Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/482

 430 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NEW ZEALAND

Defence.

In 1909 New Zealand passed a Defence Act, amended 1910, which pro- vided for the gradual military training of every male New Zealander between the ages of 12 and 25, with further service iu the Reserve up to age of 30. Under this Act a boy serves from 12 to 14 as a junior cadet, from 14 to 18 as a senior cadet, from 18 to 25 he becomes a soldier in the Territorial Force, and from 25 to 30 he serves in the Reserve. Before the war senior cadets did 50 drills and a musketry course annually. The soldier in the Territorial Force did 30 drills, 6 whole-day parades, and 7 days continuous annual training. The pre-war strength of the Territorial Force was about 30,000.

During the war New Zealand raised 124,211 men ; of this number 91,941 were recruit-d voluntarily, the remainder under a compulsory system intro- duced in 1916. 100,444 men were sent overseas to serve in New Zealand units and 3,370 are known to have joined British or Australian units. In addition Samoa was occupied and garrisoned by the Dominion. Quotas were contributed by the South Sea Islanders, and the Maoris maintained a bat- talion. The total casualties were 16,688 killed, and 41,315 wounded ; total, 58,003. The demobilisation and reorganisation of the Dominion forces was not completed at the end of 1919, but the post-war forces will be organised on the basis which existed before the war —that is to say, in cadet units and a Terri- torial Force. The Territorial Force is organised in the military districts, each of which furnishes an infantry brigade, with a proportion of the other arms and services.

During the war two schools of instruction were formed at Auckland for the Dominion Air Force, and at the time of the Armistice 142 cadets were in training. Three hundred New Zealand officers served in the British flying services during the war, and the Dominion presented 6 aeroplanes to the Empire and lent two.

Down to March 31, 1920, the war expenditure reached 7o',953,076Z.

The Naval Defence Act, 1920, provided for the establishment of a New Zealand Naval Force, to be raised and maintained by voluntary enlistment only, enlistment being for a prescribed period not less than two years. In time of war the Naval Force (including vessels acquired for defence pur- poses) is at the disposal of the British Government. The Naval force consists of training ship Philomel and cruiser Chatham which was recently presented by the Imperial Government. The establishment of a New Zealand Royal Naval Reserve is also provided for under the Act.

Production and Industry.

Agricultuek.

Two-thirds of the surface of New Zealand are suitable for agriculture and grazing. About 17,000,000 acres are still under forest. The total are* under crop (including 15,831,604 acres in sown grasses and 68,619 in fallow) in 1919 was 17,440,511 acre^i. The area of Crown lands surveyed and open for selection on March 31, 1919, was 704,178 acres.

The largest freehold estates are held in the South Island. The extent of