A GOOD OFFICER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 271, 5 August 1918, Page 6

A GOOD OFFICER

IN CHARGE OF DEFENCE STORES COMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION One of tho Defence officers of whom the Expenditure Commission unreservedly approved was the Director of Equipment nnd Ordnance Stores, Major M'Cristell, nn oiliccr with a long record of servico in non-commissioned rank in the Imperial Army. The following are extracts from the report;— "The Director of Equipment of Ordnance Stores, appointed in 191G, has a thorough knowledge of his duties down to tho smnllest detail, and oven our most minute, inquiry elicited from him a ready answer, lie has had the, ; bencfit' of experience in English ordnance training, hut ho has had the good sense to cull the best from the English system and add on colonial short-cuts, thus adapting the system to New Zealand requirements, and giving an effective method at a much lower cost than would he tho cose had ho slavishly followed the British system, which would have necessitated a staff one-third larger than now employed." "Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores" is a misnomer, and should be changed to "Director of Army .Stores," and his functions should be extended to include engineers, Army Service Corps, and medical stores. Ho has no say in tho appointment of his men, which is at tho root of his storo troubles at Headquarters and in tho districts. He thus has tho responsibility of running this important department, with no say in the appointment of his men, who should bo appointed by selection or examination, carefully trained, and thus fitted to rise from the lowest to tho highest rung on the ladder. "With regard to hospital or Biich units, it would take an intelligent quartermaster about six months' training in the Army Ordnance Corps to master tho rules and regulations necessary for his guidance. If tho man had previous ■knowledge of commercial storo work and book-keeping ho would take less, but others would take more. Six months is therefore a low average. The Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores testifies, 'I have no control over tho appointment of quartermaster-sergeants to units.' Consequently estimates and forecasts from districts are usually worthless. That has been tho experience last year and this year. "He is not even osked whether he has men in his corps ho can promote, or what sort of men ho needs; thus usually the "square peg gets into the round hole." He also says, "Never has any provision been made in this country, so far as I am awaro, for administrative training. There has been brain starvation from beginning to end, and consequently anything saved in tactical training has been moro than squandered in other ways.''