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Far too much Telegraphing. It must be admitted that the Defence Department is far too prone to telegraph needlessly ; and present quantities should be rigorously cut down. Probably because it has not to pay in cash, the Defence Department has not realized what the sending of urgent telegrams means. Many telegrams are not necessary at all- — letters would do equally well ; but telegrams are marked " Urgent ' (double rates) without due regard to necessity. Various instances were quoted us of " urgent " telegra \ s being sent from, branches of Defence in. Wellington, to men stationed within, the City of Wellington, which could have been delivered to the addressees at a nominal price by letter by hand, and in less time than occupied by the Telegraph Office in preparing and delivering a telegram. Unnecessary telegrams are sent also, for instance, to and from Palmerston North, Wellington-Auckland, Wellington Christchurch, WellingtonNelson, the contents of which could easily go by post, or, if they had to be telegraphed, could go at ordinary rates instead of urgent (double) rates, and be condensed often to two-thirds without any risk of obscuring the meaning. On one occasion, the. ordinary telegraph business at Wellington was held up for some hours owing to the large number of " urgent " Defence telegrams going through without urgent reason, and very serious trouble in consequence was narrowly averted, another Government Department being affected, which, studying reasonable economy, allowed its telegrams to go through at ordinary rates. It would be well, if some method of check could be arranged whereby the Post and Telegraph. Department could report periodically to the Defence authorities, for there is really a large amount of money wasted by Defence in excessive telegraphing. Soldier's Discharge Certificate. Each soldier on. discharge from the Expeditionary Force receives a certificate of discharge setting forth the length of his service, which, among other things, bears testimony to his conduct while on service. The qualifications vary through " Very good," " Good," ' Fair," and " Bad," and we were very surprised to find that the first could not be obtained without a service of two years and a half. It was admitted that a perfectly colourless individual, of no particular use as civilian or as soldier, who had served for two years and a half, and who had been speeded on. his homeward way without one sigh of regret from, his fellows, but who during his service had not been found out in any crime or misdemeanour received a conduct certificate on leaving the New Zealand Army " Very good." A gallant soldier, a leader among his fellows, perhaps passed out of his regiment through a hospital, beloved and admired, by his comrades, with two years and five months' service to his credit, would be marked " Good." Is that sort of oddity more amusing or pathetic ? When explanation was demanded we had good old " King's Regulations " — framed for a standing Army of long-service men —thrown in our faces ; but " King's I legal ations " were found "Not guilty," as they do not stipulate two years and a half, their minimum for long-service soldiers to obtain " Very good " being six years. To accentuate the feebleness, there is nothing on the discharge certificate to explain how and why the different conduct grades are awarded. This should Ire altered without delay. A gallant soldier who has behaved well should receive his full meed of praise if, through wounds or even sickness, he has to leave the Army after only a few months. Employers to whom these certificates may be offered as credentials for employment should know that their real worth is to show that during the military career' of a discharged soldier he was neither drunken nor insubordinate. His other qualities are in no way alluded to. These certificates, too, are not so much for to-day ; they will be handed reverently as priceless heirlooms in the far future. The Mosaic Law. The cabled, casualty reports from abroad include all. cases in hospital, even for quite minor ailments, such as corns, bunions, warts, toothache, and, oddly enough, for circumcision, These disablements are purely of a temporary nature,