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THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 6.

553. The salute of guns prescribed by para. 552, or, in the case of Flag Officers and Commodores, a salute of the number of guns to which the deceased was entitled when living, will be fired after the body is deposited in the grave.

554. The pall is to be supported by officers of the same rank as that held by the deceased, but if a sufficient number of that rank cannot be obtained officers next in seniority are to supply their places.

555. Honours paid at the funerals of Staff and departmental officers are to be regulated according to their ranks, or corresponding ranks, as the case may be.

556. In addition to the firing-parties, the funeral of an officer will be attended by the officers—that of a warrant officer by the warrant officers, that of a sergeant by the sergeants, and that of a corporal by the corporals—of the corps to which the deceased belonged or was attached. The funeral of a non-commissioned officer or private will be attended by the squadron, troop, battery, or company (officers included) to which he belonged or was attached.

MINUTE GUNS AT CIVIL FUNERALS.

557. Upon the authority of the Governor, at the funerals of civil functionaries the same number of guns will be fired as minute guns, while the procession is going to the burial-ground, as they were entitled to as salutes when living. Civil functionaries not entitled to salutes of cannon when living are not to have salutes fired at their funerals.

558. Should a vessel carrying the remains of any foreigner of high distinction, foreign General, or foreign Flag Officer arrive during saluting-hours at any of the authorized saluting-stations, the same number of minute guns will be fired on its arrival as the deceased was entitled to as a salute under para. 541, when living.

Compliments by Guards.

GUARDS AND SENTRIES.

559. Guards, including guards of honour, mounted over the person of the King and members of the Royal Family will pay no compliments except to members of the Royal Family; and guards, including guards of honour, mounted over the Governor-General and Governors within their respective governments will pay no compliments to officers or persons of lesser degree. When any such guards are visited by officers on duty they will turn out to them with sloped arms.

560. Guards are at all times to turn out and pay the compliments specified in paragraph 561 of the regulations to General Officers in uniform, and to civil Governors within the limit of their jurisdiction. Guards and parties on the march will also pay the prescribed compliments to General Officers in uniform.

561. No officer under the rank of General Officer is entitled to the compliment of the bugle sounding a flourish, or the drum beating a ruffle, when guards “present arms” to him. No officer who is not dressed in uniform is entitled to the compliment of a guard turning out, except members of the Royal Family, the Governor-General, and the Governors or Officers Administering the Government within the precincts of their governments.

562. To regimental Commanding Officers—irrespective of their rank—their regimental guard are to turn out and present arms once a day.

563. When a General Officer in uniform, or a person entitled to a salute, passes in rear of a guard, the commander is to cause his guard to fall in and stand with sloped arms, facing the front, but no drums are to beat and no bugle will sound. When such officers pass guards while in the act of relieving guard, both guards are to salute as they stand, receiving the word of command from the senior commander.

564. Guards are to get under arms at all times when armed parties of any branch of the service approach their posts; to armed corps* they will present arms, and before other armed parties they will stand with sloped arms. They will not pay compliments between sounding of “Retreat” and “Reveille,” and will not turn out to an unarmed party. A mounted party will “carry arms” to all guards turning out to it.

565. Sentries will present arms to General and field officers, and to all armed parties, and slope to officers of inferior rank. Sentries furnished from a Royal guard will “present arms” only to members of the Royal Family or to armed corps; when officers of whatever rank pass their posts in uniform they will stand with sloped arms. In the same manner sentries furnished from guards over the residence of the Governor will not present arms to persons of inferior rank.

566. Sentries mounted over the quarters of a General Officer will “present arms” to General Officers only; to officers below that rank they will stand with sloped arms.

567. All guards and sentries are to pay the same compliments to commissioned officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines as are directed to be paid to officers of the Military Forces. Guards and sentries will pay compliments to commissioned officers of the departments of the Military Forces according to their ranks, or corresponding ranks, as the case may be.

ARTILLERY SALUTES.

568. As a rule no salutes will be fired before 8 o’clock in the morning nor after sundown, nor during the usual hours for Divine service on Sundays. The same principle will apply to guards of honour and official receptions. In exceptional cases the course to be pursued will be determined by the Governor.

FLAGS IN VESSELS AND BOATS.

569. The Union Jack, being the distinguishing flag of the Admiral of the Fleet only, is not to be flown on military boats and vessels.

570. Defence Department vessels and boats are authorized to carry the Blue Ensign of the Dominion.

571. A special Union Jack, bearing in its centre as a distinguishing mark the Royal cipher surrounded by a garland on a blue shield, and surmounted by a crown, is authorized to be flown by the G.O.C. New Zealand Forces when embarked in boats or vessels on duty.

SECTION XII.—CORRESPONDENCE, FORMS, BOOKS, AND STATIONERY.

Correspondence.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.

572. An officer will only in exceptional circumstances refer to superior authority matters which he has power to decide himself. An O.C. District will impress upon officers the desirability of dealing promptly with correspondence, and will suppress any tendency to unnecessary correspondence.

573. An officer is responsible for the correctness of documents submitted by him. In transmitting correspondence to higher authority he is to record his opinion or recommendation thereon, adding such observations, based on local knowledge, as may enable a final decision to be arrived at.

574. Correspondence will usually be dealt with as indicated below:—

(a.) Important matters requiring the individual opinion of every officer comprised in the chain of command must be passed through the hands of Brigade Commanders to the O.C. District, and, if necessary, to Headquarters

(b.) Other matters, which do not require the individual opinion of each officer in the chain of command, may be transmitted direct to the authority who has power to dispose of the case, copies or precis of the correspondence being sent to any officer in the chain of command whom it is considered desirable to keep informed on the subject, but through whose office the correspondence has not actually passed.

(c.) Routine matters on which it is not necessary for the intermediate officers to be informed, and regarding which direct communication is authorized, will be so dealt with.

As no rules can be laid down classifying subjects as (a), (b), or (c), the responsibility of deciding the course to be adopted will rest with the officer originating the correspondence.

It may happen that correspondence may pass from one of the above categories to another. In such cases the officer in charge of the papers when the change occurs will be responsible that they are passed through the proper channel.

575. Official letters to superior authority are to be written on foolscap paper with quarter margin. Memoranda may be written on half-foolscap size. Letters addressed to superior authority are to be headed thus:—

[Here state subject.] From [Officer or head of department.]
[Office number.] To [Officer or head of department.]
Station : . Date : .

576. Each subject must be treated in a separate letter, and is to be briefly indicated in the upper left-hand corner of the letter, thus: Discipline—Equipment—Transport—Route, &c. Paragraphs are to be numbered, and enclosures described in the margin or in a separate schedule. Unnecessary enclosures are to be avoided, and blank leaves removed. The rank and unit and appointment of officers are to be added after their signatures. Signatures are to be in manuscript, and not stamped. When a communication has reference to previous correspondence, the registered numbers and dates of the former letters are to be quoted.

577. Unless instructions are given to the contrary, replies, remarks, or queries arising out of an original letter or memorandum are to be made in the form of minutes. The first minute is to follow where the original ends, and the person who affixes it will mark the

• By the expression “armed corps” is meant a regiment of Mounted Rifles, a battery of Artillery with its guns, Garrison Artillery of not less than three companies, and a battalion of Infantry with or without colours.