BAD BUSINESS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 887, 5 August 1910, Page 4

BAD BUSINESS

The indifference , shown by the House of Representatives yesterday to tho announcement that Colonel Davies had been permitted to accept a command at Aldershot is very surprising. Sir Joseph Ward appeared to think that it was' inevitable that the proposal of -tho War, Office should be acceded to,-and Mr. Massey contented himself with a polite expression of regret that the Dominion should lose the services of so valued an officer. The facts of the position appear to call for very different treatment. Colonel Davies has had a long and honourable connection with the New Zealand Forces. He joined as a subaltern in the Hawera Mounted Rifles in 1895, and his rapid rise as a volunteer officer, his distinguished career' while holding various commands in South Africa, culminating .in 19C6 with his elevation to the responsible position of Inspector-General of the New Zealand Forces, have marked him as _a military officer of conspicuous ability, and the compliment he has just received at the hands of the Imperial War Office is no doubt fully warra-nted. When this is said, however, there remains an aspect of the matter which calls for inquiry and possibly protest. Colonel Davies was sent Home to Aldershot last year for twelve months' training, and during that period—the term has just closed—he drew the full salary of his position as In-spector-General—£siis, increased in this yeai's Estimates to £625. Wc presume, further, that all his travelling and out-of-pocket expenses have also been paid by the New Zealand Government. For this outlay we receive in return a compliment to a New Zealand officer. New Zealand spends its' money, and sacrifices the services of this officer for twelve months, in the expectation of deriving the benefit of the experience he gains while in England; and instead of getting that benefit it loses his services altogether. Is a worse business arrangement from the Dominion's point of view conceivable? It is idle to pretend that the appointment is one of any serious, importance to the War Office, but the losb of Colonel Davies's services under such circumstances is no light matter to the Dominion. The country is just inaugurating a new system ot defence, and the extreme scarcity oi capable officers affords ample justification for regarding the future with misgivings. While we have no desire to deny to, New Zealand officers the opportunity of attaining such advancement in the Imperial Army as their abilities may'command, wtcertainly think that befove incurring the heavy expense of sending oui officers to England for • training some guarantee should be given that the country will receive some material return for such expenditure, and that the additional experience gained during a term with the Imperial Forces shall be at the service of the New Zealand Forces for a definite period afterwards. • It is possible_ that the. Minister for Defence will be able to afford some explanation which will show this incident in a more pleasant light than it appears on the surface. If such explanation exists it is a pity that it was not mado yesterday when the announcement of Colonel Davies's appointment was made to Parliament.

A petition containing about 150 signatures (described as the first instalment) was received by tho Miramar Borough Council last evening in connection with the tramways. The petitioners asked that the resolution adopted by tho Council with respect to tho increase in the car fares be rescinded, and the old scale rovcrted to. It was decided to inform the petitioners that the matter had been finally dealt-with by tho council.