DEFENCE MATTERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9788, 11 October 1917, Page 3

DEFENCE MATTERS

A MILITARY OVERCOAT WHY DISCHARGED SOLDIER WAS FIXED FOR WEARIXG IT. A statement in Parliament yesterday by the Minister for Defence (the Hon. Sir James Allen) with regard To the discharged soldier who was brought up in court at Wairoa and fined 10s and is costs for wearing a military overcoat. The Minister stated that delay had occurred in obtaining the particulars ct the case owing to the wrong name having been given in the paper. Proceedings, ho added, were only taken after the man had been twice warned by the area otheer and, twice by the police; and it was reported that tho second time he was warned by the police ho returned an impudent answer. COST OF BURIALS >T HOME. Sir James Allen stated in th? House of Representatives yesterday that he had received a communication irom the Imperial authorities convey ng their proposals with regard to the cost of the burial of colonial officers and men who died in the Old Country, ana asking whether the New Zealand Govornment approved of the same. In the case of officers the limit was fixed at £lO, and in the case of men at £5 over and above the necessary cost of the grave, and General Richardson considered the proposals quite satisfactory, and tho Government had replied approving and gratefully accepting the offer. MEN OF FORTY-FOUR. In reply to a question by Mr Hunter (Waipawa), the Defence Minister said; •‘The District Medical Boards have been instructed, on the recommendation of the Director-General of Medical Services, to classify all men who have attained their forty-fourth birthday when drawn in the ballot as C2, as experience has shown that men of This age are not able to stand Tire strain of active service. These reservists are thereupon granted indefinite ' leave, without pay, and are free to continue in their civil employment/’ SOLDIERS’ PAY. It has been reported by Headquarters, Now Zealand Expeditionary Force., that the tret rate of pay for issue in the field is quite sufficient to meet all needs while the men are on service or in camp in Franco, said Sir James Allen yesterday, in reply to a question by Mr Parr (Eden), it has aleo been reported that a large amount of money remitted to soldiers in the field is squandered by the men, and in I consequence when they go to England on furlough they have no cash to carry 1 them over their furlough, and they make continued applications to the High Commissioner’s Office and to the War Contingent Association for grants to enable them to visit various parts of England. The order issued by tho General Officer Commanding was principally in the interests of the men, so that when they receive their furlough to London they will have sufficient cash available for their needs. The remitting of money to men at the front has reached large proportions and entails a vast amount of labour on tho part of the pay staff both in Now Zealand and at the front. It is not considered advisable to relax tho order referred to. ■ .. Mr Parr resented the suggestion that the men squandered money, purely they were capable of looking after themselves. The present regulation was utterly unnecessary. TRANSPORT FITTINGS. “Strict supervision is always exercised over all timber and other fittings placed on transports. Seasoned timber is always used, no other being suitable for transport fittings, stated the Minister for Defence m Parliament yesterday, replying to a question by Mr R. A. Wright, M.P. TROOPSHIP CORDIALS. In a printed reply to a question by ■Mr R. Fletcher, M.P., as to sixpence being charged for threepenny bottles of cordial waters on a recent troopship, the Defence Minister stated yesterday : ‘ ‘The canteens on the transports are conducted solely for tho benefit of the troops, under departmental instructions. The requisite supplies of mineral waters, cordials, etc., are obtained by the department under public tender, and selling prices are fixed at the smallest possible increase on cost prices. All profits over actual cost of the goods are devoted to the benefit of the troops, for the relief of distressed or wounded soldiers, and are ultimately distributed pro rata to the units concerned. Tho canteen committee has, in each instance, original copies of the invoices for the goods so supplied under tender, to enable the canteen to be conducted on a proper basis, and under the canteen regulations the officer commanding has authority to vary prices if expedient. As regards cordials, breakages (which are practically impossible to eliminate on board ship) and loss from climatic conditions generally, preclude any small profit to the canteen on this line. It is, of course, necessary that the actual cost of stock should be recouped, and owing to supplies being obtained under tender, and no running expenses involved, prices generally are most favourable.” COMMAND OF THE AIR. NHIV ZEALAND’S SHARE. The following question was given notice of some days ago by Mr C.- J. Talbot, M.P. for Temuka, “Whether, in viow’of the feet that the command of the air is of growing importance in tho winning of tho war and: in tho shortening of the conflict, the Governance, t will take into consideration the question of training as many men as •possible in aircraft, either in the air schools already established in the Dominion, or, in the alternative, in air schools to be instituted by tho Government?” “It would seem” (he ■added) “as if superiority in the air is essential to the eariy winning of the war, and as a movement is on foot in the Dominion to present the Imperial Government with a number of aircraft, it would appear to be advisable to train the men locally. In any case, the airmen would be valuable at the front, and in the Dominion at the con - elusion of the war.” _ The Minister for ' Defence replied

yesterday afternoon: “Every assistance as given to the two existing schools to enable candidates to quality for the Royal Flying Corps. It is not considered advisable to enter upon large expenditure on aviation until expertadvisers, who have had experience in the present war, are available to advise the Government as to the best policy to be adopted. ’ SOLDIERS’ INSURANCE PREMIUMS. “Subject to the circumstances of the individual case warranting a grant of financial assistance, the Soldiers Financial Assistance Board will grant insurance premiums on policies taken out somo time prior to the date of enlistment of the soldier, or to his being called up in the ballot,” stated Cir James Allen, in reply to a question by Mr Okey (Taranaki). “New policies up to £2OO will be recognised by the board where there is no existing policy, bat only in cases where the soldier has dependents and is contributing towards their support.” Mr Okey said the country wns being misled about the actions of the Financial Assistance Board in this respect. Where such grants should be by right they were only made in special cases. TERRITORIAL OFFICERS AND SECOND DIVISION. “Whilst recognising the good work done by Territorial officers belonging to the Second Division,” stated the Defence Minister yesterday, in reply to a question by .Mr R. A. Wright., “it is regretted that no guarantee can bo given that all such officers will bo appointed to the Expeditionary Force with commissioned rank. The position is due to the fact t/llat largo numbers of officers trained in the field are being returned to New Zealand for duty in connection, with tho training and officering of reinforcements. As many Second Division officers as possible will be granted appointments in the •Expeditionary Force, but the commissions of those who may bo required to proceed abroad in tho ranks will bo respected during their absence."’ HELPING SOLDIER, FARMERS. “This matter is now under consideration,,” stated the Defence Minister yesterday, in reply to- tho following question by Mr J. A. Young (Waikato): What does the Government propose to do this session in tho matter of making provision for advances, beyond that ordinarily available to settlers and workers, to assist returned soldiers of reliable character who, other than those taking up land to settle on, may desire to set up in approved businesses or establish homes for themselves and their dependents? A DEFEINCE ERROR EXPLAINED. The caso of Corporal Harry F. Barnes, Ruahine Company, 21st Reinforcements, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, of Te Kmti, whose allocation pay to his mother was stopped on tho ground that ho was absent without leavo from May 22nd, was the subject of a question to the Defence Minister recently by Mr Jennings (Taumarunui). In reply yesterday, Sir James Allen said: “Cabled advice was received that Corporal Barnes was reported ‘absent without leave as from May 22nd, 1R17, : and a further cable ramo to hand on July 27th. stating that he was still absent. In view of the correspondence received in the Defence Deportment a cable was sent to Headquarters, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, in London, on September 16th, asking the present position, and a reply was received on tho 28th idem to tfi© effect that Barnes was posted as an absentee in error. In all cases where a soldier is reported ‘absent without leave,’ tbe allotment is suspended until such time as he is reported ns having rejoined his : unit. In this particular caso the allotment was cancelled on July 31st, but has now been reinstated from August Ist.” AN IXTEREctTnG RETURN. An iliterosting return was laid on the table of the House of Representatives yosten-day by Sir James Allen showing the' number of officers with and •without war experience employed at the four Now Zealand military camps. Tho return showed that tho total number of permanent staff officers employed at tho four camps was ninety, officers with experience at the present war fifty-one, without experience at the front thirty-eight, with experience in previous campaigns thirteen, returned officers forty, returned men of other ranks 190. Tho return was compiled at tho request of Mr T. A. H. Field (Nelson).