TOO MANY OFFICERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 8

TOO MANY OFFICERS.

REDUCING DEFENCE STAFF, 25 PER CENT. TO RETIRE. NAMES NOW DECIDED UPON. [by telegraph.—mESS association-.] WELLINGTON. Friday. In accordance with the Government's policy of reducing the personnel of the Defence Department to a minimum, consistent with maintaining a maximum amount of efficiency, an announcement was made recently that a number of officers in the New Zealand Staff Corps and Royal New Zealand Artillery would be retired. The intention of the authorities, it is understood, is to reduce th« strength of the staff corps and lommissioned ranks of the permanent force by about 25 per cent., and there if much speculation among 'officer? a? to whose fate it would be to be given notice. The names of those who are to ~ 0 have now been decided iipcn. and it is expected that within a few (lays tK 9 officers affected will have rf-eiwd intimation that their services wiil no longer ba required. There are at present alu.i.t 1-4 officers in the staff corps and R.N" >'. A . arid all but six have seen active service, either in the South African or the late war, and some in both wars.