USELESS MOUTHS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1357, 19 June 1918, Page 4

USELESS MOUTHS.

A CAMP ANOMALY. EXPERIENCED N.C.O'S IDLE. [Special to The Son.] WELLINGTON, June IS. Among the men in camp at the present time are some returned X.C.O's with field experience. They include duty-furlough men of more than three years" service. These X.C.O's have been posted to "Details," and their job is to draw their rations and keep their buttons bright. The training staff, meanwhile, is busy instructing X.C.O. classes, in which recent recruits are being prepared to become temporary N.C.O 's with reinforcement drafts. Nearly all these temporary X.C.O's will revert to the ranks before they go into the trenches. The obvious question is: Why do not the authorities make use of the services of the experienced men already available, instead of training new corporals and sergeants for the reinforcements? The official answer is that the returned men belong to the division ami not to the reinforcements. But it is stated that some of the returned men have been in camp for months since the expiry of their leave.