ORDNANCE ORDEALS

NZ Truth, Issue 608, 10 February 1917, Page 7

ORDNANCE ORDEALS

HAS THERE BEEN ANY JOBBERY ? WHERE IS THE SECRET DEPARTMENTAL REPORT? Major O'Sullivan's Retirement

■ •■".•; " ' J Every other month or so, for the ast two yearß, serious rumors have >een set m circulation concerning the nanagement and equipment of the ordlance department of our Defence orces. Some of the stories set going Llleged mere mismanagement, while tthers, of a more circumstantial charicter, definitely asserted maladminlsration on the part of certain well;nown, \ long-service officials. The lame of one officer m particular, was landed about on everybody's tongue n connection with these charges, but 18 ' , NO MOVE WAS MADE >y the heads of the Defence Departnent (who must have heard of the •umors In question, and recognised heir seriousness): to have the officer n question removed, those having alth In the Integrity of the "king >eas" concluded that the yarns going ■ourid were mere idle rumors absolutey unworthy of any credence whatever. Hhers, more sceptical, and, professedy, more knowing, when the matter vas mentioned m thoir hearing, said 'nuffin'," but looked wise, shrugged heir shoulders deprecatlngly and itherwise insinuated "anelofalot." Then he rumors would subside for a time md one would hear nothing more i gainst the good name of any officer mtll special activity m certain ofH:lal circles indicated that there was 'Homethln' doin'," when tho know-alls md other character calumniators imnediately set to to get m some of their jarticularly fine work. All the old •umors, and a few additional, would >c trotted out again, with such ralniteness of detail and circumstance, hat oven the most sceptical wore seluced Into admitting that there ippeared to be very atronj? grounds or suspicion that "some folk" wore naking hay while the Bun shone, or, o put It more bluntly, feathering heir nests at the oxpenae of the Government Defence Department. But i» still no definite move was made by hose m authority, or, rather, as no )fficlal statement wua allowod to* •each tho public of any action huving >een taken In connection with the runonj, or worse, the stories m time ost interest, and Dame Rumor would lold her tongue and hide hor dimlnshed head until such tlmo as she had :oncocted something new and extra jplcy to retail, when the whole procedure would bo repeated with little I )r no variation. i AH this had been gone through several times, with tho Levy, Scoullar nml >ther contract scandals Intervening to

distract public attention from the apo-« cryphal tall tales of officers' GET-RICH-QUICK SCHEMES, to bare-bottom facts m connection with the tricks of traders and contractors. Then one fine morning the . following paragraph found its way into the press: In order to probe to the bottom certain alleged irregularities m connection with the supply of military requirements, a departmental inquiry ,is now being held m Wellington. It is alleged that certain members of the staff of one of the Defence Department's branches . are implicated, as well as Borne business men of the city. The proceedings are being kept strictly private. Soon, tongues were once more busy besmirching the fair name and fame of several officers. Queer stories were told In connection with tho supply of hardware nnd Ironmongery, timber, soap and other goods; of the faking of certain tenders after they were received m order to make certain favorite firms the lowest tender; of secret commissions and of sevoral other little dodges whereby tho men who had the placing of orders were able to play "the most favored nation" card to their own personal advantage. Tho result of tho spoclal inquiry mentioned above was awaited with much Interest by many business men us well as by tho general public. But, again the official gang remained dumb-dogs, and the finding of the Court of Inquiry was not made public. Why? Tho only deduction "Truth" can mako is that the charges were so serious, and the evidence so damning, that It was found impossible to altogether whitewash the odlcer or officers Involved, but, that, In order to save a serious scandal becoming public, the authorities have risked a much more serious one m having tho report put under lock and key, Instead of Issuing it to tho pubHe press of tho country. The introduction of tho secret Inquiry and starchamber methods of Investigation Is a most serious Innovation m the administrative life of this young Democracy, and this People's Paper here, and v now, enters Ita most emphatic protest aguinst It, and against Its becoming a per"manent Institution m God's Own. The results of stich nocret Inquiries I are unsatisfactory to tho Government. I tho Department, and to Ihe public, and are very often emphatically unsatisfactory to tho Individuals Involved and whoso official standing Is at stake.

' When a charge or charges ara found proven against an officer, unless the report is made public, it is impossible to mete out even-handed justice. THE OFFICER CONCERNED cannot be dismissed the ( service immediately without a statement being made as to the why and wherefore. If ho is reduced In rank, as is some times done, other officers have to accept the "black-bird" as one of their subordinates and bo responsible for the work of a man m whom they have no confidence. But a worse aspect of the case still remains to be touched upon. When the rumors are going round, the names of several officers not personally guilty, or" even accused by the Department, become mixed up m one or other, or all, of the alleged evil practices. It may be that the real culprits were the source of such unsavory and lying rumors m order to shield themselves. With the private Inquiry find secret report, these Lnnocent men remain under suspicion m the public eye, and as it gets about that a certain officer, or official, had said, "So-aml-So ought to be 'doing time'," or "Major BJank should have been kicked out of the Defence Department long ago," the public are brought to "believe a lie," more especially if a few days after the close of the inquiry all or any one of these officers should resign. What does It matter that the newspapers' intimation reads: Major Buff stick, at his own request, has been placed upon the retired list. Every word of that statemept may be gospel truth, but someone suddenly recollects that, when^ the rumors of jobbery were flying around the country, the Major's name had been mentioned with suspicion. The real culprit sees m this his opportunity, which he doesn't miss, ' of insinuating against another and innocent man, those very acts for which he himself was secretly tried and reduced In rank and emoluments. Now, Tom, Dick and Harry know that the name of Major; James O'Sullivan was more than once banded from tongue to tongue m connection with some of the most serious of the rumors referred to. Some even went the length of asserting that he' had been "carpetod" and had come through tho ordeal very badly indeed,. "Truth" made inquiries at the tirad, but the result thereof did not warrant this paper In publicly supporting such husplelons and rumors. These stories, however, were all revived the other day, when the following paragraph appeared In the day-lies: Hon. Major James O'Sullivan, Inspector of Equipment and Ordnance Stores, yesterday retlrod from active duty In tho Defence Department, at his own request, after nearly thirty-nine years' continuous service, during' sixteen years of which he was m charge of tho Defence Stores branch. "Truth" wnnta to say hare that It does not believe that Major O'Sullivan has boon guilty of any one of the charges with which rumor has connected ,his name, off-and-on, during tho last eighteen months or two years. It is possible that the outbreak of war led to such an Increase In the work of hip department that It "got out of his grip" owing to Mm not having had the experience for organising nnd munafrlnK a bIK and busy division of tho army supplies during such a Rreru war lan thlH. Inexperience may have been written against the Major* name by thoao who sat In judgment on hla work nnd actions. Rut so long a« the evidence, and more especially the findings of our military courts or commtslon* of Inquiry, nre held bark from , tho puhl'.t:, Innocent men like Major ! O'SuiUvan will be "under it cloud." * more or lean unwarranted anil unjust. Jn tho cnxo of the officer whom '"Truth" lias had the temerity to name, there is n atronff feeling among theme who do know "how Iho bowta roll," ihiu h* l» bi'lng m<uk», to a certain extent, tho ."Ofipt'sout for other*. lit ihc In- ; t«r«»Bt (if Mnjcf u'SuHlvan. In the h.U'rcHlK of the D<*fonct» force* ami Utelr ofllcfiftt. <in<\ In tho Intortw* <:f Uriinli f«lr piny. "Truth" demand* that tho reports And finding:* of (lit* recent pf-cri»t commission of inquiry bo mndo public, nmi tvt one?.