1564
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 32

78. The inspecting officer of the Army Service Corps will inspect the several units of the corps as to their technical efficiency, and to ensuring uniformity in their training, organization, equipment, and transport arrangements. He will inspect the various supply, transport, and other establishments existing at stations. Where supply-depots are established he will report upon the quality of the supplies held, and the efficiency with which the duties in connection therewith are performed.

When inspecting transport he will ascertain whether full value is obtained for existing establishments, animal and mechanical, and that unnecessary hiring is avoided. As regards barrack services, he will ascertain whether these are efficiently and economically conducted. He will report upon any courses of instruction held by the Permanent Army Service Corps.

79. The inspection of the Medical Services will usually be carried out by the Director of Medical Services or his representative, who will report on—

(a.) The physical and sanitary efficiency of the Forces, and on any precautionary or remedial measures relating to barracks, encampments, garrisons, stations, hospitals, diets, drill, duties, &c., which may, in his opinion, conduce to the health and comfort of the troops and the prevention or mitigation of disease :

(b.) The medical examination of men on enlistment, physical training of recruits, and whether the gymnastic courses, drill, or duties subject the men to undue strain :

(c.) The methods of medical administration in military commands, with a view to establishing a uniform system throughout the Dominion :

(d.) The adequacy of sanitary instruction afforded to the Territorial Force, and also on courses of instruction conducted by the Permanent Staff of the Medical Corps.

He will also inspect and report on all units of the N.Z. Medical Corps, and all hospitals administered by the Defence Department.

80. The inspecting officer of Ordnance Services will inspect all depots, workshops, &c., of the N.Z. Army Ordnance Corps. He will inquire into and report upon the methods by which the various duties of the corps are carried out; the knowledge of the officers as regards details of their work, and the condition of all ordnance buildings and of the stores therein. He will inspect all ordnance stores and mobilization equipment in charge of the Ordnance Corps, and will report, when necessary, on the equipment of units.

CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS.

81. A confidential report will be furnished annually on every officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer of and above the the rank of sergeant of the Permanent Forces as follows :—

(a.) In the case of officers, the report will be made out in the first instance by the immediate superior of the officer reported on, and will be forwarded by him for the remarks of the senior authorities. The reports will be furnished on Form N.Z. 124, to reach General Headquarters by the 3rd February.

(b.) In the case of all warrant officers and non-commissioned officers of and above the rank of sergeant, by the head of the branch or directorate concerned at General Headquarters in the case of personnel controlled by them; and by the Area Officer, Adjutant, O.C. Cadre, Depot, &c., in other cases. The reports will be furnished on Form N.Z. 125, and forwarded through the Staff Officer i/c Regimental District to reach O.C. Command by the 15th January. O.C. Commands will forward these reports with their remarks to reach General Headquarters by the 1st February. Reports on members of the Air Services will be forwarded direct by O.C. Aerodromes to General Headquarters.

82. Confidential reports on all officers of the Royal N.Z. Artillery, Ordnance Corps, and Pay Corps, serving in commands will record the opinion of the Director of the service concerned, at General Headquarters.

83. Should the confidential reports of two successive years recommend delay in promotion, a special report will be rendered by the O.C. Command, or other officer concerned, stating whether he thinks it desirable that the officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer should remain in the service.

84. In recommending an officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer for accelerated promotion the officer submitting the report will record clearly and concisely the special qualifications which make the officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer more efficient than his fellows. Recommendations of this nature should be sparingly made, and should apply only to cases where the officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer is exceptionally qualified, or where he has displayed special ability in the performance of his duties, and, in the case of an officer below the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, a warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer, when he has passed his examination for promotion. These recommendations will carry greater weight if he has obtained a special certificate, although this is not an essential condition.

85. Officers of the Permanent Forces on the Reserve List will be reported on once every three years immediately after fulfilling the prescribed training, and recommended by commands either for retention or removal from the Reserve.

86. The officer who initiates a confidential report, whether favourable or adverse, will communicate it to the officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer, reported upon in order to give him an opportunity, in the event of the report being adverse, of making any observations he desires before it is forwarded to higher authority. When the initial report is favourable, and any report by higher authority contains adverse matter, the first report that contains adverse matter will be communicated to the officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer reported upon before it is forwarded to higher authority. In every case, whether the reports are favourable, adverse, or both, the whole report, with the remarks of all the reporting officers, will be shown to and initialled by the officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer concerned before it is forwarded to General Headquarters.

SECTION III.—OFFICERS : COMMAND, RANK, AND PRECEDENCE—APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, TRANSFERS, RESIGNATIONS, AND RETIREMENTS, ETC.

GENERAL.

87. All promotions, appointments, transfers, exchanges, retirements, and resignations of officers will be notified in the Gazette and promulgated in orders. Unless otherwise stated, these notifications will take the date of the Gazette.

88. Where vacancies exist in any rank owing to no officers in the next junior rank being qualified for promotion, extra officers may be appointed in such junior rank provided the authorized number of officers on the establishment is not exceeded except as provided in para. 108.

COMMAND, RANK, PRECEDENCE, ETC.

89. Command is to be exercised by the senior combatant officer, irrespective of the branch of the service to which he belongs. Exception may be made when an officer is specially placed in command, but to enable him to exercise command over an officer superior in rank to himself he must be granted rank at least equal to that of any such officer.

90. Appointments to the command of units will be made in terms of four years. An officer appointed to the command of a unit or corps shall exercise command over all other officers serving therein, irrespective of the date of his rank. All other officers of the Territorial Force doing duty with their unit or corps shall take rank according to the dates of their appointment in that rank.

91. Officers of the British Army or of the Permanent Forces of other Dominions serving in this Dominion shall take rank with officers of the Permanent Forces according to the dates of their respective ranks.

92. Officers of the N.Z. Permanent Forces, and officers of the British Army or of the Permanent Forces of other Dominions, will take precedence of all Territorial officers of equal rank.

93. Local and temporary rank will be granted only in very exceptional cases. Officers having permanent or local rank will take precedence of all those serving with them having temporary rank of the same grade. Local rank carries with it, in the Force or country in which it has effect, the same advantages of precedence and command as permanent rank, and will have effect so long as the officer is holding the appointment for which it is given. Officers holding temporary rank of the same grade will take precedence among themselves according to their permanent rank.

94. Officers of the Territorial Force transferred from one unit or corps to another will retain their rank and seniority.

95. An officer transferred from the Reserve to the Active List, or reappointed to the Active List, will be posted with such rank as may be agreed upon between the O.C. Command, the officer commanding unit, and the officer concerned, provided always that such rank is not higher than the highest substantive rank held by him when he was on the Active List of the Territorial Force, or the highest substantive or temporary rank held by him on active service for six months during actual hostilities.

96. Should two officers of the same rank have been gazetted to such rank with the same date, their precedence shall, except in the case of an officer appointed to command a unit or corps, be determined by the date of their previous rank, or, in the case of first commissions, by the order in which their names appear in the Gazette. (See also section 8(3), Defence Act, 1909.)

97. Officers of departmental corps—namely, the N.Z. Army Ordnance Corps, and the N.Z. Army Pay Corps, &c.—shall be entitled to precedence according to their rank. Such rank will not, however, entitle the holder of it to the presidency of Courts-martial, or to military command of any kind outside his corps, except over such officers and soldiers as may be specially placed under his command.