Mr. NUGENTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether Mr. Dames, an assistant auditor on the staff of the National Insurance Audit Department, was some time ago regarded as dispensable by that Department, and lent to the Exchequer and Audit Department, in which he was serving until recently, and in which he was regarded as indispensable; whether Mr. Dames has now been recalled by the acting chief of the National Insurance Audit Department; and, if so, will he explain why?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe circumstances of the case are as follows: Mr. Dames, as assistant auditor of the National Insurance Audit Department, was in August, 1915, with other members of that office lent for service in the Exchequer and Audit Department, the work of which had largely increased owing to the War. As the Comptroller and Auditor-General, in view of the large numbers previously released for military service, had decided in December, 1915, that the remainder of the staff so lent, equally with members of his own Department, must be regarded as indispensable, they were, on his representation, given certificates of exemption under the Military Service Act, by the head of their Department, the Acting Chief Auditor, National Insurance Audit Department. In consequence of a decision of the Government that a further number of Civil servants should be released for military duty, the Treasury in May, 1917, required a medical classification of men of military age employed in public Departments who had not been placed in a medical category since 25th May, 1916. Mr. Dames, in common with all other men of military age serving in the Exchequer and Audit Department who had not been placed in a medical category since May, 1916, was required to present himself for medical examination, and upon his refusal to comply with this Order, was returned by the Comptroller and Auditor-General to be dealt with by his Department in which he had never 1753W been regarded as indispensable, and he was consequently released for military service by the Acting Chief Auditor.