LOCAL WAR OFFICE REFORM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12540, 29 June 1901, Page 6

LOCAL WAR OFFICE REFORM.

•If the correspondent of the Dunedia “ Star ” has kept to the truth la his account cf the experiences of the Pipe Band during its visit to Christchurch, the Defence Department is certainly deserving, of severe censure. But we are inclined to think that the sufferings of the men have been considerably exaggerated, and that the blame for the muddle did not. rest entirely with the Defence Office. Local officers, we believe, did not take sufficient trouble to ascertain the numbers of mien coming • from their districts, and the authorities in Christchurch were not in a position to make their arrangements absolutely complete. Ini many cases the energy, and enthusiasm of the men themselves made up for the mistakes and shortcomings of the Defence Office; and in organising a great review the authorities are entitled to count on the esprit de corps and cheerfulness of aE ranks. When all possible allowances are made, however, it cannot be said that the Defence Office has come through the past few weeks with any great credit. It seems to us to cling too close to the traditions of the Old World' to be satisfactory. It cannot be claimed, that the Commandant of the Forces is not given sufficient assistance, because, as the “ New Zealand Times ” points out, the headquarters staff hits been very considerably increased during the last eighteen months. , At the beginning cf the Boer war, our contemporary explains, the military forces of the colony were coxitroEed and managed by Colonel Pole Penton and Major Madocks, With the assistance of only one or two temporary clerks;., whereas at the present time the) Commandant the Forces has no fewer /than seven star' officers, thirteen clerks cat) d three messen* gers under A Ms , immediate control, wadi positions in the various centres are king found for officers who have returned from South Africa. The “ Times,”, which is naturally indignant over the NoWbciwil; Park affair, deplores the fact that, out ■■ of the Whole staff, it was not possible to spare one man who would have been capable of managing an encampment of a thousand men. The truth is that the New Zealand “War Office", is sorely in need’ ofv.lxeorganisation.' Colonel Penton wiE shortly, retire, and we hope that on effort, will be made .by the Government to secure a successor possessing sound' business qualities and a talent for organisation. It should 1 not be necessary to send tq England for an Imperial officer, for surely among the MEitia officers of the colony there is on© man capable of undertaking , the thorough organisation of the military forces. The experience gained in .the carrying out of the great review wiE be valuable to the whole Volunteer force; and during the preparations the commanding officers should have discovered something of the quality of their subordinates. If we are to have our army pub on a sound ■ business footing one of the first steps of the Department must be to get,rid of the purely, ornamental members of the staff.; The beginning might well be mad© in thaDefence) Office itself.