COURT OF INQUIRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 6

COURT OF INQUIRY.

MILITARY DISCIPLINE IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, June 11. A Military Couii. of inquiry was opened at the Drilt Hall last evening to inquire into the state of discipline in No. 7 Company Garrison Artillery, and to ascertain the reason of the non-attendance of the members of the company at the King's Birthday parade. Major Braithwaite presided, and with him were associated Major Stevenson and Captain Melville. Lieut. Parker, late commander of the company, was present. Major Braithwaite explained that the inquiry was not in the nature of a court-martial, and no charge was being preferred against Lieut. Parker's honour or character, but against his command of the company. Colonel W. H. Hazard, officer commanding the division of the Auckland Garrison Artillery, stated that on the occasion of the last camp at Takapuna he had noticed that the discipline of No. 7 Company was not what it should have been. He inquired from Lieut. Parker why so few men were on parade, and Lieut. Parker replied that some were cooks and mess orderlies, while a few had been on guard the previous evening. The roll call indicated that 30 men were not on duty, and it took an hour to collect them.

Major Braithwaite : What was the demeanour of the men while in camp ? —I liad no complaints.

Evidently it was good ?—Yes, as far as I knew, but Colonel Wolfe, who lived close to the camp, twice reported" to me that the discipline was not good. Continuing, Colonel Hazard said it had since been reported to him by Sergeant-major Grace that the behaviour of the men was not good when they were marching to and from Fort Takapuna. Major Braithwaite : Owing to these incidents you decided to transfer Captain Parker to No. 1 Company, under Major Greenhaugh ? —Yes. Lieut. Parker was only in temporary command of the company ? —Yes. Well; what happened next ?—Nothing until I saw an article in the Auckland Star headed "Territorials on Strike; Auckland Company's Protest Against Officer's Removal.''

What did you do?—I went and saw Colonel Wolfe, and told him I was at a loss to understand the affair. I also went and saw the chief reporter of the Star, and he informed me that the information on which the art'ele was based had been, obtained from members of the company. I ridiculed the idea of a strike, and my Version was published in the Star next

evening. Continuing, Colonel Hazard said he next had Lieut. Parker before him. That officer made no attempt to explain the position. He also made inquiries of other officers, and they stated that they were of opinion that there was no foundation for the newspaper report. On the following Wednesday he inspected the company on parade. There were 46 out of 114 members present. He found the men badly turned out, one-third of them being without arms, and six without uniforms. He had them on a company parade some three months previously, when they were also badlv turned out. On this particular Wednesday evening he addressed the men on parade, calling attention to the newspaper article, . and he asked them to " play the game " and turn out in full strength at the King's Birthday parade.

And what happened at the King's Birthday parade?—Two officers, a sergeant, and one man turned up. Did you get any explanation?—No. I asked two officers, but they could give me none except the opinion that the men had probably been worked up. Lieutenant Parker: In your evidence you have made two conflicting statements —first, that you have frequently noticed a lack of discipline, and, second, that you have only twice inspected the company in five months. —Yes, but I have frequently seen the men falling in on the Devonport boat and elsewhere. The men have often passed me and failed to salute.

Major Braithwaite: Were you in uniform ?—No.

Well, the men may not have known you?—Perhaps so. Lieutenant Parker: Why did you not report the camp incident to which you now refer at the time it took place?— If Lieutenant Parker had not the hide of a rhinoceros

Major Braithwaite: Let us keep to the business before us.

Colonel Hazard: I spent an hour in which I very forcibly endeavoured to bring the position home to Lieutenant Parker.

Lieutenant Parker: Ie it a breach of the regulations to march the men on the footpath when the road is full of mud? Major Braithwaite: It is against the regulations, but the complaint is a trivial one.

Captain Meikle related how he had one evening seen the company marching on the footpath instead of on the road. Major Braithwaite: Do you consider it a test of inefficiency when you see a company marching on the footpath?—No, but I consider it bad command, and I have been informed that after I remonstrated with Lieutenant Parker he marched the men along the road for a while and then ordered them back on the footpath. How do you know that he did?—Lieutenant* Wilding and Kirker informed me so.

And do you consider that insubordination? Isn't it very trivial? Isn't it making a mountain out of a molehill?— It is just one incident in a host. Well, give us more.—The iflen were once ordered to return to Auckland by a special boat, and some of them remained to go by a later boat. Yes, any more incidents?—l have not found the company worse than any other particular company of Territorials. The interior economy of the whole division is not as good as it might be. I have never noticed any real lack of discipline in No. 7 Company, but any trouble there is I put down to lack of control. Twelve months ago, before Lieutenant Parker took command, they were just ae subject to slackness as they are now. Was this slackness more marked in No. 7 Company than others?—Yes. Do you know anything of the reason for the men not turning up for the parade on the King's Birthday?—No. * Evidence was given by Lieutenants Kirker, Wilding, and Parker. Lieutenant Parker stated that he took command of No. 7 Company in June of laet year, and the discipline was then bad because the company was in a period of transformation. When he handed the company over last month he considered the discipline excellent. The first he

beard about a strike was when he was asked by a reporter whether it was true that his company was on strike. At the time the article appeared in Star he had. no idea of what the position was. Hd was quite unable to account for the non-attendance of the men at the King's Birthday parade. When he said "Goodbye" to his men. he told the men to " play the game," and then read a district "order calling upon them to parade on June 3. It was his intention to resign, considering that an injustice had been done to him by transferring him to another company and replacing him by a junior officer. The men of the company would not in his opinion absent themselves through spite. He was convinced that there was no intention of mutiny. A finer and better behaved lot of youths had never been under his con*mand, and he had had 14 years' experience.

This concluded the inquiry, and the evidence will be submitted to headquarters at Wellington.