TREATMENT OF OFFICERS BY THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 388, 28 October 1868, Page 3

TREATMENT OF OFFICERS BY THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT.

One of the bravest non-commis-sioned officers in the Patea Field Force—Sergt. Major Anderson of the mounted constabulary, was, a month ago, recommended for promotion for repeated acts of bravery during several actions iu which he has taken part during the last four or five years, and for uniform steady and good conduct. In compliance with that recommendation he has been gazetted as Ensign, date of commission 7th September, 1868. Immediately on his promotion he was told by Major Frazer, now temporarily in command of the Patea district, that his services were dispensed with, and thus one of the ablest officers at the front had to find his way to Wanganui as a private gentleman simply because he had the misfortune to be promoted! The " Gazette" of the 10th instant, which announces Mr Anderson's promotion, also contains the following curt notice : —" His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to disband the undermentioned:— " The No. 5 Division Armed Constabulary, for mutinous conduct in the field " (Signed) T. M. Haultain. That No. 5 Bmsion was composed of Von Tetnpsky's men, the bravest fellows at the Front. During the last five years most of them have fought upon the East and West Coasts, and even after being disbanded a few of them fought a fortnight ago when on escort duty bet ween Patea and Kakaramea, where one of them was shot dead, and the remaining few refused to retire until they paid the rebels off, and carried away their dead comrade. It is men like these that Colonel Haultain recommends to be disbanded, whilst he seeks to enlist raw levies in the city of Auckland and elsewhere, to be drafted off to Patea, there to be either disciplined by Col. Whitmore during the next twelve months, or sent at once to encounter Tito Kowaru and his old warriors in their mountain fastnesses. The latter alternative would be a sacrifice of life, the first a link in the chain of that policy which perpetuates the " Native Difficulty." When officers and men are well disciplined, for years inured to hardship and bush-fighting, then disband and discharge them; enlist raw recruits, exercise patronage in the bestowal of commissions upon men totally unfit to command, steadily pursue this policy, and you indefinitely prolong the " Difficulty," and not only defy any vote of the House to abolish the Defence Department, but actually compel the same hon. members to vote another hundred thousand a-year for " Native purposes." Great is the Tito Kowaru ! —" Wanganui Times."