WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

the ci men cojii'lalyj's of hardship. (Special Correspondent). i Wellington, Nov. 20. Drafts of Clmen from all over New Zealand are to enter the special training cam]) at. Tauherenikau this week. It is oxptvled (hat about (Hill men will be receive! before the end of the week, representing probably not fewer than 400 (it men to be transferred to later rein•oreements. Complaint has been made in some quarters that men have suffered hardship through being called up for training in the CI camp having been rejected and having, on the strength of their rejection, contracted business and domeslie liabilities. The Defence authorities cannot give much consideration to any hardship of the kind suggested. Every man of military age should understand that until he is actually discharged from the Expeditionary Force Reserve, on account of complete and irreparable unfitness, he is liable to be called upon for service during the present war. It is .obvious that a lowering of. the physical standard would bring in many men who have been declared unfit under present conditions. No lowering of the standard is at all likely, as far as foreign service '.is concerned, but the Defence authorities realise that a prolongation of the war beyond next year may make necessary the reartjn-tment of Home Service obligations. No man capable of rendering any service is entitled to regard himself as finally exempt. It may be said, in justice to the CI men, that the great majority of them enter camp and undergo training with every appearance of pleasure and pride. A big proportion of these men were volunteers originally and were keenly disappoint when they were rejected as medically unfit. They go into camp willingly and the enthusiasm they display in their training is an important, factor in producing the excellent results that have already been reported from the CI camp.

FAREWELLING SOLDTF.R.I When reinforcements are about to le:ivc New Zealand it is the practice now to announce in camp orders that on a certain day n. special train will leave Lambton Station, Wellington, for Trentliam camp. at. an hour fixed and will retun. to the city later. Till, train will convey ti.e next-of-kin of tlie departing soldiers to the camp, and the issue of tickets at concession rates by the Railway Department will be made only on the production by the ncxt-o" kin of a, letter , .' telegram from the soldier concerned. The camp orde: adds: "Troops embarking or" alone responsible that tlu-ir :ext-nf-k'm are :.Mified as to date and time of .".bare special train.

The explicit instructions of the Imperial authorities ma;ke it impossible that (he date if departure of transports should 1— flounced publicly. The New Zealand Government lias found it necessar- for the safety of shipping, to ex-r-hii' ■• >ll but, specially authorised persons from wharv--= It is not possible, under these conditions, to arrange for he next-of-kin to say farewell to their soldiers on the wharves, or at the waterfront, on the actual day of lepnrture. But the arrangement, outlined in camp orders makes it possible for the next-of-kin to spend several hours with the soldiers in camp on the day preceding the date of embarkation. provid ;, "r that they are informed by the soldi"r> of the t.im» of dopartnre of the special train and are ■•' '■• to reach Wellington 'n time to catch it. The Defence .-.uthorities cannot fix the dates of embni: ation far in advance, hi't they will try to give several days' notice to the sold'™" in all cases, in order that the next-of-kin may be informed by letter or tolefvam. DEFENCE FXPFA'DiTURF COMMISSION'. The appoirtment of the p.'.j.uiscd Com-' mission on Defence Expenditure is taking more lime than was expected. Some names hav been eonsidevd by the Minis-, ters. but the selection of the men, probably three in number, who are to investigate the financial methods and operations of the Defence Department has not yet been made. The Commission may be announced this week, after Mr. Massev returns from the North.

The commissioners will be required to undertake a task of very formidable proportions. The Defence Department has grown into a. very big institution indeed and there has been a tendency for its branches to move away from one another, each developing on its. own lines. Lack of co-ordination is one of the evils that a lay observer can detect for himself. Tales of extravagant Defence expenditure, due very often to overlapping and duplication, are familiar and it will he for the commission to discover whether or not they are wellfounded.