DEFENCE COMMISSION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16151, 4 March 1918, Page 4

DEFENCE COMMISSION.

SITTINGS IN CHRISTCHURCH

SATURDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

The Defrnce Inquiry Commission resumed its sittings in Christehurch on Saturday morning, the members being Bricadier-General Sir Robert Anderson (chairman!, and Messrs Charles Rhodes and Feter Barr.

CAMP .Sl'lTLlKo

Lieutenant A. G. Macdonald, Assist-ant-Director <>i Supplies and Transport. gave further evidence regarding the supplies lor camps. The tegimentr.l quartermaster made out his daily indent for supplies as per standard ration scale. This was handed to the Camp Supply Officer, who tssued accordingly, p.ov.ded that the supplies demanded «ere not in excess oi tUo ration scale. At the end or the camp (litteen days ai'ter termination), tht buppJv Officer mado up his supply accountj and balanced issues oyer receints This account v.-as checked by the \sMstant-Directof of Supplies .and Transport, who inquired into any irrc-o-ularities, and lorwarded it on to Headquarters. Wellington, lor.audt and inspection by the Director of Supplies and Transport. In the past tho Assistant-Director of feunp les and Transport had acted as Supply Officer in camps, consequently he had made up his camp supply account at the termination of the camp, and then audited it himself, and naturally made his balanec and remains absolutely coincide with his issue receipts. This was not. considered an efficient method, and laid the systom open to fraud. J." or example, at. the end of the camp the actual remaining stock ot sugar showed ' 7 0f>]b, and the suoply account showed 6001b. The .Supply Officer simply adjusted the remains to 2001b, providuig the ration scale was not exceeded. It wa-s proposed that- a Supply Officer, other than the Assistant-I>ireetor of Supplies and Transport, could he in a position to discover irregularities and rherk supply nofounts in a thorough manner. It was also proposed that a dailv in nlace of a monthly, or full camp period, supply account, be made up. and that it be checked by the Company Commander, the Camp Quartermaster. tho Camp Commandant, Supply Officer, and finally by tbo Assistant Director of Supplies and 1 transport. This, it was considerod, would obviate any discrepancies, as by passing through so many cheques fraud and wastage would certainly bo detected and immediately rectified. Tho Supply Officer should Viave power to inspect quartermaster stores and kitchens at any time, and should do so at least every twenty-four hours. "With regard to large purchases of supplies or forage, it would probably be a means of' saving money if tenders were called throughout New Zealand, and Assistant-Directors of Supplies and Transport in all military districts could advise the Director of Supplies at Headquarters, "Wellington, of locaf market rates. In reply to questions by members of the Commission, witness said tho present systom was open to forgery jn a way.. Tho more possibilities there were for check the less chances there were for fraud. If the accounts were chocked daily it would obviate many chances of committing fraud; He had no reason to suggest that there had boen fraudulent use. Mr Rhodes: It seems to mo that tho system deliberately asks for 6omo manipulation. Witness: I am inclined to agree with you. iSorgcant-major S. S. Glover, instructor to the Army .Service Corps, with twenty-one years of Imperial, Indian, and New Zealand experience, said the New Zealand system, which was based upon the one in force in the British Army, was a very good one, but was not properly carried out. There was not sufficient check. Au inspector was required. Witness complained that it was not fair to either Lieutenant Macdonald or himself that Licutouanfc Macdonald should hold tho position of Assistant-Director of Supplies and Transport, while witness had to do the work. Witness claimed that last year, by eliminating waste, he saved sixpence per man on the ration allowance for camps, making a total saving of between £1-500 and £2000 in the Canterbury district. If a man was competent, and knew his job, he con Id, secure supplies from othor centres for district camps. Isv buying chaff in Christchurch for the Grcymouth camp, he had saved a considerable sum, and he quoted other savings. If a man were competent for his job, and another man placed over him, it meant often that he had to do what he considered ■ was wrong, or else disobey • the. commands of his superior officer. .Tt tvas not right that an inexperienced man should he. placed over an experienced one. He desired to proceed to the front in order to win promotion, but had not been allowed to go away. MEIJGIOUS OBJECTORS, The lust cm man \iiiness was, JSliss Blanche Jjaugnuii, wno, whilst declaring tnat suo »as not an auti-militarst, stated uiat the religious objectors askeu tor civilian employment instead ot military, lor wnicii vhey were prepared to accept soldiers' pay and rations, im-v would not pcixorm ambulance worn. Labour was scarce m ..New : tor instance, tne Otira tunnel required men. Could not the conscientious objectors be employed there at soldiers' rates of pay? -Air Barr: "Would tne Government not be troubled by the Labour unions if it employed tnese men at these rates 'i AVitness: That is a matter for the unions. Mr Barr: That is the difficulty, I think. Mr Barr pointed out that men who had been regarded as irreconcilable when they entered camp, had been treated in a sympathetic manner, and as a result had taken up stretcher-bearing work with enthusiasm. Miss Baughan reforrcd to the cost of keeping conscientious objectors in gaol, which she characterised as useless expenditure, but Mr Rhodes said there wore so few of them that it would probably be cheaper to keep them in gaol than to set up a separate organisation to control them outside. The Commission adjourned till 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning. The members left for Hanmer Springs on Saturday afternoon, returning to the city to-day.