NAVAL OFFICERS RESIGN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12931, 29 July 1905, Page 5

NAVAL OFFICERS RESIGN.

the defence DEPARTMENT

IN TROUBLE.

AN ACCUMULATION OF grievances.

[l)Y TELEGRAI'H.— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

i . -' Wellington, Friday. ; lon a long time past there lias been a great deal of dissatisfaction in volunteer circles Some time ago the captain of the , D Battery of Artillery, disgusted with the way tilings were run b> the Department, resigned. Lieutenant Courtney, an able, young officer, kept things -going for some time, but he also got into trouble with the Department, and found the position unbearable. • Now there is trouble in the Wellington division of the New Zealand Garrison Artillery Volunteers, and in consequence Captain E. D. Bell and his lieutenants, Messrs. Duncan R. Monzies, W. F. loin a and Maurice E. Denniston, have resigned their commissions in the Wellington Navals. ■ There is also ?. possibility that the whole company will follow the lead of its officers.

To-night's Post says no reasons are given for this action by the officers, but it is well known in military circles that, unredressed grievances have been piling up amongst the Navals for a lengthy period. A grievance that has, been heavj on tho minds of the Wellington Navals began with the destruction of their old quarters at Mahanga Bay, when the premises w?re destroyed, (by means of the official firestick) some three or four years ago, after being occupied by a small-pox patient. The Government declined to reconstruct the building, despite numerous and urgent appeals, and some ■12 months ago the Navals erected new quarters at their own expense. ,!■ Another matter in which the officers of, the garrison particularly felt somewhat aggrieved was the formation of a new garrison company without any consultation of the officers of the companies already in existence. The formation of the new company was not considered to be for the good of the established corps. A matter which both officers and men have taken very much to heart in both the Petorie and' the Wellington Navals is the nonsyrtipathetio attitude of the Defence Department towards certain, men through circumstances which neither , the men ; nor their companies could control. The companies have been despoiled of, the year's capitation (£2 10s per man), and the men have been deprived of tho individual gratuity (£1) given for putting in the stipulated number of parades. These special cases are well known amongst volunteers... The Petone case, which, by the way, was considered to be a particularly hard-one,' concerned One of the smartest non-commissioned officers in the coldny's service. When the Navalsi were in camp a fire occurred at the works where this man was employed. He had to leave the camp, and worked night and day at the works as a matter of necessity and! urgency. -This resulted in his being absent from two parades of his company, and he not only lost his gratuity, but his continuous service, the length of which* just about entitled him to the long-service medal, was broken, and- his past faithfulness counts for naught. The Department would not admit any special circumstances as bearing oh the case, and docked, the non-oommissioned officer's time and money, and also his capitation duo to the company. A second caso, similar in nearly all points to the one just quoted, is on-the records of the Wellington Navals, but in the latter case there was this difference. The man was seriously injured Whilst actually at work on the gun when the company was in camp. He had to go out of camp, and although ho missed only one parade tho company lost his capitation fee and the man his gratuity, as well as any credit for his previous regular attendance at the parades of the year. In this case also the Department refused to recognise the special circumstances, oven though, as it is said in military circles, Major-General Babington recommended the ease for special treatment as exceptional. When Captain 801 l . was approached this morning on the subject of his resignation he replied, " The matter is not one for discussion."' Major R. C. Kirk, adjutant' on the ' Wellington divisional staff, also declined to discuss the matter. He said thare were- misunderstandings undoubtedly, but as ■ these might be re- . moved it was not in the interest of the public or the sen-ice that a discussion should take place. ■ '•