THE NATIONAL RESERVE

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 97, 26 April 1916, Page 4

THE NATIONAL RESERVE

ALLEGATIONS OF DISSEN-

SIONS.

TROUBLE IN WELLINGTON

The National Reserve has ex>t; it-' /self into .a rare miiddlo in Wellington, and presumably the same difficulties will arise, if they have not<already arisen, elsewhere, sstatek'a'itelegram published., in., a Christchui-ch-paper. The' Reserve was formed as a military^'.body, with ,a very imperfect quasif-military organisation-, .but as a fighting force it has always been absolutely impossible. There if| work which it might do if it were a littlo less military and more useful, but as it' is 'at present, it is quite frnpotent. Begulations and rules have been gazetted, but apparently these take too much for granted because, nofcody, least of all the Commandant, seenis to. .know exactly -what is the effect of them. ' All the difficulties, however,; -resolve themselves into one, that df extreme dissatisfaction of unit -commanders and rank and fite with the heads. Colonel Porter and Ins «hief support, Major Davis,1- regard! themselves as in exactly a similar position with relation to the National Reserve as General Robin andl his chief of staff have been to-the Territorials. They insist that the National Reserve is a military body, and regard it as something: akin/to impertinence or insubordination for any attempt to be made by junior officers or mere members to review their actions. The rules, of the, Reserve T>rovide for the election of officers, tmt the Commandant insists that men so elected must be approved by, him, and also that the Commandant nnd his "staff" are not to bfe elected fey anybody. This constitution is far too undemocratic to meet with approval. Many members, including the unit commanders, are profoundly dissatisfied. An attempt made tho o+her night to elect a district commander failed. "The meeting was for officers commanding units. Four unit commanders attended, as did a.Jso the acting district commander, ;W the two adjutants. At once the unit commander* objected to the presence of the other officers on the staft s^dc, Imt the acting-commander . (JMajor I>avis^ refused to put a motion that they withdraw. Three of the unit commanders then left, nnd no election ieThiiT is tyoical of the tangle into which the affairs of the Reserve have fallen into under llin, present method J control, and the National Reserve in Wellington will die very quickly. Fortunately this.will be no serious matter, for it has never done any useful war work.