DEFENCE DEPARTMENTS “ECONOMY” SCHEME.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 721, 7 April 1922, Page 5

DEFENCE DEPARTMENTS “ECONOMY” SCHEME.

LIEUT. HATT RETRENCHED.

CASE BEFORE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

EMPHATIC PROTEST ENTERED.

•AN EFEICIENT AND POPULAR OFFICER.

The various Government departments are at present carrying out an. “economy” campaign, and retrenchment of efficient officials is proceeding very rapidly. The people of this country are all well aware of the strained condition of the finances and realise with the Government that the strictest economy is essential in alii departments of the Public Service. One would not raise a note of protest provided, the economy campaign is earned out in the strictest sense of the word, but from all accounts it is not. In fact wef have only 'to refer to one case that has been brought to oui notice and that is in Pukekohe with its population, of a little over 2000.. If there is one case in an insignificant place such as this, what a number of cases there must be >in the four centres and places with a much .larger population than this and ■ where the public servants are considerably greater. / The case in Pukekohe referred to is that which comes under the jurisdiction of the Defence Department, and the 'case in question was brought under our notice by a Senior Cadet, the information from which prompted us to endeavour to obtain further and full particulars. Unfortunately, we were not able to obtain the fullest information we solicited, because Lieut. A. R. Hatt, the officer whom the Senior Cadet termed had been sacked under the ’trenchment scheme, would not discuss the subject with our* reporter, beyond mentioning that he had been retrenched. However, the facts as we are aware Of fi'om our own observations for the past 5 years, will bear eloquent testimony that the Defence Department’s “economy’ scheme as far as Pukekohe is concerned, is insincere economy. In the first place the district which was recently under the supervision of Lieut. Hatt, was worked bjk-one officer and that alone was

Lieut. Hatt. This officer used to

take parades at Pukekohe, Otahuhu, other places- There are only 6 working days in the week, but Lieut. Hatt arranged parades so as to suit the Senior Cadets and Territorials in these centres- Not only did heconHuct parades, but he attended to the clerical duties as area officer. We have known Lieut. Hatt toj remark to our reporter on a Sunday morn- • Sing in answer to a query “Where are you tc<?” that he was going to do B bit \in the office. However, as soon as there was an allegation of excessive expenditure on the part of the Defence Department and the subsequent inquiry was concluded and a General appointed' to supervise the running of the Department with a view of economising, another officer was appointed to -Pukekohe to assist Lieut. Hatt, and no doubt similar instances occurred • in other places. Then came the Department’s proposed scheme of further economy, and the Department economised by placing a third officer with the rank of Lieut, to assist Lieut.. Hatt and supersede him, the Sergt.-Major while it also instituted a service whereby a Sergt-Major journeyed from Huntiy to Papakura to take the parades there. Is this economy ? Our readers will be in a position to judge for themselves. Lieut. Hatt was retrenched, as also was Sergt.-Major West, and the Lieutenant who made the 3rd official to be appointed was allowed to remain or fit least is stilli to be found in the local Defence Office. Furthermore, a Sergt,.-Major who w r as doing duty in one of the centres in the South Island has been transferred to Pukekoho. This is another instance of thp Department’s economy method; -#/hen two officers were lesident here, to go to the expense of trans-

ferring this man. Apart from the above facts, Lieut. Hatt, who has seen considerable service, is a soldier who has been through 3 campaigns, an efficient officer, and last but not least is very popular among the lads with whom

he comes in contact. The matter of the retrenchment of Lieut. Hatt was referred to at Monday’s meeting of the Borough Council by the Mayor (Mr John Routly) who said he had been informed that the officer had received marching orders, and that he. had been sctled by a man wirh much less experience, He believed Lieut Hart had been through 3 campaigns, inc'udim:

1914-1919 European War, and he regretted that the Department had seen fit to retrench him before many others, who, he thought, should be retrenched He was not against retrenchment because something of the kind had to come. He thought that the Council! should Recognise the good •and efficient service rendered by Lieut. Hatt during his connection with the Defence Office in Pukekohe, and express regret at him' leaving. He moved- that a letter of appreciation of services I'endered and an expression of regret at his reovmai be forwarded to Lieut. Hatt. Cr Patterson contended the Council should go further than that. It should enter an emphatic protest against his retrenchment, when the Department were retaining less experienced officers. Lieut., Halt, he said, was every inch a and in losing him they were Ibsing a very valuable Defence officer. This officer, he continued, was one of the best instructors in New Zetland,. He had a wonderfully moral effect on the boys. One had only to go and watch parades, as the speaker had done, he prove what he said was right. ’ Before the war Lieut. Hatt carried on lone handed. He volunteered for active service and went forward and gained his commission on the field of battle. He had performed invaluable service among the local] Territorials and Senior Cadets. There was not another area in the district as up-to-date as this one At the present time, or until a few days' ago, three men were doing the work that Lieut. Hatt had done. He asked, “Is that economy ?” The Department had brought a man from Christchurch to Pukekohe to fill a vacancy. “Is that economy,” Lieut. Hatt, he added, had worked faithfully and well and did his work properly. He was an efficient and popular officer. To prove his popularity one only had to go amongst the boys who were under his command. The N.C.O’s. were holding a private meeting that evening for the purpose of entering an emphatic protest against their officer’s. retrenchment. This proved how highly esteemed he was among them. Hatt, he continued, was the man who trained almost every man who departed from Pukekohe for the front to do their bit to uphold the traditions of the Empire. He had trained every man excepting one whose name was on the War Memorial Gates, and who had made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War on the day the memorial was unveiled. Several; names had since been added, and he did not know how many of them the officer had trained. Cr Hamilton endorsed his colleague’s remarks,’ and added that Lieut Hatt had a better moral effect on the boys than most of the officers who had been here. He was a good living man, had always conducted himself well and was very popular with the boys.

the motion of Cr Patterson, it was decided to enter an emphatic protest against the retrenchment of Lieut. Hatt, and copies of the resolution are to he forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Defence Department.

Crs Hamilton, Patterson, and the Town Clerk were appointed a subcommittee to draft a suitable resolution of protest.