. The office of Inspector-Gen-eral of the Forces will, under the Bill, be retained. With regard to the scope of authority to be invested in the Commandant of the Forces, it is proposed that lie shall bo responsible for matters of discipline, training and efficiency, administration of stores, accoutrements, munitions,of war, supervision of fortifications and magazines, transport, .and, in general, the' control of matters relating to the stragetical defences and mobilisation plans of the country. —A Territorial Army.— A territorial force is to be established. This force shall be liable for service within New Zealand, and is to be maintained, and if necessary recruited, by transfers from the general training section, i.e., those undergoing compulsory training. Such transfers shall be made either by ballot or by transfer. The new Bill abolishes the selection of officers by popular election and provides that all commissioned officers in the territorial force shall be appointed by the Governor on tlie recommendation of a board of selection appointed in each district by the Council of Defence. It is insisted that officers so appointed must pass prescribed examinations before obtaining their commissions.

—The Passing of the Volunteer.— All volunteer corps, including reserve corps, shall, under certain transitory provisions of the new Bill, cease to exist on a day to be notified by proclamation, and on or before that day all arms, clothing, and appointments issued to any member of any such corps are to be delivered to an officer appointed for the purpose. All the assets and liabilities of volunteer corps incurred prior to the date in question shall, after investigation, become the assets and liabilities of the Crown. _ At any time within tlie date so notified members of corps referred to shall be eligible for enlistment in the territorial force with the same rank as previously held by them in the volunteer force. It may be explained here that the machinery for the abolition of the volunteer force are, generally speaking, on the same lines as those adopted in England for the establishment of the British Territorial Army. —Compulsory Training.— With regard to the principle of compulsory training, which forms the basis of the Bill, detailed provisions aro inserted which add very little to what has already been said under this beading in the Budget. ~ Shortly, the periods of training outlined junior cadets; from 14 years or the date of leaving school, whichever is tlie later in the junior cadets; from 14 years or the date of leaving school to 18 years, in the senior cadets; from 18 years to 21 years ,in the general training section; and from 21 years to 30 years in the reserves. For the training of junior cadets, a commandant is to be appointed, together with such officers and instructors as may be deemed necessary, a minimum period of training of 52 hours per annum. The senior cadets are to be organised in military units, and attached to the defence forces in each district under 'the authority of (the officers commanding their respective districts. From the senior cadets persons will bo drafted into the general training section, the training for which is to include 14 days in camp, with 12 half-day parades, except in the case of the ordnance corps, which will be required to undertake 14 days in camp and 20 half days, or its equivalent. At the end of each year’s training in this section, a classification will be made of efficients and non-efficients, and the latter will be liable for an additional year’s training for each year in which- they are non-efficient, or for special extra training in the year succeeding. The training of the reserve is confined to two muster parades in each year. It is also provided that should it be found inconvenient in any particular area to carry out the training of senior cadets or of the general training section training with any defence rifle clnb except training in camp may be accepted. It may be remarked, by the way, that the training of the junior cadets appears to be mainly physical; further, that junior: cadet officers will be permitted to come up for examiuation for commissions.

—Employers and Training. — Every person who prevents or attempts to prevent those of liis employees who are liable for service in the senior cadets general training section or territorial force from carrying out such service or in any way penalises them for rendering such service, whether by a reduction of wages or dismissal, is liable to a fine not exceeding £lO. ; All persons liable. for service must, within three months after the coming into operation of the Act, or in the month of January of the year in which they become liable ? present themselves for registration, failing which they will disfranchised and rendered ineligible for service or continued service in any Government Department. Nothing in the Act, it is stated, shall require any person to bear arms, or perform or undergo military service or training, if the doctrines of his religion forbid him to do so. On the other hand, he will be liable for service and training in such civil duties as may be prescribed by- the Governor-in-Council. —ln Time of War. — On an occasion of a national! emergency, the Council of Defence will be authorised to make whatever directions as it deems necessary for embodying all ar any part of the defence forces, and in particular to make such special arrangements as may bo proper with regam to units or individuals whose services may be required in other than a military capacity. • Uiider these provisions all the male inhabitants of New Zealand between the ages of 17 and 55 ar© also liable for service in the militia, and in the event of war the whole number of those called out and placed under arms may be organised in such manner as may be directed by .the Council of Defence. —The Permanent Force. —

Generally speaking, the permanent force remains as at present constituted, but authority is given to the Governor to insist on a prescribed number of lit and able men to be The force will be liable for service in and

beyond .New Zealand. All persons em< bodied will be liable tor eight gears' service—five in ..the active force and three in the reserve, but it is provided that on payment of £lO, and at any time during the two following years of £5, ho may obtain his 'disenarge at tho end of three years, hut ho may bo called upon at any time during the remainder of his period of eight years to rejoin the force. —Miscellaneous Provisions.— There appeals to be no definite reference in the Bill to such arrangements as will probably require to be made with regard to the payment of men whilst serving their compulsory period, beyond the single reference under the heading “general powers of the Governor, ' which states that regulations may be made for the pay, rations, and lodging of the forces. In the light of past experience with regard to the conditions which have governed seniority of officers, theTfollowing clause is of some interest Where any commissions of like rank bear the same date the holders thereof respectively shall rank according to the dates of their prior commissions, and in case there are not such prior commissions then the aforesaid holders shall tax© rank according to the order of merit obtained in the examination.” Previously ,in the latter contingency, seniority was determined alphabetically—a system which has caused no end of trouble in the past.