CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1915, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

DEFENCE MATTERS. The Wellington Dominion, a strong of the Covernmcut, take, the' Government to task for its attitude towards the criticism that has recently -c-en levelled at the administration of >oienee matters. Inter alia, it states: granted that a good many „ f tlle com . plaints put forward have been unfounded or greatly exaggerated, there still remains the f-ct th'it tlm™ i , ' c iii.H there have been very mark,,! shortcomings in certain directions. Ministers, under str e 33 of "'eir heavy tasks, have shown a ten™,cy ** treilt «'" «>mpbaints brought "<>te their notice from the wrong Point of view. ,They are oftentimes too ready to regard criticism of he detailed working of the Department to winch they belong m a dircet reflec . tion on themselves or something to be resented, instead of realising that while they may be nominally responsible as the head of the Department, it is the men who have failed in the actual execution of their tasks who must be called to account. Loyalty to one's subordinates may be a good thing within reason, but a Minister who is prepared to take on himself the responsibility for the incompetence or neglect of his subordinates in matters over winch he tos Minister cannot possibly exercise personal supervision is carrying his sense of loyalty too far. Moreover, Ministers should not even for a moment lose si.>ht of the fact that, though they may owe something to their subordinates,' they owe still more to the public. Complaints that disclose shortcomings in the KetanecJ administration of the Defence Department should be specially welcomed 3>y the Minister as affording him opportunity for removing weaknesses which otherwise might never come under his notice. So also with the Medical Department. Anything which makes for greater efficiency should be wclcomed, even though it may sometimes be presented in an unpalatable form. A STRONG INDICTMENT. The .Wellington Opposition' journal hits out vigorously to establish a case I against the Minister for Defence that will take a lot of answering. I r Jjr, Allen cannot do so successfully, then, in the interests of the country, he should he retired. The Times, in its article, says of the Minister:—Whatever the cause may be, the fact remains that lie lias made a mess of education, a worse mess of finance, and a most un•holy mess of defence. This latter story began with the canteen scandals. It has been proceeding through most deplora'ble chapters in which the exercise of influence, the consequences of blundering incompetence, and the troubles of the Samoan episode have been conspicuous. Now it is bein" brought up to date by the investiga" tion of serious charges against a certain high officer, the inquiry being secret, and by the shocking disclosures concerning the epidemic of measles and pneumonia at the Trentham camp that has already Wen the cause of some deaths. This Latter revelation has .sent a thrill of absolute horror throughout the length and breadth of the country. Mr. Allen endeavors to allay public apprehension, and put a better complexion on things, with the excuse that there are only four hundred cases. '•Only" four hundred. In the name of all that is sensible, how many arc necessary to stir the Minister for Defence up to a consciousness of his responsibility? Besides, this epidemic, is not a matter of to-day or yesterday. It has been going on for weeks and even months. Deaths have been happening and are still apprehended. All this time there have been no mirscs at Trentham, though the services of many were available. It is understood that one of tlhe fads of the Minister for Defence is an antipathy to women nurses with our soldiers. Xone were sent with the first expeditionary army. Heaven knows they have been badly wanted since. There were certainly nurses with the Samoan force, with the happy result that no deaths happened, but, extraordinary to relate, our boys passed through the risks of that expedition only to die at tmr own doors from an epidemic that Should never have assumed the proportions if, has reached. The knowledge of this epidemic reached the press many weeks ago, but little was said about it at the. outset lest uneasiness should be created in tlie public mind, hud the progress 0 f recruiting prejudiced. It is apparent now that this rdlence. no matter from what motives, was almost as unpardonable as the inhction of the authorities. Tn the end, | it lias remained, for Dr. Thacker to draw public attention to the scandal, und this he has done with courageous outspokenness. Dr. Thacker says that Hi Trruiham camp he snv within ten ii'inules more strong, robust, sick men Mum ]•<■ h.ul peon in hj.s practice for fin" y-nrs. And then lie goes. on to tell us of men in wet boots and clothes.

3.:ii,-icd in. o.vivnjH'dod condition-;, witli*">sil- ■iii'lifii'iit l'fnanl fur sanitation. " i'.wcjit i!i;;:. []\c men are on a solid ."■..'ii.-i-iini.;' say; T»r. Tluirtrr, "their ,■..•■.!•'. .ii :., .VO.--0 than the lnuOnnen of n;t .' v.-mm a;-.,, when \nv Zealand w:i* ii. .i,- ; . . -m!-. i\r.-!iy .if flu. ..ir-:, ivc !y.n'! oil "tli■.■ ,1.."'.', and the floor in their CTn (ilotlioF, and tliosc whose heavy ManhyK'- The authority is licit! !>;' Ill" Mini-Ir.-, vim is so'ely l'rspoTl- .■'■'■'.■■ ' > I'm-;' ..;.;-,.1. ami, ''-ti { h" ':ai crests or the soldiers whoso li«v:-. arc Loiir; ie-'-'e-ed in rfn.-ioii.-y liy :id, lakeianayTa>i:l.. ha fhaull cc-rfa : r,ly he hold re>!'i.iioii; in l.'nrli-'nirais.