ROUND PEGS IN SQUARE HOLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 244, 12 October 1918, Page 17

ROUND PEGS IN SQUARE HOLES.

SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE FRONT. Someone in the Army is a great genius '(writes "Serving fckjldier" in the "Daily jkjl") He has beou assigned the task o f putting round pops in square holes, and he does that duty right well. Once 1 had a servant appointed to mc. Bather it was a share in a servant, for nowadays a "-hitman" has to attend to at least five officers at once. Many 0 [ these men are in labour battaliojis, have been only a week or ten days in the Array, and" know absolutely nothing of their duties. Iv.rt this man -vva? pood, &l i I had some recollection of having ««in him before. Then it dawned on mc that he was a man \%no had ridden one o f the finest horses ever brought from America by a millionaire, and that lie had made the revord jump at Olympia in the last Horse Show before the war. Probably no man would bo more useful in a remount depot, because he has wonderful "hands," and has spent his life anions horses. But that is not the way in the Army. The Round Pejj Genius etepe in and makes a batman of him. One day a man cropped uj> detailed for duty as a fireman. He knew nothing of the work- hail never even seen a house on fire! "What on e:\rtb are you jn civil life;' T asked. " that they gave you this job?" "I am a shoemaker, sir." he said. He was an experienced craftsman, and hiscaUrns was so Ret out on his papers. Xow if there is a man prized above another in a battalion or a camp it is a qualified shoemaker. Yet that man remains an inefficient fireman in a centre where a shoemaker is urgently needed. The Round Vci: Genius will not permit lim to follow his trade. Another made his appearance as a medrcal orderly. Inquiries and bis papers showed that the man was a skilled cabi-net-maker, and just the very man required for an aeroplane oentre. A skilled cabinetmaker in these days is to ibe prized above rubies. Once more the Bound Teijnenius uivtv him the square! hole. Even the "Waaes" are not exempt. In an aerodrome there were two girls who were sailmakers. The Round Pen Genius decided that they were bo good at their job that their position and ipav mu3t he improved. He sent them to be derks in a depot headquarters! An officer spoke Spanish as well as he ffid English. He had lived with Spaniards for years. A call was made for a Epanish-speakinjr ollicer for propaganda purposes. He applied. The post was given to a man whose sole qualification is that he once spent three weeks in Ban Sebastian. Sometimes the Round Pep Onius is animated, apparently, by philanthropic motives. A man in khaki was seen painfully crawlinpr alon-r supported by a stick and twisted all sideways. He acknowledged to hip disease for years. He is so bad that ivhen he washes he has to use Jib etick to keop him upright. He is only four days in the army. He I* ordered for a '"board " in a - week or co. and will say he was quite well when he joined. Result: Disease incurred on service and a life pension. Nice for the man. but what about the taxpayers? One begins to think that even the Sound Peg Genius may be in a square hole himself.