Defence Expenditure

Taihape Daily Times, 18 February 1918, Page 5

Defence Expenditure

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. I r*k—--1 AUCKLAND EVIDENCE CONCLUDED. VEXATIOUS DELAYS. AUCKLAND, February 16, The commission appointed to inquire into the question of Defence expenditure -tool; -further wv4d«ncc 'in Auckland yesterday afternoon. Sir Bobert Anderson presided, with Mr. Chas Rhodes and Mr. P. Barr. Corporal Wilson, on home service in the Eecords Office, said that when they joined they were given an issue of clothing fit to go to the North Pole with. A man, he said, if he wanted to look smart, had to buy his own clothes. The underclothing that was issued to witness he gave a man on one of SandfoTd's trawlers, as it much too heavy to wear here. Khaki drill would be infinitely better for this climate. At times the issue was two sizes too large and if a man went to get the things exchanged he was asked to take a se-cond-hand outfit or to go without. In orj^'~ instance a man received an issue of twe pairs of socks. These had to last a year. When he went back at the end of the year for another issue he wasasked to produce the old ones. He said it was impossible to do so. He was told that if he could not produce the socks he must produce the- tops. It was unreasonable, witness said, to ask a man to produce socks with a year's wear out of them. At the present time there must be over £IOO worth of clothing on issue to the men at the office in which witness worked, and there was probably not 10s worth of the clothing worn. WAITED FOR THREE DAYS.

Claude Stanley Over, pianofortemaker, came before the commission -with a complaint. He had been called up three times for medical examination, he said, the third time being February 6. He was ordered to parade in Kitchener Street, before the Medicol Board on this date. He-paraded in due course, but was told that his papers were not there, and that therefore they could not examine him. This he not consider fair, as he had broken up some business in the country in order to attend; he asked that they do their best to examine him. They replied that they could not .do so, and requested him to return, in-the morning." Next moaning when he- presented himself he was again told that his papers had not arrived, and that he could not be examined till. they did. In reply to this he stated that he could not possibly afford to wait, and asked them to complete the examination and make a comparison of the papers when they did arrive. .They asked, them, .to complete the examination make fa comparison of the papers when they did arrive. They asked him to come back at eleven o'clock. At that hour he rang up and was told that the Board was engaged. Later he rang up again, and found that they were still engaged. He then took a train to the country, where* he had some business to transact. Having arrived there he again rang up, and was told that the Board was waiting for him In reply to this he stated that he had already been waiting three days. The reply of the man who rang up was that he did not care if he had been waiting 300 days, he was under military orders, and subject to arrest for failing to attend. Witness said that he could not p.ossibly get in, and asked what the next best thing he could do. They told him that he could go on to Hamilton and be examined there. He thought that he would be able to do this on the date state Abut asked if his expenses would be Efaul; in reply to which he was told that he would have to pay his own. He said he could not do this, and refused to do so. "I have lost two brothers at the front," he continued, "and do not mind going myself, though I am the last of the crowd; but I think I am entitled to a little more consideration.' ' The President: You presented yourself at the time you were ordered to? —To the very second, sir. / Colonel P. O. Andrew, Assistant Director of Medical Services, who was present, stated that if witness would present himself at the office this morning he would see that he was examined ed at once. The President: Is he not also entitled to his expenses?—l will see that he gets them, sir. - Colonel P. O. Andrews stated that the medical work in the district was as economically administered as possible. | Two of the medical boards had been done away with, and l one-was now doing the work. The question of the dual control between the Health Department and the Defence Department was one that could be dealt with, but evidence woi*Wvbc given on this subject by jneral Henderson, with whom the speaker had been in £ comiHpucation. * Thff Commission then adjourned to ( Palmerston North, and will pay a visit ( to Eotorua to-day to inspect several * of the institutions there. 8