A MARE'S NEST.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7411, 10 September 1889, Page 5

A MARE'S NEST.

[B_ Telegb—PHv]

{SmOU OUR SPECIAL OQRRBSPOmJKMT). j WELLINGTON, September 0. The Evening Post to-night has the following paragraph : ".:.'■'; ! ''.Tlie unpopularity of certain, staff appointments made in the defence force of. the colonyduring the recess has more than! once been commented pn, in these columns,' and referred to in -Parliament. A new; feature in connection with .them, has now; come to light, which 1 will ceriainly cause a; good deal more discussion. It seems that the . Defence .Minister was not content with giving the promoted odes their mere commissions, bnt in an excess of generosity he provided them also with the uniforms suited to their ranks, these uniforms being, of course, staff pattern and obtained from England at a cost to the, colony, it is Baid, of £900. Tha Premier is understood to have expressed himself in extremely warm terms when, as Colonial Treasurer, he was required to find the money to pay the bill for thia military, millinery. What the House will say to it remains to be seen." - I may say that rumors to the above effect have been floating about for at least; a fortnight, and some days ago I took! occasion to look into the matter, with the result that I discovered the whole, affair to be much exaggerated, and. hardly worth mentioning. Now that a definite charge has been made it becomes necessary to refute it. The facts are as follow .-—Shortly before their services were dispensed with, half-a-dozen officers of the permanent force had ordered new uniforms, aad Upon represeating the matter to the head of tiie Defence Department, it was considered; that It would be a hardship to these | officers to compel them to retain articles that were quite useless to -hem aa civilians, and the -uniforms were therefore: taken back to the Stores Department at a total cost of £186. Since this transaction took place several of the uniforms have been issued to officers who have been promoted to fill the positions vacated by the officers dispensed with, but who receive no extra pay, and other uniforms have been, issued to others and paid for in the ordinary course. There are still in the store several of these returned uxtif orms to the value of £60, so that the Eyening haa discovered a mare's nest. M