Feb. 28.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 383

42. If a vacancy arises for a subaltern in any corps or com-
    pany the commanding officer of the corps will, within a reason-
    able time, submit to the senior officer of his branch of the
    service the name of a candidate for appointment, and, as laid
    down in the foregoing paragraph, an acting appointment may
    be made.

43. On acting officers passing the prescribed examination the
    Commander of the Forces will recommend to the Defence
    Minister that a commission be issued.

44. When acting appointments are granted in a corps no pro-
    motions will be gazetted until the required examinations have
    been passed by the officer or officers on whom the acting ap-
    pointments have been conferred.

45. Commissions of officers attached to corps will be issued
    in the name of the particular corps to which they belong; but
    all other officers may be appointed to special corps, or to the
    Volunteer list generally, as may appear necessary.

46. The commission of an officer dates from the day he
    passes his examination, but officers of Naval Artillery, Artillery,
    and Engineers will be allowed nine months to qualify them-
    selves for their respective examinations.

47. The examinations will be held on the first Wednesday in
    each quarter of the Volunteer year. Acting officers must pre-
    sent themselves for examination within the period of their
    acting appointment.

48. The ages at which candidates for commissions in the
    Volunteer Force are eligible for appointment will be as
    follows:—
    Naval Artillery :—
    Lieutenant-Commander ... 21 years and upwards.
    Lieutenant ... ... 18 ,,
    Naval Cadets ... ... 14 ,,
    Other branches:—
    Captain ... ... 21 years and upwards.
    Lieutenant ... ... 18 ,,

49. Should a vacancy arise in the command of any corps or
    company the senior officer of that branch in the district will
    recommend, or state his reasons why he does not recommend,
    the senior subaltern of the corps or company for promotion.

50. If he recommends the promotion the Officer Command-
    ing the District will satisfy himself that the officer is fitted for
    promotion, and will then recommend that an acting appoint-
    ment may be made if the officer has not passed for promotion,
    or that a commission may be issued if he has so passed.

51. The Commander of the Forces will either make the
    acting appointment or else recommend the Defence Minister
    that a commission in the higher rank be issued.

52. Six months are allowed from the date of the acting
    appointment for the officer to pass the prescribed examination.
    Failure to comply with this will entail the cancelling of the
    acting appointment and the reverting of the officer to his forme
    rank. A further acting appointment for three months only
    may be made.

53. The highest rank that may be held by officers in com-
    mand of corps or companies is: For Naval Artillery, Lieutenant-
    Commanders with relative rank of Captain; for other branches
    of the service, Captain.

54. Promotion to field rank will be made by selection and
    on the advice of the Commander of the Forces.

55. Officers promoted to field rank must pass the prescribed
    examination within six months of appointment.

56. An officer may be transferred from one corps or company
    to another corps or company of the same branch of the service
    in the same rank, but he shall rank as junior in his rank in
    the new corps or company.

57. An officer may be transferred from one corps or company
    to another corps or company of another branch of the service
    in the same rank, but as junior of that rank in his new corps,
    provided that he passes the prescribed examination for his
    rank in the new branch of the service within six months of
    transfer.

58. An officer may be promoted on the recommendation of
    the Commander of the Forces into another corps or company,
    provided that within six months thereafter he passes the
    prescribed examination for the rank and branch of the service
    into which he is promoted.

59. Officers will not be permitted to pass the examination for
    promotion to the next higher rank until they have completed
    three years' service in their own rank, unless for the purpose of
    actual promotion.

60. Every officer must possess a competent knowledge of
    his duties, and give a proper attendance to the drills of his
    corps, and the administrative duties connected therewith; and
    any officer who does not attend the number of drills prescribed
    for the enrolled Volunteers to qualify them for capitation must
    make good the amount of such capitation to the funds of his
    corps, and will not be allowed to retain his commission, unless
    the Officer Commanding the District is satisfied that there are
    special reasons for a relaxation of this regulation.

61. Commanding Officers of Corps will report any casualty in
    the corps, without delay, direct to the Officer Commanding
    the District, and submit for acceptance the resignations of
    officers of their respective corps.

62. On the disbandment of any corps the commissions of all
    officers therein shall lapse, except they be transferred to other
    corps or to the Reserve.

63. Officers who bring satisfactory proof that they have
    served in a similar arm in Her Majesty's Forces, or Auxiliary
    Forces, or who, since May, 1885, have passed the prescribed
    examination for a similar rank and arm in the New Zealand
    Volunteers, may receive commissions without passing a further
    examination.

64. Any officer quitting the colony without leave of absence
    will forfeit his commission.

EXAMINATION AND INSTRUCTION OF OFFICERS.

65. There shall be constituted a Central Board of Exami-
    nation, composed of such officers as may from time to time be
    appointed by the Governor.

66. It shall be the duty of the Central Board to prepare the
    questions to be put to all officers of the New Zealand Volunteer
    Force at their examinations for first commissions and for pro-
    motion, to examine the papers when returned by the several
    local Boards, and to award marks accordingly.

67. The written examinations will be carried out under the
    superintendence of Local Boards to be appointed by the
    Governor, which shall consist of not less than three members,
    one of whom shall be present during the examination, and see
    that the candidates do not refer to persons or books. Members
    of Local Boards will not open the envelopes containing the
    questions sent by the Central Board till the candidates are
    assembled. The Local Board, or two of them, will personally
    decide the proficiency of Volunteer officers in the vivâ voce
    and drill parts of their examination. The papers containing
    the answers must not be signed by candidates, but will be
    distinguished by numbers, and the names must not be com-
    communicated to the Central Board till marks are awarded. The
    President of the Local Board will be the Officer Commanding
    the District, who must be present at the vivâ voce examination.

68. Candidates for commissions or promotions will be re-
    quired to pass in the syllabus laid down from time to time
    under these regulations.

69. Officers Commanding Districts will encourage as far as
    possible the formation of classes for the instruction of officers
    and non-commissioned officers in their various military duties
    and drill.

MEDICAL STAFF.

70. The ranks of officers in the Medical Department of the
    Forces will be as follows: Surgeon-General, Brigade-Surgeon
    Lieutenant-Colonel, Surgeon-Major, and Surgeon-Captain.

71. Medical officers who have seen actual service with the
    Colonial Forces will be entitled to reckon one year of such
    service as two in determining their relative seniority with other
    medical officers, and those who have been posted to the Militia
    or Armed Constabulary may reckon the years that they have
    served with those Forces when called out for training and
    exercise, in addition to any service as Honorary Surgeons or
    Assistant-Surgeons in a Volunteer corps to which they are
    entitled.

72. The general medical list shall include all medical officers.

73. Medical officers who have served for more than twenty
    years in the Defence Forces will, on completing such period of
    service, be entitled to be appointed Brigade-Surgeons Lieu-
    tenant-Colonel; and a medical officer who has served for
    more than twelve years will be entitled to be appointed Surgeon-
    Major. In both cases such officers will be entitled to count
    extra service as provided for by preceding paragraphs.

74. The Surgeon-General will be appointed by the Governor
    from time to time, and will be responsible that only such
    medical officers are appointed as are properly-qualified prac-
    titioners, and will receive and forward to the Commander of
    the Forces all applications for appointment to the General List;
    and, if any medical officer has been reported as having rendered
    himself liable, by misconduct, to be struck off the list of
    medical officers, the Surgeon-General will assist in the investi-
    gation of the complaint.

75. On the report of a departmental offence to the Com-
    mander of the Forces a Board of three medical officers—one
    of whom shall be the Surgeon-General or senior medical officer
    on the station—will be assembled to inquire into the case and
    report thereon through the Surgeon-General if he shall not have
    been a member of the Board.

76. Medical officers who have served in Her Majesty's
    Naval or Military Forces will be entitled to the substantive
    rank held by them in the Imperial Forces.

77. Medical officers will make such arrangements as they
    may deem necessary to insure three men per corps being
    thoroughly instructed in stretcher-drill and field-dressing,
    and in the course laid down by the St. John's Society. These
    men on passing the prescribed examination will be entitled to
    wear the badge of the Society.

DISTRICT STAFF NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

78. All Instructors not belonging to the Imperial service are
    to be enrolled in the Militia, and the Officer Commanding the
    District will report, when necessary, any irregularity, incom-
    petence, or want of attention which he may observe on the
    part of an Instructor.