DEFENCE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 188, 29 April 1918, Page 6

DEFENCE AFFAIRS

EVIDENCE OF TWO SERGEANTSMAJOR CANDID CRITICISMS The Defence Expenditure Commission sat on Saturday morning. Sir Robert Anderson, chairman of tho commission, sat alone lo hear tho evidence. Stall' Sergeant-Mujor H. E. Erridge, of Featherston Camp, said that ho had to deal with 50 or 5G people, and ho had no say in their selection. Constant change went on in the men on his staff, and efficient work could not be obtained. The raon offering for clerkships in the camps wero not of the 6ort who could get employment in civil life. Too much leave was given to the men, and they could not be kept up to their work. The salary for a married man amounted to £i 7s. (id. a week, and a singlo man got equivalent to ,43 lfls. a week. He said that tho organisation of tho camps was such that supervision was impossible and there was slackness. If the camps wero organised on a battalion basis the system would bi> simpler and the responsibility could be distributed. If hisbranch (Camp CJiartermaster's) were a commercial business men could bo dispensed with and greater efficiency secured. More pay could then be given to men showing industry and ability, and there would be some incentive to work. It was impossible for any one, man, to exorcise _ the supervision tiat ought to be exercised. Kit inspections were rarely if ever held, and shortages in kifi were always found when tho men were about to leave. As things were now the Camp Commander signed, for no equipment—the individual signed for everything—and a 9 a result the officers did not exercise supervision over tho kit of the men. He considered that too many men were discharged from camp medically unfit, and that tho unfitness of many of them should be discovered before they camo into camp. Some were discharged after less than li days in camp, and these cases, lie thought, should be discovered before the mon went into camp. Ho thought it more useful selection should be made of tho men offering for homo service, and the men assigned to jobs for which they were suited. A training school ior men going into administra. tive duties was very necessary, and before any man wont into these duties ne should have training as a soldier first. There was no discipline among the home service men. If anything wero said to them they would "go sick," and get a discharge or extended sick leave. . Staff Sergeant-Major A. M. Thatcher 6aid that he was at/ Featherston Camp. He < was a first-class warrant officer, having bewi twenty-two years in service frith the Imperial Army, the Mounted Police in Africa, and the New Zealand Permanent Staff, but he had no regular duties at present. H« was not allowed to leave New Zealand, because he was classed. C 2. Ho said that chere were many instances of" the "square peg in the round holo" in the New .Zealand Forces, in ramp and in the Territorial Army. He mentioned leveral of these—mounted officers at infantry work, good_ instructors without -administrative experience put to administrative work. Thes-j-inen wero being paid money for which tho Government was not getting value. Young otfi■cers without any knowledge of their work were put in administrative (positions. One young officer of his acquaintance was allowed £7 ?fts. on one occasion for liorso hire lrhilo ho was in camp, and he did not put his leg over the horse unce, because he could not ride, i Young officers appointed adjutant taking over regiments did not take- any trouble about checking tho equipment and stores. They did not know where to look for deficiencies. The result was that there were deficiencies in some regiments of hundreds of pounds. Ho was sure that if ho had the duty of checking all the equipment and stores of all the regiments in the country ho would find deficiencies amounting to thousands of pounds. No care was taken about the is9ue of equipment. Officers rouM "ot bo bothered. They had never been taught to exorcise fiiinervieion over equipment, and they did nothing. It had "made his heart bleed" to see so many young officers, boys from school, appointed to positions when they had no knowledge of the duties. The commission adjourned until 10 ff*m. to-day. ______^._