WEEDING OUT THE UNFIT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2371, 29 January 1915, Page 4

WEEDING OUT THE UNFIT

The behaviour in the City of a small minority—a very small minority, we believe— of the men from the Trentham camp has lately left a great deal to be desired. As Kudvard Kipling once remarked "single men in barracks don't grow_ into plaster saints," and the public will always make good-natured allowanco for a certain exuberance' of spirits on the part of the men on leave. The behaviour of the bulk of them has been exemplary, but it is evident that a certain number of men who will do no credit either to themselves or New Zealand have succeeded in getting into the force. The sooner such unruly spirits are weeded out the better it will be for the good name of the men as a, whole.How easily the misdeeds of a few can affect the reputation of a force will bo seen from what Captain Bean says in bis letter from Egypt which we reprinted yesterday morning. The Australian force, which • was much larger than our own, was also got together more hurriedly, and there was consequently not time for the weeding-out process to go so far before departure as in the case of the men who sailed from these shores. It has since been stated that this elimination of the unfit will be continued very thoroughly in Egypt. Even in our own case, with the long interval for the trying out of the men before the departure of the troopships, the oonduct of a few has been found wanting since the landing in Egypt. Those who know the spirit, and temper of the people of New Zealand will agree with us when we say that the Defence authorities have only to give the call to find many thousands more of the right stamp of men on their hands than they can deal with for some time to come, and they need have no compunction whatever in ridding themselves of the undesirables at the earliest moment.