"GROSS NEGLIGENCE"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2584, 5 October 1915, Page 8

"GROSS NEGLIGENCE"

DELAY IN CASUALTY LISTS. Gross negligence on the part of] some, body was alleged in tho Legislative Council last night by the Hon. A. T. Maginnity, of Nelson, in i connection with ithe advice, received regarding the death of Captain' James Houlker, of Nelson. Some reference has ■ already been made to tho matter in the Press, and Mr.; Maginnity said that he . proposed, to ask a .question with regard to the Intelligence ■ Department at the front, with a view to eliciting some, information - from tho Defence Department. He said that was speaking with somp feeling of grief, and also some feeling of anger against the Government. ' Captain James. Houlker,, who was the junior partner in,his own firm, left New Zealand for the front in October or November of last, j'ear, " in. command of a company of, the Canterbury Battalion, of the Third Reinforcements. ,On August 7, a Saturday, lie was wounded in battle, and on the following Wednesday they got information from tho Defence Department that he was killed. He was a very popular young fellow in Nelson, and tfie-news caused extreme grief; and on the following Sunday a memorial service was held in the Cathedral. The next day they received information- that he was not lolled, but only wounded. That was on August 16., They had made every endeavour to, trace. :Em\ since, then, had communicated with the Government more than once, and had., had cablegrams dispatched, yet it was not till Friday-last, that'they were able .t-o ascertain that Captain Houlker, wlio must have been an officer of some prominence, because he - was doing field officer's uuty, had died on a hospital ship on August '10. ' The ' first...information they got was on' October 2, two months later. All that he'could say was ( .that, there was;gross negligence on tho* part of somebody. It was absurd to say that they could not; get information in any period less than two months, and lie was going to request the .Leader of the Council to ask the Government to make some . close inquiries, especially into this particular case, and also ' to ask the Government if some bettor arrangement could not be made for advising relatives of casualties to their relatives in the firing line. Ho would ask that the Government should have inquiries made regarding the fatal in-" jury -to Captain Houlker, and the serious delay : in advising his relatives of 'his ultimate death.