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8. When the Government of New Zealand takes in hand the revision of its Defence Act, as recommended by the Commandant, it is strongly urged that the Act recently passed in South Australia should be taken as a model.
9. Colonel Penton's proposals for the reorganization of the forces are summed up as follows:
"The establishment for each of the four districts (in which are defended ports) should be as follows: A sufficient force of Navals (really artillery and submarine mining auxiliaries) to man all the guns and mine-fields at the ports, with the assistance of the permanent force, four companies of mounted rifles, one town battalion of rifles (eight companies), one country battalion of rifles, one field battery, onc company engineers, one company ambulance corps.'
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These proposals, as far as they can judge from the information available to them, appear to the Colonial Defence Committee fully to meet the requirements of the case. They are based on a definite conception of the nature of maximum attack to which the defended ports are liable, and show that the Commandant has in his mind a scheme of defence for the Colony for which the Colonial Defence Committee have frequently pressed, and which they now trust is under preparation.
10. The proposals of the Commandant for the rearmament of the Field Artillery are in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee contained in their Memorandum No. 65 M, dated the 12th June, 1896, and his orders that the Mounted Rifles should carry rifles, and the Artillery and Submarine Mining Corps carbines, are based on the training and employment of these corps for their proper work.
Since the submission of the Commandant's Report, the Government of New Zealand will have received the despatch of Her Majesty's Government, dated the 27th August, 1897, offering to supply, under favourable conditions, that Colony, as well as all others, with small-arms using the same ammunition as those in the hands of the Imperial army. The actual rifle, the Lee-Enfield, which is in the hands of the Imperial troops, is a Magazine rifle; that now offered to the Colony, the Martini- Enfield, is a single-loader. The difference in cost of the two is very considerable, that of the former being 41. 6s. 1d. On the other hand, in considering the question which rifle they should adopt, the Colonial Government should bear in mind that any enemy which may in the future attack New Zealand will almost certainly be armed with a Magazine ifle, and that troops carrying only single-loaders would meet such an attack under a serious disadvantage. The Colonial Defence Committee attach, however, the greatest importance to the adoption of an arm which will use the same ammunition as that of the Imperial troops, and trust that if the Colony is not at the -present time prepared to face the expense of the provision of Magazine rifles, they will avail themselves of the offer of Martini-Enfields at the very cheap rate given in the despatch referred to above. It is hoped that the arrangements made by the Colony with the Colonial Ammunition Company will not preclude the introduction of cordite powder for small-arm ammunition.
11. The Committee regret with the Commandant that a khaki uniform should not have been generally adopted in New Zealand, and they think with him that the different corps should have distinctive facings and badges to distinguish the different scrvices and units. They would further suggest that some definite badge or deco- ration on the head-dress should be common to all the troops of New Zealand, to distinguish them from Imperial troops, and from those of any other British Colony.
12. The recommendations of the Commandant under the headings "Medical," "Transport and Commissariat," "School of Instruction," and "Musketry Instruc- tion," are concurred in. With regard to the "Division of Military Districts," this should undoubtedly be based entirely on the defence requirements of the Colony, i.e., on the concentration of the troops which will be necessary for the protection of the four defended ports. Little reference is made by the Commandant to the District Commanders and their Staffs. These should be responsible to the Commandant for the efficiency of the works and troops in peace and war in the same way as Officers Com- manding Districts in the United Kingdom.
13. In conclusion, the Colonial Defence Committee feel it their duty to point out that New Zealand is wasting her present military expenditure in so much that, if war broke out, she would be found without any scheme of defence, and with incfficient and Page 150 of 290
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