DEFENCE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 197, 9 May 1918, Page 5

DEFENCE AFFAIRS

THE RECRUITING BRANCH

CONFLICT WITH DISTRICTS

A DEFENCE OF CENTRALISATION,

I'he Defence Expenditure Commission resumed the hearing of evidence yesterday. Brigadier-General Sir Robert Anderson presided, and Mr. Charles Khodes sat with him.

Be-fore the taking of ovidenco began ihe chairman said that it had been represented to him that something he had said when Colonel 'I'ate was before the Commission had been misunderstood. Ho was reported to have said that the Commission wished to get rid of Colonel Tate's Department. He '.vas not aware of having said this, HuT; in any case he did not mean, as some-people had apparently supposed, that ho thought Colonel Tato was a useless person. He wished 1o say thht Mr. Rhodes and himself had formed the highest opinion of Colonel. Tate, and the manner in which he had dono his service. In not one singlo instance in the districts, whero they were prono to criticise, had anything been said against Colonel Tate and the way he did his work. "Benefit of Clergy." Captain Cossgrove, Director of Eecruiting, gave an account of his cervices, first as a volunteer in . ? \ T ew Zealand, then in the Imperial Army, in England, and in India, and last 01 all in tno New Zealand Permanent Staff. He described in some detail the stepa taken between tho calling up of a reservist and his going into camp. , Ho mentioned the special case of clergy, and the modified exemption allowed to them. The chairman: The clergy are an essential industry? Witness: They have been accepted as Fuch. Ho went'on to eny that although nil clergy were entitled to the Bame concessions, tho Catholic clergy made most «so of the certificate of the Minister of Defence to obtain exemption. The ohnirman: Are school teachers exempted? , Witness: No, sir. Tho chairman: They are not regarded m essential? Witness: No, sir. The chairman: But Eoman Catholic clergy and theological students are? Witness: Only to this extent—that thoy can apply to the Minister for a certificate, wnich is accepted as Buffioiont evidence that they are essential, and on the production of that certificate an appeal is adjourned sine die. Boards need not necessarily.adjourn suoh an appeal sine die. Their jurisdiction is not interfered with by tho issue of the Minister's certificate. ■ • ' Criticism from Groups. Witness said that there were 227 employees in his branch. Hβ did not anticipate that tho number would be reduced for some little time. The first Ifaori ballot had just been drawn, and olso a big ballot of 10,000 Class B, Second Division men. '

Witness gave at length the reasons why .it was not possible to invest group coniiuanders with the power to arrest defaulter?. The gravest consideration had teen given to this question by tho Eβcruiting Board, tho Adjutant-General, and Staff, but the numerous cases brought to notice showed tllat only a central authority in New Zealand who had accoss to the filo of every soldier in tho Dominion could be trusted to issue .warrants for the arrest of- medioal examination defaulters. He did not agree that thero vas overlapping or too much centralisation in Wellington. -

"Too Much Dissatisfaction," The chairman said that there was too much dissatisfaction in tho districts, and that the Director of Itecruiting should do as much travelling amongst them as . he could. If ho saw these officers, who ,were good men, 90 per cent, of tho difficulties could be smoothed over. Correspondence tended, to become acrimonious. Captain Cossgrove said fhat he , had from the beginning realised that it would be a good thing for him to visit group commanders. But he mentioned reasons, the strength of which were appreciated by the chairman, why ho could not do it. He was aware of dissatisfaction in, the distriots, but he was convinced that it existed merely beinuse, being group commanders, the officers concorned were not able to appreciate the situation, nor did they realise the re- ' qujiomenta of the Government Stftistipian in regard to the ballot. ' He fced vieited some of the groups,, but ho i>ad not been able to leave Wellington for nny length of time, and had not btea nble to visit all groups. It was reolised some months ago that something more than District Headquarters' supervision (in 6omo instances) was necessary, and recruiting inspecting officers were- appointed to examine and report on tho system of working in groups. These officers, were his accredited' representatives, and not only visited groups at fairly regular intervals, but alao eupervised the arrival of each group's draft in Trentham Camp.

Telegrams to Balloted Men. The chairman suggested that the telegram of advice to a balloted recruit might bo done away with. Witness said that he had on s-voral occasions recommended the discontinuance of telegraphic advices, but it was a matter 9I Government polioy that tno. practice should be continued. By holding back the Gazette a few days postal advices could bo got out to reservists balloted, but there was urgency as to .time. The chairman: But in tho camps they eay they havo lots of time, and they give the men four months' training P Mr. Rhodes: And a man is supposed to get three months' notice. Surely you ,could> sneak a oouple of days off that! AVitness said that these matters were all beyond his control. Captain Cossgrovo dieouseed at length the suggestions of different group commanders that the ipersonal files of reservists balloted should be duplicated, and copies retained in group offices. Ho maintained that thero was no good roa.son for having duplicates of tho files in district offices, and certain strong reasons why tho files should bo kept in Wellington. Good Clerks Scarce. Witness said that ho had the greatest difficulty in maintaining a staff. The principle reasons were that commercial houses were in ft position to offer higher rates of pay, that only unfit mon woro available for, appointment on Homo Service, and very few of thoso hod any clerical ability, that women clorks could not withstand tho strain in lesponsiblo positions, quite apart from tho fact that his experience lind been that they hud. not tho ability to deal with the rotponMiblo work of the branoh, and that evon when men wilh sorao previous clerical oxporienco woro obtained a long period elapsed before they woro of much assistance (which (into was only just beginning lo arrive). Requests for Lenve. One of the questions addressed lo witness asked information as to whether in the case of a man called in the b»Hot who asked for leave for an urgent matter, the Eecruiting ftmnch had wired to the effect: 'Tour application will be considered, but you must go to camp," and whether in some such cases the tithe occupied in going to camp and waiting for the sitting of the Military Service Board far exceeded the period of concession asked for by the applicant? Witness replied as follows:—"Yes, quite true. Such a caso, apparently, is that of a man whoso appeal has already been heard by a military service board and dismissed. The man has made an application for an extension of the timo granted by tho board, but the application haa been made eo late that there is no time to' refer the case to the board and obtain a decision. Between 200 and 300 such applications are usually received in this branoh during the 48 hours ilroceding a concentration. Where possible these are referred to a military service but whore such is not possible the man is advised he must no to camp. That such a course 13 justified is proved by the fact that during the past fow months only 8 per cent, of that number have been eont out of camp on leave as

a result of reference to a military servico board, tho balnnco Ww' obtained for traiiiinjj; and dispatch to the front u month earlier than would have been possible had tho mun boon allowed to remain out of camp.

Question: Would it be wise in such cases to len v e tho matter to the discretion nnd judgment of the Group Commander?

litply: No, it would not bo wise. In liny uase, military service boards would rightly object to Departmental interference with their decisions.

Anxious to Go to Fight.

Captain Cossjrovo had previously said that ho had several times volunteered for notive sorvioe. but ho had not been allowed to ro.

The chairman asked: You are prepared to go evon with lower rank than that you now hold? Witness: 1 would go as n privato tomorrow if they would secept me.

The chairman: Havo you any A Class men in your place?

Witness: There are only two of them. I am ono myself, and I am anxious to go. I have- had thirty years' service, and I have , always been kept back from uctivo service. I am U years of ago, nnd this is my last opportunity of seeing active servico. And I am being kept back. I can noither get the long service medal nor anything else.

Tho chairman: You have been extremely anxious to get away?

Witness: Yes,. I.have resigned in order to go, and they would not accept my resignation. Captain Cossgrove said that he felt very sore about some of the unkind .things that had been said about Captain Miles, who had been examined lime and again, and who had always benn refused for active service.

The Commission had intended to bear iho evidence of Colonel Potter and Colonel Adams in tho afternoon, but Colonel Potter is unwell and was unable to tdtend. Under the circumstances the Commission , decided that it would be loptter to boar the two, Commandants together, and they are to come ngaiu when Colonel Potter has sufficiently recovered to attend. . The Commission adjourned until tins morning.