THE DEFENCE DEPARTMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17687, 26 July 1919, Page 9

THE DEFENCE DEPARTMENT

ECONOMY AND EFUCIENOT ATMir.n AT. RK'UWUSTMENTS PROCEEDING. (Peb United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 24. In a Gazette notice published frhig week a large number of appointments in the department have begn aooistted. The reductions are carried out as part of the central plan of reconstruction to reduce the staff to a peace footing. Most of the appointment® which have been cancelled are those of directors and deputy-dirc-ctors of the administrative departments, which « were brought into existence during the war to deal with matters incidental to tho formation and maintenance of tiie New Zealand Expeditionary Force overseas. The matters dea.lt with were of considerable magnitude, and these branches of necessity rapidly grew in importance, but the need for their existence has now passed. The department of the Adjutant-general and Quartermaster-general are remodelled, and with other administrative departments are brought under the direct control of tho general officer in charge of th e administration. Hitherto there have been three stafilo viz., tho General Staff, the Adjutantgeneral s Staff, and tho Quartermastergeneral s Staff, and a number of director* a vrf- Under the new organisation there wili be no Adjutant-general and no Quar-termaster-general, but selected officers of the General Staff will be allotted to the secu°n\ of. the staff to perform the duties which hitherto had been carried out by the Adjutant-general's and . Quartermastergeneral s departments—viz., (a) the section Healing with training operations and intelligence (b) tho section dealing with person(c) the section dealing with the supply and maintenance of the Defence Forces. ©Members of the New Zealand Staff Corps, officers employed in these sections, either afc General Headquarters or District Headquarters, will be designated "Staff officers " All Staff officers may bo called upon to perform. administrative cor training duties, and will be expected in the future to work among the troops as much as nossibLe, arid to assist regimental officers of the Territorial Forces in the training and administrates of their commands. They will therefore require to maintain a high stata of efficiency. •

A large number of the Nevf Zealand Staff officers have had considerable cxpeiionce in the war. Many have rendered distinguished service. But there aro insufficient qualified officers to fill tho existing vacancies caused by the number of Staff Corps officers who have been killed or rendered unfit by wounds or racknees during the war and retirements; therefore, about 40 or 50 officers of tho Territorial Force, who have served in the NJZ.E.F„ will\ shortly be selected for admission to the Staff Corps, m order to ensuro the continued ofhciency of the officers of the Staff Corps. A course of instruction will be held annually, when each officer will be required to undergo training in various branches, both a3 regards dnll and tactics and administrative staff duties. Only t-boso who maintain a high standard will be eligible for promotion. The object aimed at in these changes is economy and efficiency. (FBOMj Ods OWN Cosotisponbsiit.) WELLINGTON, July 25. Some commotion has been caused Defence Headquarters by the ' orders relatmg to the reduction of, establishment. Tho estabbshment lias been unduly largo for months past considering the reduced amount i N7 ? r,c to be done. Some of the men who have been holding easy jobs for years have now practically received notice, to get otner work, for a very large number of appointments have been abolished. Tha gravest concern of all has been caused by the warning given by General Richardson that in future no man need consider himself safe m a position in tho Staff Corps unices he ctm prove in periodical. examinations that he is efficient, and by tho warning that staff officers will be required to do more with troops than has been required of them hitherto. These notifications, along with the warning that territonal officers with war service are to bo admitted to the Staff Corps, must moan that some of tho officers holding appointments in the Staff Corps will have to hand thorn oyer shortly to men better qualified to fill them.