COMMISSIONS IN THE ARMY

{SrECIAL TO "THE PKE9S.") WELLINGTON, August 24. Some time ago Mr Heaton Rhodes meved for a return showing the number of com missions offered to the colony by the Im perial Government, the conditions under which they were offered, the number of applications for these commissions, and the number of applicants recommended by th# Government. The return was presented to Parliament to-day, and showed that the number of applications received are eixty one. There are ten commissions offered «5 the Royal Artilleiy, and twenty in the infantry. They are offered to gentlemen selected by the Government after consulta tion with the Imperial officer cow.ma.ndmg the local forces. Candidates must t» British subjects of good character, between the ages of twenty and thirty, unmarried, and passed by a medical board. The Gov* eminent have not recommended any ap plicants, but have asked Lord Roberts to distribute twenty of the commission* amongst the officers, non-commissioned of ficers, and men. now in South Africa. Captain Russell once more urged the Premier to take immediate action in the ie terests of the men who would receive ths commissions. The Premier, in reply to Captain Rip sell, said he would be accused of giving spoils to the victors if he made any recommend?/* tions ass to who should have the commis sions. Before the war was. over, how "could he tell who deserved them, Irfnd Roberts ha 4 been ask«d to select men for twenty of the commissions. Tliis would leave ten of the commissions to be offered by the Gov ernment after the war. There would not, he assured hon. members, be any question of politics or party in connection with the re commendations for these commissions. As a matter of fact 95 per cent, of the officers at the front belonged to the party opposed to the Government. Mr Pirani—Hear, hear! That shows where you get your loyal men from. Mr Seddon went on to refer to the at tempts that had been successfully made to get memb?rs of the various New Zealand Contingents to join the South African police, and said those l-esponsible for the administrji" tion of affairs iri South Africa had, in this matter, done a great injustice to tha colonies. That action was reprehensible in tho extreme, and he repeated it had beas done deliberately.
