OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9108, 30 March 1908, Page 2

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

THE JOHNSONYILLE RIFLES. Press Association. "Wellington, March 27. An interesting and position has occurred in connection with the Johnsouvillo Yolunteer Rifles, and ic is understood that the Council of Defence is about to take the matter into consideration.’ The troubles began with the election, of the officers of the Company. Both were elected at the same time, but the Company wanted one to he senior and the other |to he junior. The Defence Department, however, could not fall in with their wishes as a section of “The Defence Act, 1886,” says:—“Where any commissions of like rank bear the same date the holders thereof respectively shall rank according to the dates of their prior commissions, then the aforesaid holders shall take rank alphabetically in the order of their surnames. ’ ’ That was done, and hence L the trouble. The next step was for some 31 members of the company signing a “round robin, ” asking for the removal of a certain officer. That, the Department considered, was an act of insubordination under the Act. The 0.0. D. himself conld have dealt with it, but, as there was a good deal of feeling about the matter, he had a court of inquiry set up, and four of the 111011 who had signed the “round robin’’ were charged before it with insubordination. The result of the inquiry has not yet been made public officially, but there is a general impression among those interested that the Conrt found the four men guilty. So far, however, no further steps have been taken by the authorities. No one knows (officially) whether the men are to be dismissed or reinstated, or whether they are still to regard themselves as Volunteers or not. The result is that over 40 of the members of the corps (there are only about 50 altogether) have_ tendered their resignations to Captain Moore, and at the weekly parade last night only six men put in an appearance. With regard to the resignations, however, the position is not quite so simple as. might be The Johnsouville Rifles have only been in existence for about sis months, and section 53 of the Defence Act, 18SG, says Any Yolunteer when on actual military service may quit his corps,’’ on complying with certain conditions, one of which is the giving of three months’ notice t terminate during the months of January or June (by the Act of last session the notice must terminate in March or September). He must also pay all money due or becoming due hy him under the rules of his corps also.

The question has been raised whether a Volunteer whose conduct is still the subject of inquiry by a military court (for the court of iuquirv’s report has not jot been acteu upon) is not technically under arrest, and therefore is not in a position to resign, apart altogether from the question of whether any Volunteer can resign until he has completed a year's service.