CAPTAIN HOULKER'S DEATH

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 82, 5 October 1915, Page 2

CAPTAIN HOULKER'S DEATH

DELA^ IN OBTAINING INFORMATION. A painful instance'of delay in forwarding news regarding a casualty m the firing line was mentioned in the Legislative Council last night by the Hon. A. IT. Magiimity. The honourable gentleman said that he spoke with, some feeling and also under some feeling of anger — he might say — against the Government. The incident referred to Capt. James Houlker, who was a junior partner 'in his (Mr. Maginnity's) firm. Capt. Houlker left Wellington for the front in October or November of last year in command of a company of the Canterbury battalion of the 3rd Reinforcements.. On Saturday, 7th. August, he was wounded in battle on the Peninsula. On the following Wednesday, intimation was received from the Defence Department that he was killed, and being a very popular young fellow in Nelson the news caused extreme grief. On the following Sunday a memorial service was held in the Nelson Cathedral, and on Monday, 16th August (the following day) word was received that Capt. Houlker was not killed, but only wounded. Ever since, every endeavour had been made to trace him, and the Government had been twice communicated with, and cables had been despatched. Not until Friday last, however, was it ascertained that Capt. Houlker, who was an officer of some prominence,, having been engaged in field duty, that he had died on a hospital ship on 10th August. " All I can say," said Mr. Maginnity, "is that there was gross negligence on the part of somebody. It is absurd to say that we could not get any information, in a period of less than two months." He (Mr. Maginnity) was going to ask the Leader (Sir Francis Bell) to request his Government to make some enquiry into these delays, especially this particular case, and also to see if the Government could not make some better arrangements' in advising relatives of casualties in the firing line; further, to make enquiries into the serious delay regarding intimation of the fatal injuries to Capt. Houlker m advising his relatives of his death.