"LOOSE SCREWS"

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9871, 17 January 1918, Page 7

"LOOSE SCREWS"

IN NEW ZEALAND REINFOKOE- •! AIENT SYSTEM;'

A New Zealand soldier, writing from a, training camp in England, under date November 25th, after referring in caustic fashion to “obstacles” which ho says “are placed in the way of brilliant officers and men desirous of rising in the profession of asms,” goes on to discuss what he describes as “loose screws and bungling methods,” as follows;—■ . ;

“Newspapers could be filled day after day sotting forth methods that are adopted by our Defence office, and methods that are costing the country thousands. Here is an instance, and I-will refer to the New Zealand medical test. Hundreds and hundreds of men are being seat ovc-r here who have been out of action for years as far as warfare is concerned. Approximately, each of these men is costing the New Zealand Government at least £350 for the first year of ‘service.’ After being landed here they are medically examined by New Zealand doctors and turned down for active service, and classified 8.1. 11., III.; C. 1., 11., and 111. 0 class means permanently unfit.

‘‘Now, why in the name of Confucius should these men not be classified in New Zeataricf? The camps and convalescent hospitals here are crowded with such men., who are permitted to roam about the places, doing next to nothing, and suffering all sorts of inconveniences, while if they were sent back to New Zealand, nine out of ten could do useful -work for the country and themselves by way of assisting in production. Here, they are no earthly use to the country or to themselves. The whole business is simply farcical. ‘‘What, in the name of the gods, are pur legislators doing to allow such a farce to proceed, when the country is being drained of men, and industries are being neglected f No men with physical disabilities or physical weaknesses should be ever allowed to leave New Zealand. Then, again, the already impaired constitution? of these men become more and moro undermined as a result of drastic changes in climate and living.” Haring “for the time being dealt with this phase of things ( as they are,” the writer makes the following summary under the heading of ‘Tjmng”: “The quantity and quality of the food supplied to the troops i$ daily becoming more curtailed, and people In Now Zealand enjoying civil life have much to bo thankful for. We got little or no sugar, coarse and stale barley bread, and stew made mainly of vegetables. . . . The weather is intensely cold, and the moorland blasts here penetrate right to the marrow in one’s bones. And there are three months of infinitely worse climatic conditions ahead 1”