THE HON. MR ALLEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16348, 3 April 1915, Page 12

THE HON. MR ALLEN

SAYINGS BANK RETURNS. OFFER OF A STATIONARY HOSPITAL. NURSES FOR THE FRONT. TREATMENT OF SICK AND WOUNDED. METHOD OF APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS. A Daily Times reporter who waited on u 6 i n " ■^' cn hist night found that '\ir°n sentleiuan had just received from Wellington a telegram giving the Post Office Savings Bank returns from March 1 to March, 23. In that period there was an excess of deposits over withdrawals amounting _to £113,744-. In tho corresponding period of tho preceding year there was an excess of withdrawals over deposits amounting to £8303.

Mr Allen had some further information about the • stationary hospital i which New Zealand is sending away. Tho offer, he says, was made to the Army Council, which has accepted it, and the men will leaive shortly for a destination which has not been made known to him so far. Altogether 100 men will go—eight medical men, with a lieutenant-colonel at tho head of them; a warrant officer, and non-commissioned ofiicers and ambulance men. The instructions are that the medical officers are to be selected from medical men 'who belong to the New Zealand Army Medical Service, preference being given to those who have done work as Territorial ofiicers. Ihe New Zealand Army Nursing Service, comprising 50 nurses, who have been placed by tho Government at tho disposal of the Army Council, will leave Wellington next Thursday for England. The 12 nurses who left this week for Australia to join the Australian Nurses' Contingent will proceed to tho base hospital in France which is connected with the Australian forces. With regard to the sick and wounded, tho probabilities are that those who are rendered unfit for further service in Egypt or elsewhere, and who do not require special medical treatment, will be returned- to Now Zealand. Other sick and wounded cases will be sent to England direct for treatment there.

" There has been a good deal of talk lately," said Mr Allen, " about the appointment of officers to the Expeditionary Force. Now, .this is the procedure: The Defence Headquarters in Wellington have issued instructions that the officers commanding the military districts —Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago—-are to send m the names of officers for each reinforcement draft with .their recommendations. The officers commanding districts are held lespon6iblo for the selection of suitable officers to procced on probation to Trentham camp for preliminary training Their instructions axe that they are to- give preference to Territorial officer?, but if thero is not a sufficient number of Territorial officers they can 6end on those who have passed the first appointment examination for commissions. Only in two or three instances have officers been sent in who have not so qualified. It must be understood that all the best officers cannot expect to get away at once with the same draft. Reinforcement drafts have to be prepared every two months, and lists of suitable and capable officers must be maintained for each draft. On arrival at Trentham the officers will ; go through a preliminary course of four weeks' training before the arrival of their men. If an officer is found unsuitable after he gets into camp he is either turned' down or accepted on probation for a junior rank. All officers continue on probation until within a week before they sail for the front, when they are duly gazetted.

"It is proposed to fill some of the vacancies that may occur among the ranks of the officers in, Trentham camp by promoting a number of suitable non-commissioned officera from the ranks. These promotions will bo based on the work done iri Trentham camp, and only the most efficient sergeants will be promoted. Even in this case, it will be insisted on that these non-commissioned officers before promotion , shall have passed the prescribed examination for first appointment. If they have not already passed, those specially selected will be given an opportunity to do. so. In making these promotions from the in Trentham, it is not intended to promote from one reinforcement draft to go as officers with another: In drder. that the training may be progressive. and complete, it is necessary for officers, non-commissioned officers, and men to go through the full syllabus of training laid down. To> transfer them would involve the training being interrupted and incomplete. The selection for commissions a 6 second lieutenants will be made only three weeks before the sailing ,of the reinforcement draft concerned." ■

t Thus_, it will be seen, the Minister added, " that in the first instance, officers commanding districts are primarily responsible for the selection of officers. This is essential, as the officers commanding districts have the greatest knowledge of the capabilities of the officers under their command. Once they get into Trentham camp they are judged entirely on the capacity .they show for their work and on their power to command men. The officers who comprise the staff at Trentham and the chief of the general staff are directly responsible to the Minister for the recommendations they make to him finally, and I have every confidence that, these final recommendations are thoroughly eound."