I.—lc.

38

Tα."SIMPSON

You have heard what Captain Clark said. This is the voucher and the claim. [Document handed to witness.] What have you to say in respect to it?— This is a charge in connection with his services as an officer in the Ninth Contingent. 200. Briefly put, the position is this : Captain Clark had been in South Africa; he left South Africa and came home here. He finished up his work with the Ninth a month after he had landed here —or, rather, twenty-five days. He sent in his claim for that. Then he went on with other work —he prepared discharges for the Seventh, and then the King's Medal rolls for the various contingents, being engaged on this for five months. The claim for the gratuity covers the five months, and he says that you advised him to put it in ?—No; this amount is under article B 601 ; it is not for work done at the Commandant's office. It is the gratuity of £100 paid to officers in the field while in the South African campaign, and so-much per day for each day until they gave up service. That is what I take this voucher for. It has nothing to do with the work at the Commandant's office. 201. Then, if that voucher covers the time that he was doing work in the Commandant's office —for five months—it is wrong?— That I could not say. 202. But if the voucher does cover it'?— Then it is wrong ; but I do not think it does cover it. 203. He finished up on the 28th February, 1903, so that from the 4th October to the 28th February he was engaged on work for other than his own contingent ?—lf that is so this claim would not be correct. It would only be correct up till the day he was discharged. 204. When he finished the work for his own contingent?— Yes. 205. The Chairman.] What do you call "discharged"?— When he finished with his contingent. 206. Which contingent ? —The last one he served in— the Ninth, I think. 207. You would not consider that making out rolls for another contingent would be part of the contingent work ?—Not of his own contingent. 208. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones.] Supposing that in making up the rolls there were included the rolls for the Seventh and Ninth : would you consider that work to be part of the work for the contingent? —Yes, for the last contingent he served in. 209. But supposing the Seventh and Ninth work was mixed up with all the others?— Then, it would be separate work altogether. If he went on to any other work I take it that that broke his connection with the contingent. 210. The Chairman.] Supposing that he had been detailed off to five or six of the different contingents in South Africa, would you call the work for each of those contingents part of the contingent work ?—No ; only the last one that he was in. 211. The others would not count ? —No ; because the rolls were supposed to be made up before he came back. He had nothing to do with them after he left South Africa. His gratuity would stop for one contingent the day that he joined the next. 212. This, I understand, is a gratuity paid to officers. Supposing that an officer were engaged in one, two, three, four, or five contingents, would the gratuity cease from the time he was actually in one contingent ? —lf he came home to New Zealand with the Ninth he would be employed to make up the accounts until they were finally made up for the Ninth, and then he would be discharged. If he was put on to do work for any other contingent after that it would be separate work. The Ninth would be the only contingent, I think, speaking from my experience in the office, in which he would be entitled to draw pay in New Zealand. 213. Then, if he was making out King's Medal rolls for the Ninth that would be a part of the contingent work? —I do not know that it would. 214. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones.] What is the number of this army order ?—lt is a Royal Warrant —601 B. 215. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon.] At all events, if you had known the facts —that Captain Clark had finished up with his own contingent and had been put on to other work —you would not have advised him that he was entitled to the gratuity for that time ?—You see, I did not know what work he was at in the Commandant's office. 216. Will you kindly read this document—the pay warrant [Document handed to witness] ? —" An officer, whether of the Reserve or not, especially taken into employment during a national emergency shall, upon ceasing to draw full pay, be entitled to a gratuity of £100, and after the first twelve months of service a further gratuity of £50 for each year of service at home and £100 for each year of service abroad, portions of a year being calculated at the same rate, and subject to the following conditions: (1.) That the officer serves for the full period of his engagement, or of the emergency in respect of which he is employed, unless a shorter period is specially approved by the Secretary of State." That is what I was referring to —601 B. 217. The gratuity is for service?— For service. 218. Mr. Barber.] Are you an expert in military rules? Are you able to decide whether this preparing King's Medal rolls is contingent work or not, or would you expect the officer in charge of the military portion of the Defence Department of this colony to certify to that?—l should take it that such a thing would be completed before the contingent arrived home. 219. But supposing it was not, supposing Captain Clark was engaged in preparing the King's Medal roll of his own contingent and other contingents, as he knew the details of the other contingents : would you think that a matter for the military officers to certify to rather than the Accountant's branch ?—lt would be a matter for the Under-Secretary's branch to settle, I should say, from my experience in the office. 220. The Chairman.] Captain Clark must have sent his claim for the gratuity to some one ?— The voucher came to the Accountant's branch, and as it was payable by the Imperial authorities it was sent on to Colonel Collins, who was in charge of the Accountant's branch, and it was also referred to Mr. Heywood, who had the supervision of the payments. He certified to the vouchers for the