JHOHNSONVILLE RIFLES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 162, 2 April 1908, Page 4

JHOHNSONVILLE RIFLES.

A REVIEW OF.THE POSITION, - BY "ECHELON.", The ■ dissen.sioq in the Johnsonvillo Rillos 'has'iat length iciilinmatpd ,m : the resignation, as ."annb'uncod" iii2a ."paragraph in Tin: Dospeaking, about SO per cent, of the company's strength. liV;pthfr;iVqrds;|' pvactipally an entire Volunteclr'i' cprps/ lms; Oxprgss.ed its intention, in view-of certain incidents, which havo oc-curred,-of going out pf existence.. 7. Tlio . pppprtunity..hero presents itself, of rovioiving the ppsition, analysing tho arguments! for 'and against tlio company's attitude, . and, ioliicidntjng, thp prpblein which is :at agitating the mind nf tlio comminiity,; viz. ' "Who is responsible for the prcsont situation? ' 7 Thp facts of the. paso aro as follow :— 7 'A.'Some time' ago:an election w.is held,for the appointment of "subalterns. Owing to a misconception . -regarding the regulations for pf, subaltern officers, it. w ; as decided to ' take nominations for tho election of .7(1) ' '^'senior'.'subaltorn',' and then (2) a junior-'subaltern. As.a mattpr pf fact, there is'','no such thiiig, strictly speaking, as a_n :olcction:'fpr. a, senior; subaltern. Seniority is reckoned by. either'.of .two considerations: .(a) < the-date of commission, or,- if the dates 'arerconioinpoEaiip6ns,-''(b) by. the alphabetical -order of tlio! Smtial letters of the surnames. '^ctihg ; :i.n,:ign(irance;qf,tliis-nile,, apparently, the -men"acccptcd,' as nominations for tho election'.of a .senior subaltern, the •names Merriliesf 'arid, Willis. Mr.-,- Willis ; ',waS' el<»<jteil as'scnibr.-,Subaltern; Mr. Merrilics'tiio'n offered himself for election as junior ■subaltern/ and :was duly elected. -Itlmay.as well be ripteel here that the procedure carried. , out "ijby. tbe. cpr[)s..w:\s:-in .accordance -with, the advice of on'o of thb"' r city' -volunteer -efiices. B. Subsequently, it.. was ...contended; by Lieutenant. 1! that .ho cTititlecl 'to seniority of rank by virtiio of alphabetical fireceden'ceV" -Mul ■ liis contention was ■ upheld by tho authorities Headquartcis. ■i; ' • Section 8 !cf vthe4l)efbnce Act, 18S6, 55..-lavs a'guicling principle in such .i-casesj that .pf .-tho - Militia '.;■■ Vpluhteer : s 1 Militia, prof any ,ether:hranclv;of-,the .Defence Forces, Hhp'iV Ecrvin.iTi-togetlior, or'.on the; staff,- . 7 i shall- rank--'iyith' eacli'other, of.'like rank - ' ''' a&ordhVKW..thS' l datbk : of'.their comnus- ;. .-v-sioriij. : c.qiriihisfions of.' .liko " V rank -hear*, the ,^same-''date,' tlie, • holders i vthpi'cpf-respectively shall rank- according ■;v to,:.the -.dates,,of conimissions,: .V-'and" in: : .case: there- bp-no such prior com■missions, then the aforesaid; holders shall 1 .in, tlio,' order. ~ .' of their surnausos." : ■ - ■ C. .This -3ecis'ion-;v.-as-.followed by7tlie. presentation of, a pptitionj containing 34' signature's, ' asking", 'thaij' Lici|tonant Mcrrilios should, Resign.: 7 : of petition '"constitTi't'eir'a'ffistnict'hroach of military discipline; I 'tlipso ', chiefly: cencomed,7 Sergeants .Qartor and' V.' A. Mills, .Corporal .8., "C^Kirl:and;^PriVatb'-''^Edge; v were sumijjphetl;io Military Court of . Inquh-j|,'. cp'a^itjiljod^teDistrict.. Ho tersy. and-cbiisistirig or : Captain I l .' Symon, ■R.iN.Z.E., Captain. EssoriWellington '..City : Rifles, : and Lieutenant ,C. Cellins, .and Telograpii Rifles, and asked_ to ,?how v cause why tlipy 'sh'pulri not bo, dismissed; tlio'.soryico for. an, act of insubordination, itamcly, signing a request, to wjiicjijyas appended thirty ScTditibnal. sighatnresTrfor- ttlip resignation of ''Lieutenant'■■Merrilies. A number 6f witnesses' wore also .examined. .• ' 7;; v. .i; ■ , ; E. : Tho' Military Court of Inquiry fsat ".it Johnsoiivilie 011 February 27 last, and heard .evidence. Thtf Court. constituted under Scptiohilß;.6f: tWiDefencp; Act Amendment,' lSOOj'.'ancl ;Sul)^scc;tiiSh V: f3'•of ".Soctioii\ il - of ;a further amendment-'to tlie; Act dated 1007,:,;" >.- '7" Tho' Commander-in-Chief; : .tlio De- 7 • 'ygnfifianda.nt :pf : t-lip'; ' - Defence'i'orces,'- or '• any 1 officer cominahd- .. ing.a district,, may summon .commis--7-■;-.-sipnpd";p(licers t :of;,i.. tho . Defence Tprpes;. 'i uudor their .command to. fcrm a .Cpurt .pf.v Inquiry, which Court shall consist of not,' less than,-three such officers, of whom ' tho : senipr: dfiicor'.' present shall; bo' tho : : (a) to inquire into any.matter. $Vf^lStirig^%'^isotj.)M6 - ;or ; Government • : - /property,V:.whiph, 'in the .opinion .of tlio.. requires 'investigation; ..or (b):, ••';•'jtbr:—■■' (Hero statp7tho object of'tho7 - inquiry.) 7 •■■-> , ; '/■••.' _ ■ ;;»Tho finding of tho Court' was submitted tij'J'the! Minister- of '-Defence,; and thehce.'to ,tho .Governor, in accordance'' with' the: usual 'procedure.- Tho decision will not .be'officially: announced 11iit.il His- Excellency , has, returned the pipprs' to' the' officei' jcommanding tho district, per 'medium of ;fho Minister. 7 ,! . . '

y: F.J.Without,,Wfiitih'g, for. tho announcement of the d€c'ision,vabout i forty members of tho corps have now 1 resigned. Tho; foij. this -step-ipnot. .clcar., but it .is generally ,4intler,stood, that;tlio. in- ... terval' between :tho sitting "of.'tbe'lCohrt and the announcement of its 1 decision i has been' unduly prolonged. V - These aro tho 'facts. ■ The next question , is, who is.responsible? ' :.roW. som(ji'quartors v: it.nis believed that ' tho ' itltaiic'fl • to 1 blame.;.- Tho < -iinswer'stp Vtjiit fisj tX®! tho,. Council',of;. D&J : fehcov aioiliiug'.;.lyliatever;.totl• with' ; tho' wliicli: concerns; tho', ~ f 'sympathy i on.-,tho .. . grpundStliat .'tlioy : desired, 'a ,certaiii".subalterai 1 joffioer senior .'rank,, and; I wore prevented from attaining ' their object ■' by. an'unwitting irregularity • in. the method ; of election. It is'duo ito / them : tp say that, : had they known tho proper procedure, they' : .wouldrrhaVQ',takcij ( .;.sus!lr steps as to Ji'avo . ensured 'tho 'attainment- of-their' purpose. ■' •> This,.- liowpver, _•must' bo taken into account Sinco ' Lieutenant Merrilies was elected -; to,; the . staffs of the.. company, the public, isjientitlcd.yo- tlio.. inference;'. that ,ho im!st''hayd/4)oSs'e.sspdi.3;l'io, eoiiiidci'ico of. tho mento'' tjio extent that! . apart.altogether from;.tho : qucsti'otf of son no was -,con--,.sidered a Jit- and proper person for . subal.tern rank! . ' :~Again"\tho.'que'sti6h' >ef j seniority,- does not affect- th'e''c'aptiiincy;:of ;'thp corps j Liputen- , ■ant: Merrilies;. as:■ senior, .subaltern, has no claim to the position' of. company commander should thathecohio vacant., . The ■ ap;pointinerit"is'jn the hands of, tho men, and . 'may be-'made, if -- tlioy so desire, from the ■ranks.lti.'is.'i.Goinowhat difficult, therefore, to, understaw) i.thp of. the .men towards I/ieutenant Merrilies. ' /'--'.\Yl)'pn.'iKero'is'' added to .this tho peculiar eircumstkiice 1 "that.the 'men liavo' resigned in a body , before ; tho decision of the Court of Inquiry has been announced, 'and', .by this, step/-alienated- a considerable, amount of public sympathy..which had previously been extended to'them, .it'must bo confessed that thoi):'. attitude is, 'to put it' mildly, :someavhat childish.''-' Tho -action of tho Officer • CohimVnding.'the, District has been adversely :conimonted.';.upon;;.iij. connection with tlio • trouble,;d)ut : ; it-js;difficult to see how-ho . coiild have "dono/otherwise than uphold Lieutenant' MbrrilieS' claim to senior rank. Tho, regulations'' must jbe observed. Tlio writer has . reason ,to bclievo that !had. tho men ; been, content to exercise patienco and moderation iu, ;tlio..matter, a settlement of an acceptable kind, would have been arrived' at;, ' An bxp'erit'nfced officer, remarked recently: —" Nearly 'all tho -t-rpublea which affect Volunteer corps can be traced to tho want .of asscrtivoness. and backbone., of the officer 'ooinmjindinff"tlio company." There is much - food«for 'sober-, refleation in his remark.