NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 29, 4 February 1916, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

NEW ZEALAND MAILS LOST. ADVICE TO POSTMASTER GENERAL. The Postmaster-General has had official notice from the New Zealand Base Army Post Office that on the 12th November last, 183 bags of New Zealand mails, chiefly parcels, and. containing 78 registered articles, were lost at sea. The parcels would be among those despatched from New Zealand on the 23rd September last, and addressed parcels of earlier despatches. • . ■ OBITUARY. AN AUCKLAND SOLICITOR. AUCKLAND, This Day. Mr. A. E. T. Devol, of the legal firm of Devol, Martin, and Prendergast, died at midnight, aged 72. Hewas ailing for some time, but was absent from his office only ten days. ARMY COMMISSIONS. . FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS. i SIX APPOINTMENTS MONTHLY. WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

An arrangement by which some of the returned soldiers now in New Zealand may secure commissions with the reinforcements was explained'to 'a reporter by the Minister for Defence. “We have decided to collect the names of possib’y suitable men here, and send them to the general for his decision. Returned non-commissioned

officers who desire to secure commissions, also privates who may think that they are able to qualify for commissioned rank, are invited to send their applications to the Defence Department in New Zealand. Applications will be referred to the general officer commanding, and he will select six men a month for commissions. Certain conditions may be laid down. It must be clearly understood by . the men that applicants should be only those who feel that they have some right to be considered in the allocation cf icommissions. All applicants will require to be medically fit, and

some men may require extra training before they leave New Zealand with the reinforcements, though they not be required to take the full usuH*

course. T,he fact that a man has fought in the trenches does not prove that he possesses full technical and general knowledge that an officer is required to pass.”