SOLDIERS' OFFENCES

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 39

SOLDIERS' OFFENCES

NEW ZEALAND METHODS OF RECORDING.

ILLEGAL AND OPPOSED TO PRACTICE.

(From Our Own Correspondent )

WELLINGTON, May 8. Ono of the points brought out in evidence beforo ' the Defence Expenditure Commission to-day may bo of some importance to recruits in camp or about to go into camp. Lieutenant-colonel T. W. M'Donald said that the present method of filling in the military history sheets of soldiers was contrary to the King's Regui lations and contrary to law. He said thai | in the Ease Records Office there was a j staff of about 50 girls who were engaged in the compilation of these sheets, and ifi I was their duty at present to laboriously I copy on to tho sheet of every man entries j respecting every military " crime " of which \ ho might ha convicted during his period | of service. Colonel M'Donald declared tbaii j this was highly improper, and it could never be done if Base Records were in tho \ control of people with any military knowledge—a qualification which was very necessary in running a records branch. No such record of military offences should bo mada on tho military history sheet of any man, for this would perpetuate the record and mako it part of a man's permanent file. Entries of this kind should bo made on a man's conduct sheet, but these .documents [ were highly confidential in a proper organisation, arm no person other than the company commander or the battalion commander was permitted to make an entry on one of them. They were never available for perusal for any purpose by cither persons, as it was considered that a man ; made most of his offences against military, rules through- lack of knowledge in the early period of hia service. After that, if ; a man were convicted of a "crime" the I record remained, but if lie had two years I of good conduct he was entitled to have '■ his sheet destroyed. It was, therefore. highly improper that information about tho offences a man might commit should .be published among a lot of girl clerks and ; made part of the permanent file of a man in the service. He expressed the opinion that any man who wished to do so might by recourse to law compel tho authorities to delete records of punishments, from his military history sheet.