DEFENCE DEPARTMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6321, 25 February 1922, Page 5

DEFENCE DEPARTMENT.

PRUNING KNIFE AT WORK

WELLINGTON, Feb. 24. When the annual vote for the Defence Department was cui tailed this year, it was inevitable that drastic changes would have to be made to enable the Department to live within the allotted vote, which was only a little more than half that of 1914. From inforniatipn gleaned by the New Zealand Times, it is understood that the general officer commanding the Defence forces has new completed a scheme for the reduction of staffs, and that he lias partly put it into operation by notifying a certain number of staff corps and ordnance officers tiiat tlieir services are lie longer required. Only one officer at headquarters, it is stated, lias been retired, the others being in various Defence districts. The Royal New Zealand Garrison Artillery is also affected. Many of the men in this section of the service have been transferred to the Ordnance as a further means of economising. It is understood the G.O.C. proposes to effect an amalgamation of some branches. “A” duties branch (staff organisation, discipline, etc.) is to unite with “G” duties branch Graining, military operations, etc.). The new department thus formed is to be controlled by Lieut.-Colonel Powles, Commandant of the G.H.Q. school at TTentliam, and “Q” duties (transport, supplies, etc.i are to remain as at present. It is rumored, that the latter branch will be taken over by Lieut.Col. Avcrv, who lisa been undergoing training at the Staff College in England, and is shortly expected to return. These amalgamations, together with the retirement of officers, will necessitate a re-shuffling of appointments, and, as a natural corollary, some of the senior, and probably junior, officers will be transferred to district commands. It is understood that the amended scheme, as regards training and camps, will not be put into operation until the scheme, as a. whole, is discussed at a conference of officers to be held in Wellington ‘shortly. The Vocational Training Branch is steadilv reducing TTs operations, and the staffs of the medical service branches, owing to transference of control of hospitals to tbe\ Department of Public Health, have been considerably diminished. The Works branch will practically cease its existence this month.

It is quite likely that further retrenchment in various directions will be effected, as the money at the command of the Department will necessitate drastic reduction, not_ only in the personnel, but in training and upkeep generally.—(P.A.