UNJUST REGULATIONS

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 37, 14 February 1916, Page 3

UNJUST REGULATIONS

TO mi EDITOB.

Sir.—ln ..your issue of Friday evening I noticed regulations issued by Defence Headquarters. In one paragraph it stated, that ■•'warrant officers . and '. noncommissioned officers of the Permanent Staff _and7'"Royal''-New Zealand Artillery who h9'd".b'e len: granted commissions in the iExpfecTitioniry'. Force would . revert to 'thpir-.-pe-rmaiieiit rank on ceasing, to be mejnbers of 'the Expeditionary Force. Would.'Mr. Allen kindly explain the. reasjan ..for/tsnch unjust treatment. It has always been understood that if a man "gains'a commission on active service ho retains that rank.. But, seemingly*; tlie'* "in en'of* oil r. Permanent Forces are v"td” receive" no • recognition of their , splendid ,'services to the Expeditionary Force as trained men. To my mind, a li.ttle less red tape and more consideration'of the men would gain better results..*. " 1../ should; like, to know why if a noncommissioned officer of our Permanent} ..Staff., js : capable of fulfilling the dutie.fof.',an;.bfficer in such a severe pracr tical7Hess'£s''the Gallipoli campaign, ,why I*%b''.,',whe'D he returns to peace conditions? 'Is it the old conservative idea against a- junker, becoming an officer ? . To"ask'-'th'ese/* men to revert is simply intolerable, and certainly : not iour conceptiorfr'of, British fair play^—l am,' etc.. -1 '■;•..: INDIGNANT, Bth February...,-..' [Our. correspondent, fails to realise that, owing '-'to!, the .war, the New Zealand Army h'asrbeen greatly, expanded, and must when peace is concluded resume its normal -size. It is" therefore impossible', to give permanent commissions when there may not be'room for the employment of such men as officers after the war. Moreover, our correspondent... overlooks the fact that in- giving , such:'preference to" Permanent Staff men. granted.:commissions in the' Expeditionary Force, grave injustice would be-done .to Permanent' Staff men kept back for training and other purposes in New Zealand. Yet some of. these men kept back are senior to those given, temporary commissions, and are . more efficient, for,,which reason their services here have been retained. On the general issue, the Minister of 'Defence has promised that after the war is over the claims of Permanent Staff men for appointment to "permanent commissions will be fully considered, and that a certain number will be made.]