ROYAL OAK ECHO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20254, 14 May 1929, Page 12

ROYAL OAK ECHO.

NAVY'S RIGHT OF APPEAL".:

IMPORTANT CONCESSIONS. DETAILS OF THE NEW ORDERS. With a view to prevent a recurrence of tho incidents which led to the Royal Oak courtsmarttal a year ago, when Captain Dcwar and Commander Daniel were reprimanded and dismissed their ship, and Rear-Admiral Collard was placed on the retired list, tho Admiralty has issued to tho Fleet amended orders giving every officer and man hi tho Navy, irrespective of rank, tho right to appeal, in the last resort, to tho Admiralty in cases of alleged grievance. The new orders state that if any officer, petty-officer, non-commissioned officer, or man thinks ho is suffering any personal oppression, injustice, or other illtreatment, or that he has boon treated unjustly in any way, he may, after duo consideration, make complaints in accordance with rules laid down. Any other method of seeking redress from superior authority is forbidden. The rules referred to provide- that if a complainant is a flag officer or captain he must put his complaint into writing and address it to his immediate superior. But if tho complainant is an officer serving under tho captain of a ship, his complaint must bo made orally to his captain, in accordance with the custom of tho service.

An officer below the rank of captain must make his request to see the captain through the executive officer—tho commandor. Petty-officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who desire to see the captain to make a complaint must prefer their requests through their divisional officer, and their complaint must bo made orally.

If the complainant bo a junior officer, petty officer, non-commissioned officer, or man, the captain must detail tho divisional officer or another officer to advise and assist*the complainant in stating his case. A complaint must bo confined to a statement of tho facts and their alleged consequences to tho complainant himself. Joint complaints from two or more persons are not allowed.

It is an offence to make complaints in terms which embody comment disrespectful or insubordinate or subversive to discipline, except when such comment is necessary for adequate statement of the facts. If the captain should refuso or be unable to remedy a complaint, tho person making it may respectfully ask to be allowed to put his complaint into writing. Then the captain is to give tho complainant 24 hours to reconsider the matter. The complainant may next address the complaint to the captain in writing. The captain is then to forward it to his superior officer, with his remarks upon it. If a complainant is not satisfied with the decision on his complaint, he may request that it be forwarded to tho next superior authority, and so on to the com-mander-in-chief, and finally to the Admiralty to be dealt with. A complainant is only justified in appealing to superior authority when the authority to whom such request is made has neglected or refused to forward his complaint. No officer, petty officer, or man is to be penalised for making a complaint in accordance with these rules.