May 25.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1569

(c.) Original appointments or accelerated promotion to a class higher than 4th Class, or the antedating of seniority, may be granted to the permanent head of any denomination in a command. If the appointment as head of a denomination is temporary, corresponding temporary appointment to a higher class may be granted. Should the head of any denomination not desire such appointment or promotion, the denomination may recommend in his place some other Chaplain of approved standing and service for temporary appointment to a higher class.

(d.) In normal times no promotion to the 1st Class will be made, but, when necessary, such promotion will be made by selection.

204. The wearing of uniform by Chaplains in peace-time will be optional, but on mobilization, and when uniform is worn in peace-time, dress will be as laid down in Section XIV.

205. Orders, decorations, and medals will be worn by Chaplains when on duty at parade services.

206. A Chaplains Advisory Committee will be formed in each command, and will consist of such members as may from time to time be decided by the O.C. Command in consultation with the representatives of the various denominations. The Committee shall hold office for three years, at the expiry of which a new Committee shall be appointed. Retiring members may be re-nominated. The Committee will elect annually a chairman and secretary.

The duties of the Advisory Committee will be—
(a.) To advise the O.C. Command in all matters concerning the Chaplains Department in the command;
(b.) To act as the channel of correspondence between the Chaplains of the various denominations and the O.C. Command;
(c.) To keep Chaplains in touch with one another, and with the units of the Military Forces;
(d.) To detail the Chaplains considered necessary to attend all camps, and generally to ensure that Chaplains are interesting themselves in the general welfare of the Territorial and Cadet Forces in their regimental districts; and
(e.) To submit all recommendations for appointments, promotions, transfers, and retirements to the O.C. Command.

Chaplains Advisory Committees should, as far as possible, consist of Chaplains who hold senior positions in their denominations.

N.Z. ARMY NURSING SERVICE.

207. Regulations for the N.Z. Army Nursing Service are given in Appendix XIV.

SECTION IV.—NEW ZEALAND PERMANENT FORCES: ENLISTMENT, PROMOTION, TRANSFER, AND DISCHARGE.

GENERAL.

208. Enlistments in all units of the Permanent Forces will be for a term of five years, of which the first twelve months will be on probation, during which probationary period candidates will be liable to be discharged if found unsuitable. On completion of twelve months’ service they will, if satisfactory, be confirmed in their appointments. Clerks, ledger-keepers, and artificers will be required to pass an examination (trade test in the case of artificers) before being confirmed in their appointments.

All enlistments into the Permanent Forces will be subject to the candidates passing the medical examination set out in Appendix I (II).

209. On completion of the original period of enlistment warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men may, if recommended by their officer commanding unit or corps, be permitted to re-engage for permanent service up to the age of fifty-five years; provided that no private soldier will be permitted to re-engage unless he has qualified for promotion.

210. Enlistments into the Permanent Forces shall be carried out as follows:—
     (a.) Every person before enlistment shall be advised of the general requirements of attestation and the conditions of engagement.
     (b.) On assenting to enlistment the recruit will be cautioned by the attesting officer that if he wilfully makes any false answer to the questions read to him he will be liable to summary dismissal. The attesting officer shall read, or cause to be read, to the recruit the questions set forth in the attestation-paper. The attesting officer shall satisfy himself that the recruit understands each question, and, after ensuring that the answer to each question has been duly recorded on the attestation-paper, shall require the recruit to produce a certificate of birth and to sign the declaration as to the truth of the answers. The oath of allegiance shall then be administered.

(c.) When the requirements of (a) and (b) have been complied with the recruit shall be deemed to have been enlisted as a soldier of the Permanent Forces.
(d.) The officer carrying out the attestation shall attest by signing the said paper in the manner thereon directed.
(e.) If there is considered to be an error in any attestation-paper the matter will be referred to General Headquarters.

211. All candidates over the age of twenty-five years who are accepted for service in the Permanent Forces will be required to sign a statement certifying that they are fully conversant with the terms of the Public Service Superannuation Act as it applies to their conditions of service.

212. Appointments and promotion to all ranks below that of warrant officer, Class II, in the Permanent Forces will be made by officers commanding regiments or corps. Recommendations for promotion to warrant rank will be referred to General Headquarters for approval by the General Officer Commanding.

213. Candidates for appointment as armament artificers or as armourers must be qualified mechanics, and candidates for appointment as tradesmen and specialists will be selected principally for trade efficiency and for special knowledge and ability.

214. All promotions will be subject to the passing of the prescribed examination or test and to being recommended. Where promotion is by selection, the chief considerations will be professional qualification, efficiency, and character, and only when these conditions are approximately equal will consideration be given to length of service.

215. Before promotion to warrant rank, Class I, a warrant officer, Class II, will be required in addition to having passed the examination for promotion, to have undergone a general course of instruction, and obtained a satisfactory report.

216. In exceptional cases of outstanding ability, accelerated promotion to fill appointments within the establishment may be granted on the authority of the General Officer Commanding.

217. Warrant officers and non-commissioned officers of the N.Z. Permanent Forces may be seconded for duty with any other Department of the State for a period not exceeding four years; while so seconded they will receive the pay and allowances for their rank as laid down in Financial Instructions and Allowance Regulations, but they will be required to comply with the regulations re qualifying by examination for promotion.

218. Warrant officers with the consent of the General Officer Commanding, and non-commissioned officers, with the consent of their Commanding Officer, may resign their rank and revert to the rank and seniority they previously held, but will not be permitted to do so in order to escape trial by Court-martial, except with the approval of the General Officer Commanding. In all such cases the written application of the warrant officer or non-commissioned officer, a certificate from the Commanding Officer setting out the reasons for the resignation, and the written authority of the General Officer Commanding or Commanding Officer, as the case may be, will be attached to the soldier’s personal file.

219. A warrant officer or non-commissioned officer reduced to a lower rank will take rank and precedence in the lower rank from the date of the signing of the original sentence of the Court-martial, or, in the case of reduction by order of the General Officer Commanding, from the date stated in such order. If a sentence of reduction passed by a Court-martial is wholly remitted, the warrant officer or non-commissioned officer will, if no service is forfeited, retain his seniority.

OFFICERS AND EX-OFFICERS.

220. Officers holding commissions in the Territorial Force or Reserve of Officers who enlist into the N.Z. Permanent Forces will be required to resign their commissions. Ex-officers who have already resigned, relinquished their commissions, or retired cannot be allowed, while serving in the ranks, to retain any rank they may have been granted on the termination of their commissions. The grant of such rank will be cancelled in the New Zealand Gazette. On discharge from his engagement, however, any ex-officer who is eligible for the grant or retention of commissioned rank will be granted such rank, provided that his services have been satisfactory.

N.Z. PERMANENT STAFF.

221. Applicants for appointment to the N.Z. Permanent Staff must be between the ages of twenty-two and forty, must be physically fit for active service in any part of the world, and must have passed the Sixth Standard of education or its equivalent.

222. Appointments to the N.Z. Permanent Staff will be made in the rank of staff sergeant. Non-commissioned officers so appointed will be eligible for promotion as under:—
     (a.) After three years as staff sergeant, to the rank of staff sergeant instructor:
     (b.) After three years as staff sergeant instructor, to the rank of warrant officer, Class II:
     (c.) After three years as warrant officer, Class II, to the rank of warrant officer, Class I:
     Provided that in all cases a warrant or non-commissioned officer has passed the examination for the next higher rank and has been recommended for such promotion by the O.C. Command in which he is serving.