The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 16, 1917. THE BLACK LIST SCANDAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 16, 1917. THE BLACK LIST SCANDAL.

•From one end of the Dominion to the other there is an outcry against the scandalous laxity of the defence authorities in publishing in the list of men who have failed to report themselves for military duties the names of those who have not only gone to the front, but, in some cases have made the supreme sacrifice. Admitting that the work of the (Department is exceptionally heavy and that many inexperienced hands have to be employed, there is no valid excuse for such flagrant errors to arise, as have occurred over this list. It is difficult to imagine a more serious or a more heartracking shock to the parents and relatives of a soldier-who has lost his life in The service of his King and country than seeing his name figuring in a list as a deserter, and it is only a degree less cruel in the case of those who have already joined the forces or aro awaiting notification so to do. If there is one stigma that causes a loyal citizen of the Empire to feel the pangs of martyrdom it is being classed at the present time as "being found missing when duty called. Possibly the officials responsible for the serious errors made regard the compilation of this list' as a mere formal duty involving no special care, but if there is one list over the preparation of which exceptional care should 'be exercised it is that of defaulters, for inclusion therein is equivalent to branding men as passive traitors. There ia scarcely a district in the Dominion which has escaped the undeserved stigma by the inaccuracies in the' Gazette list referred to. It may be claimed that the GoUWament does not !>sk the press to pulbßsh such lists, yet It is well understood that the end in view would certainly not be achieved by confining the list to the official gazette where the errors would probably have remained unnoticed for all time. The preps of the Dominion has done its best to assist the Government in every reasonable way during the war and will continue to do so, but it requires no argument to show that in publishing the defaulters' lists the press is placed in a most invidious position, for it relies on'the accuracy of the official notification. No system is perfect, but that is not an excuse for culpable carelessness which is nothing less than a scandal. If the Records' Department is unable to do a simple piece of checking without perpetrating serious errors that cause much heart-burning, then it is time it was overhauled thoroughly and the incompetents and callous relegated to a sphere of labor where they can at least do no harm. In ono case on the list tl»a Inan was a member of the 2-7tha; four others presented themselves for medical examination, but the Board did not comnbt" its work, another sailed somo time back; uvo died over a year ago, one was killed in action, while others have enlisted and are in camp or witV the reinforcements. These are only a few of tho victims of official carelessness. Until a satisfactory check is made of the names of alleged deserters it would be only prudent on the part of tho press not to publish such lists, for it ia obvious much r.ccdiess pain and shame has been caused by the errors. The matter, however, should not rest there. An inquiry should be instituted to discover the culprits, who should be taught a salutary lesson. Such defamation of character as these blunders have perpetrated should at least be met with an adequate apology ibv the head of the Department, but the course whicli would give most satisfaction is to prevent a recurrence of the scandal. J