ARMY REGULATION AND COMMONSENSE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2479, 4 June 1915, Page 6

ARMY REGULATION AND COMMONSENSE.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —Tho Defence Oliico published regulations governing accepted recruits, and one clause reads: Weight not to exceed 12 stone. Now, Sir, I understand that the British Army regulations where drawn up by tho first Duko of Marlborough, hundreds of years ago. With all our boasted advancement wo are "as you were." I'robably in thoso old days a twelve-stone man was abnormal, and ho may he so yet in Great Britain, but wdiat about New Zealand? Personally, when I was eighteen years old, I weighed twelve and a half stone, and was working as a navvy. AVitli a life-long experience, 1, make bold to say that you can go into any navvy or bush camp, where thero are twenty men. and you will not find fivo per cent, of them under' twelve stone. By the Army Regulations, these men aro barred from serving their country, and are called shirkers. Now, Sir, as a Now Zealander, I would advise the Minister of .Defence to consign the Army Regulations to the waste-paper basliet, and instruct the doctors to pass each man on liis merits, and I am satisfied thero will be no want of recruits.—l am, etc., TOO HEAVY.