SELECTING NON-COMS.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3050, 11 April 1917, Page 4

SELECTING NON-COMS.

ALTERATION IN THE SYSTEM '' CHOICE BY MERIT The system by which non -conimis> sioned officers are selected for the sue cessive drafts of reinforcements in. camp, has been altered recently. Hitherto it has 'been the practice' to select from ..the .voluntary recruits offering sufficient of the best men to supply tho whole draft with I'.on-eomniissioneo/ officers, and to put tl::se men through' an intensive course of training before the arrival in camp of the'untrained ; recruits. Suitable men were invited 1 to apply for admission to the noncoms.' special class, and admission, was, granted on the recommendation, of the officer commanding tho district Ut which the applicant belonged. There , were obvious objections to this system: ■ in its application to balloted men, tocause the O.C. the 'district could never, take notice of any 'but volunteers, and it has been of the authorities to draw no distinctions between volunteers and conscripts. This ..preliminary selection has now been abolished,: and tho non-commissioned officers are' to be selected in camp. "We are taking no more probation*: ary n.c.o.'s into camp now," said the>; Defence Minister, explaining this."mat-; tor yesterday. "All the men are com - ! ing into camp equal, and we are inak-'i ing the'choice in camp of the men! most suitable' for the special training! class. The selection is to bo made not' on' tho. recommendation of' the Officer; Commanding the district, 'but "on. tlfeij merit of ,tli e man himself. There' axel; so few commissions being granted l nowi] in New Zealand owing to so many. beH ing given to men promoted: ato thgrj front, that' we have come to the :con-; elusion that it is best-to bring them' all in and give' everybody -an eqnaF chance, .balloted men "and volunteers alike. Merit will he the only deciding factor, and the man ' who can ' show to the training staff that he has capacity will get promotion."