THE BASE RECORDS

NZ Truth, Issue 578, 15 July 1916, Page 8

THE BASE RECORDS

The Conclusions and Criticisms of a Correspondent

Alleged that * 'Crawling" Succeeds : Good Work Counts for Nothing

The Director's Rejoinder: The Other Side of the Story

Dear "Truth,''. — A letter recently appeared m your* columns from a correspondent regarding the appointment of Major Norton Francis as Director of Base Records m which I was very interested, more especially as the matter anent the Records and appointments therein has been having its share of publicity m the House and newspapers lately. If I remember rightly, some time since a "Truth" rep. visited the Base Records when they were situated m the old premises, and had a look round, following which your valuable journal gave its readers the results of its representative's investigations. I am afraid that your reporter made, what might be termed, A "FINE WEATHER VISIT," for had he known as much about ''the various Departments incidentally, some of the "heads" as the writer, your representative might have had a different story to tell. Does "Truth" know that the "Records," as they are familiarly termed, has recently lost some good men Who were not prepared to adopt, what is called m the British Army, "crawling 1 ," arid' one or two others through glaring examples of ill-treat-ment? It is a well-known fact that unless the favor/ of the various heads is obtained, good work appears to count for nothing. We have had one or two examples lately of the lack of "tact" on the part of 'officers concerned which is turned into the rather ugly name of insubordination if on the part of non-commis-sioned officers. Whilst on this subject writer is very much^ surprised at tho number of officers wlio are on the staff of the Base Records. If I mistake not, there are no less than four Lieutenants, a Captain (who holds the title of Deputy Director, save, the mark!), an Assistant Director whom, I am informed, is a son-in-law of the Hon. James Allen, and Major Francis as Director, and I was nearly forgetting the Chief Clerk, and the dual positions which he holds. What the whole lot, I allude to the Lieutenants, can find to occupy their time (apart from the little arguments as to the golf links) GOODNESS ONLY KNOWS. This would appear to be Government economy! One of these officers and "gentlemen" has adopted the endearing expression of that somewhat doubtful word "blighter" towards any of the returned men who should have iHe bad luck to disturb him. His size alone protects him. We are informed that women and children should always be protected! Has Major Norton Francis always had at heart the interests of some of his staff, some of whom have given' their best to his department? Perhaps it is better to ask that gallant soldier how many of them he has known personally? I am afraid, very few.

And now to ask a question regarding the Deputy Director of Base Records, what qualifications has he (Captain Bartlett) for being placedvin his position. In a case which occurred some time since, this officer's sense of justice, m my opinion, was marred by his lack of "tact," of which we are hearing so much lately. I refer to the endeavor to>force a man. whose wife, at the time, was seriously ill, to one of the. local camps. This man was given twelve hours to break up his home, leave his sick wife and three young children, lose two shillings per diem on the transaction, or be put "on the mat"

FOR DISOBEDIENCE OP ORDERS, or get out of the service. Ho got out of j the Department. Does Major Francis ,j know anything of this, or does the Hon. ' Minister for Defence know that this sort of thing is allowed to go on? Tho 'man I allude to saw service m the Boer War, Zulu land and Hottentot risings In German South-West Africa, and did his best while In .the -Base Records. Captain Fraser (no connection with the person of that name appearing m the papers lately) will be missed by a good many of tho Records staff. In this case, he will be a decided gain to the Dunedin staff. He held the position that Captain Bartlett now holds.

Judging by the newspaper reports of the House proceedings, another officer m the person of Captain Vine appears to be having a rather thorny road to hoe for some time past. lam certainly not the only person who has expressed the opinion that the service m general, and the Base Records m particular, would be very much better off m every way should it number amongst its officers a few more men like this Captain. Writer has come m contact with this officer on numerous occasions, and asserts that Captain Vine never found it too much to go to a good deal of trouble m order to do a man m, or out of, the service a good turn. His position m tho "Inquiries"

HAS BEEN, NO SINECURE. He has been called on to answer all sorts and conditions of queries by tho returned men and the' general public At a future date, with your permission, I shall have a little more to say In con-nectlon*-with the Records In general. — Yours, etc, " DISGUSTED." Wellington.