THE DEFENCE ACT.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5474, 18 February 1910, Page 4

THE DEFENCE ACT.

■ o EEGULATIOJSS GAZETTED. 1! THE .NESV MACHINERY. Itie Defence Act coiv.es into onTdticn on Ai«rcn 1, t«j r>v..lt L<a llt j ih-at t<ne volvn-t^r fv.r.cs will, ceu&to eai.«t as .sej-n«"a.Lu ui.itF, and win rjecoimj automatically the territcrial J force. 'Jho Xirst batch of n.g'jhuuiw iss)ia.<l l>y tha Lvfenco Council has just boiUi gazetted, and general crd^ri have 'beiii issue.! by ihj Council w Defence m connecti-cn with the Defence Act of last session- They provide- that for training- purposes, and where not in conflict with the Act, the territorial force will 'be governed by the provisions eon-tamed „in the general regulations of liK)6 until the new regulations are trained and issued. The new. peace and war estai^i£'h.inent.s and instr jctiona for the re-'crgauisation of the defence; forces generally will not be issued till after Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener's inspection of the forces. For the training year 1910-11 the training! for the territorial 'force will be that described by the old rogiulati,ons, with the excoptioni that corps rtot required l)y th,«;so regulations to 'train in revnrp will bo ivf<uiretl to train Ux a period of seven days. During training in catnip all ranks will be rationad and forage will be provided. Capitation allowances for tho territorial forces for the cominc .v^ti 1 * will be as uruder . Mounted rilk-s, £.4 : field artillery and field engineers, £8 . 10s ;. other •tram'hjs, £3,| Fwr cacjh ddy sipon.'t in camp all ranks will l>e granted the following personal allowances : l^iou-tenant-colonels, 15s ; majcr3, 12s ; captains, 10s ; lieutenants uiul scpond lieutcmin'ts, ■ 8s ; sergeant-ma-jors and sta'TT-sorgeants, us,;- sergeants, 4s - corporals, 8s (id; other ranks, Ss. A korse allowance of Ids pen annum wWl'-ba phid tp eu<*-W rtliciivnt ufljcerand man of tihe mounted rifles, provided "his horse and saddlery is certified by 'his commanding ollicer as s'uittfb.kv. PaM daylight pai'jides as under the oM rc-ffulcitiohs will not be authorised for tha coinmg yet.r. .On March 1 tho imperial infantry drill manuals will be adopted f«r all unmounted units of thi? dtife(nc-e forces. AH dißtiM.-t conrmuvmle-rsi will meet, tho Chief of the (Jon.ral Staff at tho headquarters' office. Wellington, at 10 a.m. on March 1, for tho purpose of ctiscussfng 1 , t'ho Defence Act andj certain points rolatwig to th^ new regjulations ami! I'-sta'W fthmwitj; of the territorial 1 forces, senior cadots, -and rifle clubs. A scnemo of registratTon of the general training section will also be considered, and a board of oHic.r.s of all artrs • appointed to compile regulations to carry out the provisions of the Defence Act. The probable duration of the stay at headquarters will be four days. On and after March 1\ the elect^prV of officers wili ce'uKe' and tho followingi procedure will come, into fcrje : — Firsts apiJointmcnts : First acting* appointments to a commission will bo mafle on the recohnnendation of a board of selection composed of the officer commanding the district and tho officer commandiing the corps iai which the vacancy occurs. Th.vr rj- | commendations will be forwarded on th>e usual form (V4> 'to- the Council of Deftncc for fjuiyiwission to the Minfetcr. All promiutlpns will 1)e niarto on the rocotin'men'datioii of a board Camposedi of the inspectorrKtmn-ral of tho fences, the ofJiCtrcoimniaiv ling; thy corps in which the vacancy, occurs. When recommending «. promotion by which any olfiqbr will bo supersetled the tooard will stato in writing the circumstances which have led to- such rocoman-end'ation. lincommesidations for promo (tion will be forwarded: on tho usual form (V 4) to the Council of Defence for submission to tho Minister, signed by the officer c^ommanding tho district and the officer cornnmnfdmg tho corps. Pending the return of tho inspoct-cr-general of forces, <m »"d iafter March 1, all correspondence hitherto addressed- to tho sec'ret«ry of> the Council of Defwico mvst be -addressed to the Chief of the General Staff. Tn ofchler respects correepondenco will Ije carried out 'and dealt with as heretofore.