THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21212, 18 December 1930, Page 12

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

DISMISSAL OF OFFICERS. GOVERNMENT’S ACTION CONDEMNED. (Per UuiTEn Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 17. The latest action of the Government in dismissing 114 officers of the Defence Department was considered at a meeting of the General Council of the National Defence League of New Zealand this evening, when the following resolution was carried;—"That this meeting of the General Council of the National Defence League of New Zealand enters its emphatic protest against the action of the Government in effecting a further drastic cut in the already gravely-depleted defence forces of the country. In doing so it earnestly draws the attention of the people of New Zealand to the following aspects of the Government’s action: (1) That while this third cut in the defence vote within a period of a few months is made in the name of effecting economy it is directed solely at the Defence . Department, which has already been called upon to meet the brunt of the Government’s previous economy measures; (2) that the services of highly-efficient military and civil officers (whose only fault is that they have served their country) have been dispensed with, thereby gravely impairing the efficiency of the present staff, threatening the security of the tenure of office of the remainder, and endangering the future chances of recovery; (3)that the Government by cancelling the holding of training camps for territorial and senior cadet officers and N.C.O.’s, dismissing 114 officers of the permanent staff, and cutting out refresher courses for the Air Force has gone back on the pledges it gave to Parliament only as recently as last session; (4) that in summarily dismissing 114 officers of the Defence Department without any suitable recognition or appreciation of their past services and without making any prior explanation to the country, Cabinet has been guilty of callous conduct, which is not worthy of the New Zealand Government; (5) that in selecting the Christmas period for the dismissal of loyal and faithful servants merely because they belong to the Defence Department, the Government has acted in a manner that will not appeal to the generous instincts of the majority of the citizens of this country.”