TERRITORIAL APPOINTMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1023, 12 January 1911, Page 2

TERRITORIAL APPOINTMENTS.

Sir,—Kindly, permit me to make a few .brief comments on the subject of the selections recently made under the new defence scheme. We were led to believe; and one would naturally have expected, that appointments would be made on merit, and officers selected from the.fc branch of the- service in which they would be required to act. But was such the case? I think not, as you will see from the following:—

1. An "artillery officer in Wellington has been selected for mounted duties. Truly a goad officer, but why not one of those (and there are many) who have devoted aIL thiir. time to the study ,of this branch of the service?

2. Four artillery officers in "Wellington have been selected for infantry duties, one of whom*has be en out of the service for many years. 'These gentlemen may bo good officers in their own particular line, but none of them are capable of drilling an infantry battalion. Again, why have, practically all the infantry officers been .rejected?.

3. Three other appointments have been made of men almost totally unknown -in military circles in ■ "Wellington. Can these officers possibly be up to date in ,their work, even granting that some of them - have a tinge of Imperial service to their credit? And, further, it is mifair to select men who apparently 1 only come forward now, while those who have been devoted to.th*. volunteer cause for years past arc not-even considered. 4. The public were given to understand that no officer would be selected unless first of all recommended by the officer, commanding his district. Yet I have it on reliable authority that one .of the latest appointments in "Wellington (that of a Garrison Artillery offio?r for . infantry duties) was made without even the knowledge of the local district staff.

The whole "affair sihiply. bears out a •statement that'was made bv a prominent official at the time. til*'call for applications was made, viz., that unless - an aDnlioanfc was able to 4 bring., considerable influence, to bear, ' either ' political or. otherwise, he stood' little chance of' sekclion. That such a thing has really" happened is now a well-known fact. Such x start as this does not promise well for the success of the venture.—l am, <tc., INTERESTED.