DEFENCE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 195, 7 May 1918, Page 6

DEFENCE AFFAIRS

4. POWERS OF DISTRICT COMMANDERS TOO MUCH KHAKI? ALLOWANCES AND PAY OF OFFICERS HEALTH OF THE CAMFS The Defence Expenditure Commission resumed tho hearing of evidence yesterday. Brigadier-General Sir Robert Anderson presided, and Mr. Charles Rhodes sat with him. Mr. Peter Barr, tho other Commissioner, is still unwell. Colonel Robert AY'nrd Tate, AdjutantGeneral of tho Forces since May, 1316. said that ho was not a regular soldier, having been a solicitor in civilian life. He had had no war service. He said that ho did not think there was too much centralisation of authoritv in General Headquarters in his branch. Policy and control must be. centralised, or no common plan would be acted upo". Everything that could be decentralised was thrown upon the districts, but decisions based upon policy affectum the whole Dominion must be centralised. Within the limits of their districts, officers commanding districts were enabled lo exercise both discretion and initiative. If difficulties were -experienced to the contrary, sug?estions for improvement of conditions wore always welcomed. Authority of District Commanders.

Witness was asked the following question: In your opinion, snuulu officers commanding districts be allowed a discretionary expenditure limit, say, .iluu or dJiaur" Does cue present system of allowing litem no margin lead to costly correspondence, lack of initiative, and ultimately to want ot efficiency? (Note— li'egulalioiia for tho equipment of camps anu barracks. 19)0, grant power to expend not exceeding Xia, but nedee i'. around m sucn a way mat ;t is seldom, ii ever, availed ofj

Answer: 1 snuuid say either give tha district tho whole amount of the money voted by Parliament relative to the district, and make the officer comuiauding responsible tor producing the required results with thu money and satisfying Audit (and that would entail a. radical change of policy, as practically all expenditure now reauires Ministerial authority), or limit the discretionary spending power to a small sum. .£25 is now tho limit for urgent expenditure, aild might be increased to £50 with advantase. Oihcers commanding districts should be encouraged to make full use .of this authority in all matters which in their opinion are urgent, and which cannot bo dealt with in the ordinary way without financial loss or. loss of eflicency.

The chairman remarked that ho thought the policy would havo to be to mako officers commanding districts responsible, but it was not possible to make the change now, in viow of tho fact that there wero so many temporary officers in tho districts. In this opinion Colonel Tate concurred. Civilians in Khaki, Question: Aro there, in your opinion, too many officers, especially of civilian type, temporarily doing military duty? 11 so, in what direction could this mutter be profitably lessened? Answer: Officers of civilian type are necessarily employed, as there are very few regular stuff corps officers available, I question if the number could bo lessened. Districts were invited, on the receive roduction of Territorial training, to reduce these staffs to meet that reduction, and 1 should think it likely that the pendulum has swung tho other' way—in the tfiretcion of lessening the numbers unduly; to the possible detriment of our normal Defence system. The chairman said that ho had in mind such positions as those of officers in Base Records, the Director of Personal Services, purely civilian occupations. Why should the Director of Personal Services be a soldier? In any case, tho title was a ridiculous one. It did not mean anything to Ihe public. Why was it chosen? Witness: That doesn't matter very much. The chairman: "Oh, doesn't it! It matters a great deal. Surely tho man who has to pay Ims a right to be interested. . . ." The chairman s-nid that somo of the officers employed in these purely, civilian positions were receiving salaries far above their civilian earning capacity, because .they were paid according to rank. Ho said to witness: ''Don't you think yon are spoiling a lot of decent fellows by giving them far more' than they could get outside?" Witness said that the policy was to pay according to rank ..nd not according to position. Personally he was not wedded to this basis of payment. Clerks in Uniform. There was a deal of discussion on tho question of whether it whs advisable to have so many Defence dorks in uniform. Witness held that it was desirable to have tho clerks -under military law. It was not practicable to have women clerks, and men were hotter in uniform. Ho said that one of the troubles was that military pay was not so high as that obtainable in civilian employ. A soldier clerk received 5~. a day in pay,' and allowances is. a day. Married men received Is. separation allowance and 9d. a day for each child up to three children.

Mr. Rhodes: Doos it make him any better clerk if be is married? Witness: "I don't know that it doesn't. It Khows a certain .-.mount of enterprise for hun to have got married." Witness wont' on to show that civil pay mis often as good as military pay. For instance-, Mr. B. C. Warnes, in Base Records, who had been a witness before the Commission, was paid .£3OO a year in salary, and lie draw in overtime and tea money last year JJ-P1 -S 10d., a total of £MS 2s. lOd. The total pay of a captain in the same employ would be .2346 15s. He added that the policy was to employ returned and unfit soldiers as clerks. It would be impracticable to employ the returned and unfit soldiers under conditions existing for civil clerks, as the pav would be too low. Also there were certain parte of the work in which a military etabw was desirable, heturned soldiers who in civil afe. were experienced clerks very rarely applied for employment, because they rcoirncd m their civilian jobs.

Allowances to Officers, j The chairman suggested and urged that the present system of giving oftcers nay and in addition allowances ought to bo discontinued. Witness raid that professional allowance to medical and dental officers might nor. ho sustained on the revision of allowances now under consideration.' Ho considered thai if/allowance-) were to continue ulheers out ot camp ought to have some allowance, as officers in camp at present had a distinct advantage over those employed outside camp. . ~ . . The chairman said i!"> f a majors >,av was .£-150, and was shown at this Jate on the "Parliamentary Estimates providing for his snlai'y. The estimates <,;<! -iot shew that this major received JE3G 10s in allowances, and lio considered that this should he shnn-n in (lie same place and as clearly f.s Ins salary was shown. What did a member of l'arluinient know about allowances to military officers? Ho expressed in Hit strongest terms hia opinion that.the income and not the pay nurcly of Defence oiricers should bo shown. Replying on a general question on this matter, witness said: "Bates of pay am allowances have oidy recently been placed under my control. I am doing my best to remove anomalies, but the whole nuestioh i» entangled, and i.na to he bundled carefully. On one i,»i,d cntic* urease us of p.'-ying ton much, win e oHi<;'-= clamour for higher rates neither side (akin" the trouble to study the conditions "of service and other factors governing the position." "Rod Tape." "It 6eems to me this is red (ape in cxceTais," declnred the chairman relating to a question under discussion. The oilicer commanding the district at I'nlmerston had wished to havo ten days leave, and the question was whether the General Staff officer at I'almorston should take ovor, or whothor the eonior Terrilor-

i;il officer, Colonel Campbell, in Wellington, should lake, command. Witness said that the regulations were thai, the senior brigade commander must assunin command in tho absence of Hie officer commanding the district. Tho chairman urged thai il would bo a. much more reasonable thing lor the senior stall officer, in the ollico and on tho spot, to carry on. It Wis in somewhat candid comment on the hard-nnd-last regulation and practice to the contrary that tho chairman used tho term rod tapo in excelsis." Convalescent Homes. "Discipline in convalescent homes," said witness, "has up to tho present created a difficult problem, but under tho new arrangement whereby these homes will come under military control, a groat improvement is looked for. An unilischavged soldier can bo fined only lor drunkenness. This is done. Detention or imprisonment being unsuitable lor hospital patients in the absenco of a prison hospital, an effort has' teen mado in the written orders given to create the offence of absence without leave for most infringement of orders, upon which otlKiico pav can bo stopped. lines have not been" deducted from'the pensions of discharged soldiers. It has lately como to notice that this is done m Lnglnnd, Tint 1 think legislative authority would bo necessary in New Zealand. Discharged soldiers will not in luture be treated in institutions under military control unless they re-attcst, and are so brought under military law." Grievances of Districts.

Witness would not agree with tho chairman that (here wero too many officers' in districts. He said that this might, for anything he knew, apply to other branches, but officers on his side of the "show" in the districts wero very necessary, and the number of 111 em could not bo reduced without loss of efficiency, and possibly heavy losses of money. It appeared from the evidence given before the Commission that some dissatisfaction existed among district and group commanders with the system on which they worked, and that they thought the work was centralised too much in Wellington. But it was remarkable that such dissatisfaction had not produced more suggestions' for improved methods. The Department of tho Adjutant-General acted on tho principles that control should bo centralised and administration decentralised, and every endeavour was made to give effect to these principles. The aplegation of too much centralisation appeared to arise from a want of knowledge of the whole position. He did not agreo that the work was too much centralised in AYcllington, and he would await practical suggestions from thoso who did. He did not think that thero was unnecessary duplication of effort by the Director of Recruiting and group commanders. Every effort was made to prevent duplication. The present system did ensuro fullest efficiency and economy, but if fully competent and experienced clerks were available, greater efficiency and a decreased espondituro would bo possible.

Appeal Boards. Witness said that Military Service Appeal Boards wero not under tho Defcnco Department control, but in his opinion there were not too many of them. The chairman said that tho two Canterbury hoards had each admitted that one would suffice. The admission had been given somewhat grudgingly, because everybody connected with the boards was doing well out of tho business, with his generous travelling allowances. Naturally, thoso people did not come forward anil ask to havo their heads cut off! Witness said that the cost of appeal boards throughout tho Dominion during 1917-18 ivas as follows:—Auckland Diarict, M%l; Wellington, .W797; Canterbury, JtSiC'J; Otago, .£2930; total, 416,580. The Regulations. "Is it in your * pinion possible," ran u question, "for officers at district Headquarters, even if permanently placod and not temporarily as at present, to keep abreast of regulations, in the periodical editing and consolidating?' Witness said that it was advisable that consolidated instructions should bo issued as often as possible, but it must be remembered that under present conditions circumstances which modified important matters of policy were continually varying, and the fact that contradictory instructions were frequently .issued in rapid succession would lie understood by any officer capable of seeing beyond his office walls. A Question of Hesnoiislhility. The question of responsibility for pay and allowances was raised. Witness replied as follows: "Since November 23, 1917, I have been responsible to the Geuoral Officer Commanding for rates of pay and allowances; prior to that date I disclaim any responsibility. Tho function of tho Adjutant-General in regard to pay and allowances is somewhat obscure, but I think the true position is that tho Adjutant-General should be responsible to the General Officer Commandin" to dofino the rates of pay and allowances, for tho correction of anoma lie-i and tho co-ordination of the rates paid, so that no portion of the force » advantaged above another. Tho Quar-termaster-Genernl finds lie money ami makes tho payments, bat he should bb entitled to go to the Adjutant-General for tho rates to bo paid, and the lnterprfc tatiou of the orders laying down such ™tHS Believing this to be the position, I SSioUy. D fterltook.overli.me, several recommendations, including one In which t attacked the allowances paid to officers on camp staffs, w h tho ieB ult that on Boxing Day, 191b, a cononce was hold wiM, t.» Muiister o Defence, at which tho General Office Commanding, ihe Chief oi the General Staff, and myself wero present. I understood tha Minister to be. In .avour of the removal of the anomalies. The mat ei was not apin referred to me unil Anril 1917, when a 'icneral Order, approved IV Cabinet, which had the effect o continuing the camp allowances was placed -in my hands for promtgation. Tt- then'became apparent to me that tun I Id SnfcGeneral in New Zetland wa« not considered to be T.ho responsible ..u----fWil-v for pay .I"' allowances, but Stho editor of General Orders,.roducedby others on the subject, and iliM piearstohavo been actually the jiosiduring the tenure oi o. ce or nvy nmtlecessnr. As, nowwer, the lnteipreK o' Orders weft. Mill conlinun ly b in™ xofcwiKl t» llw Acijutant-aeneral fnr decision, I addressed in November, W a evidential memorandum' to the General Officer Commwidmg discussing the X* subject, with the rosuk lhar on November 23, WW, ho ruled u ul tl* A liutant-Generat w» the authority tosponsible to him for rates ol pqr and allowances.'' , , ~ Several questions were asked as to the autorship of the General Orders continuing the camp allowances, which Cabinet approved. Witness said that he did not know who prenireu the order, or ho dealt with the matter. W. ness sa.u tf at on February 5, 1018, he reviewed the question of camp allowances to camp stairs and recommended the abolition ot tho held allowances, and groomago allowances (o camp stalls now paid.

Epidemics In Camps, Colonel T. H. A. Valintine, N.iULC gave an account of the measures taken o ,nmhit cerebro-spinal meningitis -when it ™s most vi ulcnt at Trcmham Camp in 05 He said that when Trenlhnm Camp was broken up the epidemic ceased. Th" steps tnkon since theu-lhe inhalalion treatment and tho segregation of recn I in a camp other than Trentham during the winter months-had been very smWul. In winter there was greater risk of Catarrhal disease -...nong recruits, and catarrhal discuses predisposed men to cerebro-spinal infection. He did not consider that this segregation was iicccsK y «w that there was no epidemic I ease. He stated that tho interchange o froons between Trentham r.ml FeatherIn not at lirst done at the order ot tho medical authorities. There was no ■id at any time that Trentham was no e unhealthy I ban any other camp. It that Trentham was fey ml .lamp m winter, tending to induce 1 catarrhal affections in raw recruits if my w re crowded. If tho troops had ten crowded in any other'camp the trouble would have been as bad. Lieutenant-Colonel Mack Gill, N\/,M.C., endorsed what Colonel Valintino had sail The lesson they had learned he was to keep recrnits for the hist month in winter training under com iions as little crowded as possible. The I recruits most liable to imeotion were

hardy young men from the country who had lived an open-air life, not faced with any danger of infection. Last year I'oatiiorstun was the recruit camp; thero were 111 cases of C.S.M., and ten of them originated in Featherston. This showed that Featherston produced more C.S.M. so soon as tho recruits' were drafted to that camp instead of Trcntliam. When the Tauliereuikau Camp wes established for recruits everything was kept very primitive, and tho men lived always in iho open an. Only opon-air institutes were alUwed—very uncomfortable but very healthy. This camp, although it was ior recruits only, was the healthiest of them all. A Returned Qriartcrnuster-Scrgeani. Q.M. sergeant Thomas Deaniaiid, company quartermaster, jN.&.K., was called to give evidence. He said He had served abroad throo years aim a montn. Ho was one ol tUo lj.il. sergeants sent back to i\ow tfuiUiuri alter a special course of instruction m Inland. He jiatt been oflered a. commission in tne lintisk Army, bin mid 10 ueciine it ior nnancnvl reasons, it was after he declined tins offer that ho was sent U> get s;koiul instruction in quaiu-rimtsier s duties with tiia Irish Guards, lie was with them seven weeks, and he .learned all heir systemvery many things hj did not know before. Mo and twenty-nine others Hero sent out lo New '/..wuand, and had subsequently been put on .the yuarter-masta'-Uonerai's stall. Some weens inter tne-y were all paraded, and an onicor told them that ho did not know what they had cuiuo out for, but they would b"e put in stores *ud given a. cnauct to learn tho system in vogue her.' 'i'ney had not been asked to introduce the methods tnoy had learned m iMigiand. Apparent ly tho time he had spent with the Irish Uuards had b.en wasted. Under the 'battalion system followed in the Irish Uuards voiy ninny less men were required to carry out tho quartermaster's work than were now employed for similar numbeis of men at 'Ir.nthani. In the kit store at TreutUiim where he was employed there wore six nieu, and he was quito couiident that he could do all the work with two assistants. IL' had been told by Colonel Hall in England that they were coming out to New Zealand to teliove other men. If ho had known what was before him he would have preferred to remain at the front. "Trenthaui has got no timo for returned soli diers,'' he fcaid,

Tho chairman: That is your expeninceP Witness: Yos, that is a calm statement I mdic, I will prnVhly Buffer for giving evid.ncc here to-day. 'Hie chairman: 1 hope i;ot, because you did not seek to give evidence. We heard you were in (own nod we sent for you. Witness said that the system used liv tho Guards was that used at the front, and was much better than the .New Zealand* camp. . Tho commission adjourned unMl tins morning.