COLONEL PURDY'S APPOINTMENT.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15313, 29 July 1915, Page 5

COLONEL PURDY'S APPOINTMENT.

i « — I ' DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL [ SERVICES. i UNFAIR PROMOTION ALLEGED. ; (special to "the press.") WELLINGTON. July 28. ■ Allegations of unfair treatment were made in a petition presented to the Hous© of Representatives to-day by Dr. A. K. Newman on behalf of Dr. Harry Archibald de Latour. V.D., of Kilbiraie, Wellington, and formerly Lieu-tenant-Colonel in the New Zealand Defence Force. In tho course of the petition, Dr de Latour stated that ho joined tho New Zealand Volunteer Force at Oamaru in 1875. with the rank of lion, assistant surgeon, and was appointed Lieu-tenant-Colonel and awarded the V.D. in 1805. For some time he studied in the Home Country vyith a view of qualifying himself for the position of Inspector-General of the New Zealand Forces, and obtained the certificate of proficiency of the War Office. In 1903 the position of Surgeon-General became vacant, and Surgeon-Major S. S. Sherman, an officer ten years junior to petitioner, obtained the appointment. During the Easter camp in Otago in 1909, petitioner was informed that tbe Surgeon-General had resigned, and petitioner expected to be offered the appointment, but instead Surgeon-Major J. R. Purdy, who was twenty years junior to petitioner, without a certificate of proficiency- which petitioner possessed, and without war service, was appointed Acting DirectorGeneral, with temporary rank of colonel. Petitioner protested against being again passed over, especially by such an inexperienced junior and untrained officer, and applied officially for the appointment, receiving no reply, and construing the silence as favourable, he removed his homo to Wellington, but from the day of his arrival in Wellington in 1909, with ono exception, he had not been employed in any way by the Defence Department. Petitioner was informed m January 30th, 1911, that LieutenantColonel Purdy had been appointed Director of Medical Services on the ground that he had been acting in the position for two years.* and petitioner's request for an enquiry was declined. Previously the ago of retirement war. 65 rears, but new regulations weTe made for the age of retirement affecting petitioner, who was 61 years of ace. Petitioner reluctantly felt compelled to 'resign from the service in June, 1911. Petitioner submitted that ho wtm in every respect._ by length of service, seniority, continuous and successful at tention to his duties, special expert training, and" the possession of the certificate of from the War Office, fully entitled and oualified to Snrereon-Oonernl Simian m 1909. and that if these conditions had been pronorly reryirrnised and tho customs of the Imperial service carried out. petitioner would -now be deriving tiho advpntaoirAs. credit, emoluments. and presticre th/>+ +-b© nonointmnnt carried wi+b it. P"tit : o*>er ,fur+.lie»* snhim'ttefT that, by beinor h— an officer so junior +o himself and without bis expert trait l '**? and oxnerfenee. ■Detit'Vvner had su flr '*»v»<* rrreaf icnoTninv nnd Petitioner had h<y>n fi/vro<vl +o,break un hie homo «md se'l hit furniture at a trreat sncrifW. nnd had be?r> nitt to serioT«* pecuniary To*s.- Moreover, in his effort* to oh. tain the rmnry'ntTnent h« had by thp unreasonable deln- in mnV.'ng it wasted .w'V-two yenr«* of h'*s life. Poti+ioner nrnyo.i for *u-*Ti relief as the House might deem fitting.